ELEMENTARY MY DEAR CONAN

Disclaimer: The clues are all there and one can only conclude that I am using the characters of Detective Conan (Case Closed) and Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century to write a story for pure enjoyment.

< >: Thoughts

Chapter 3

Not Impossible, Only Improbable.

“Very interesting.” Sherlock commented as he watched the recording on the television set. The screen depicted Richard Moore as he explained how the creator of the murder mystery show had killed his partner. (1)

The compu-droid Watson nodded as he watched the tape. “I must say that the way this case was solved was brilliant.”

“Indeed it was.” Sherlock agreed, then said, “However, we cannot credit Richard Moore for solving this case. He had nothing to do with it.”

“What do you mean? You saw it yourself. He explained it perfectly and...”

“Yes, it was explained perfectly.” Holmes admitted. “It was most impressive, but it wasn’t Richard Moore who was doing the explaining.” He then rewound the tape and replayed the scene, as the process in which the murderer had shot his victim from the upper floor, was shown. Using the modifications that Watson had installed, he then did a close-up on Richard’s face, particularly his eyes. “What do you make of that, Watson?”

The mechanical assistant looked in and became shocked. “I’ll be reformatted! Richard Moore is asleep!”

“Indeed. Note the slight eye movement from under the eyelids. Apparently, he is in a state that is similar to non-REM sleep. He is slumbering, but he’s not quite dreaming, which leads me to suspect that he is under some kind of sedation. One does not normally achieve that state of unconsciousness quickly, without help from a drug.”

“But we’re hearing his voice right now. Perhaps he is explaining the crime with his eyes closed?” Watson suggested.

“On LIVE television with thousands of viewers watching?” Sherlock stressed. “Not at all what one would call normal. Furthermore, take a good look at his lips. They aren’t moving in the slightest. And before you suggest that he is using ventriloquism, I have already ruled out that possibility. Note that his breathing is regular and not forced as one would expect of a ventriloquist. There are no muscle contractions in his throat nor chest. He is definitely not aware that someone is using him as a front, in order to solve this crime.”

“If it isn’t him, then who is solving the murder case? Where is his voice coming from?”

“Watson, if you please, would you do a voice analysis of this recording, when you have the time? I have my suspicions, but I need to study this further and gather more information before drawing any conclusions. I want to know the direction of where the voice is coming from, and determine if it is being mechanically reproduced.”

“I shall give this task my attention at the my earliest opportunity.” Watson declared as he and Sherlock headed out of the office.

“Very good. Now let us head to the Mishima Estate and collect our fee. I am certain that Mrs. Mishima will be quite happy to see her son again, once we deliver the kidnapper into the hands of the police. You have made the call?”

“Just a few minutes ago. They should be there by now.”

“Let us be off, Watson.”

----------

The Moore Residence...

“I don’t believe this! He did it again!” Richard growled, as he slammed the phone’s receiver down on the cradle. Standing nearby, Rachael and Conan looked on with concern.

“What’s wrong, Dad?” Rachael asked.

Her father was in a very dark mood as he replied. “The Mishima kidnapping case was supposed to have been mine and that nobody Holmes stole it from me!”

“Really? You mean he solved it already?” Conan became very intrigued. The kidnapping of Momoshiro Mishima had just occurred the night before and Richard had been called this morning to come in and accept the case. Now the promise of a hefty bonus was gone.

“Who does this guy think he is?! Just because he calls himself Sherlock Holmes doesn’t mean that he’s some super-sleuth! I’m the top detective around here!”

<I wouldn’t go that far, Old Timer.> Conan thought as a slight sweatdrop formed, then he considered the possibility that the newcomer might actually be who he claimed to be. <I’m still skeptical that this man could be Sherlock Holmes, but if he’s really good enough to solve high-profile cases in so little time, then...>

As Conan pondered, Rachael’s father continued to brood. This was an all-too-familiar scenario and Moore didn’t like it one bit. It had been bad enough that he had been upstaged on a regular basis when that punk kid Jimmy Kudo had been around, but now he was being shown up by a nut who claimed he was some fictional character in a detective novel. Well, he’d show everyone his brilliant deductive skills and put that wannabe in his place. It was just a matter of time.

----------

A day later...

“Another case closed. Well done, Holmes!” Watson remarked as he and Holmes were walking back to their office.

“Thank you Watson. And may I ask how your investigation is going? What have you found out on the recording?” The great detective asked.

“I have already analyzed the recording and I must say that I am quite perplexed. The voice of Richard Moore was not being projected from Moore, but rather from BEHIND him! Furthermore, using my voice analyzer, I made another interesting discovery. You were right, Holmes. His voice is being artificially reproduced. I compared the time he was explaining the cell phone, with the time he was supposedly solving the murder. The duplication is near-perfect and to the normal, untrained ear, (or audio sensor in my case), no one could tell the difference.”

“As I suspected.”

“Pardon me for asking, but why this sudden interest in another detective and potential rival?”

“For two reasons, Watson. First, I make it my business to know all of the competition and allies. One can never know when such information might come in handy. Secondly, I tend to take notice of unsolved mysteries, and the one concerning Richard Moore and another detective, has been going on for some time.”

“Richard Moore, an unsolved mystery? Whatever do you mean?”

“I had looked into his background and found that until a few months ago, he was nothing more than a minor-league investigator with mediocre skills, concentrating mostly on cases of petty theft and such. The fact that he is now suddenly being credited with solving very difficult crimes, is reason enough to look into, don’t you think?”

“It could be that Richard Moore had improved on his detective skills.”

“Not very possible Watson, and as you know, I do not consider the impossible as valid. You saw how immature and emotional he was during the recording when he demonstrated that bit with the cell phone. I can surmise that Moore is prone to fits of emotion and a tendency to make snap judgments without getting all the facts. Not exactly a trait that is desirable in our line of business, eh Watson?”

“I suppose not. However, that still does not explain why he is given the credit for solving those crimes.”

“Ah, and that brings us to our second mystery, which concerns a young and promising investigator, by the name of Jimmy Kudo.”

“What do you mean?”

“I had come across several articles which told of a very talented teen detective who mysteriously disappeared at nearly the same time that Richard Moore had begun having his ‘brilliant streak’ so to speak.”

“It could be just a mere coincidence.”

“Once again, I find that to be impossible. The way in which Richard supposedly solved those cases, were actually done by someone else’s method of deduction. I had studied Jimmy Kudo’s style of collecting data and figuring out their meanings, (which is quite similar to my own), and I also found that same style in the cases that Richard Moore was credited with unraveling. The pattern follows a logical and very calculating way, and there is a very keen eye for detail. And comparing these cases with the ones that Moore actually solved before Jimmy Kudo’s disappearance, I found a very significant difference in deductive styles. Moore had a tendency of jumping to conclusions and directing toward the obvious, while Jimmy Kudo collected all relevant facts and their connections to one another, before making a conclusion. Now recently, Moore is doing the exact same thing as Jimmy had, and in every case, he seems to be guided by someone, without him knowing it.”

“Holmes, do you realize what you are suggesting? Richard Moore is reputed to be a great detective and you are accusing him of stealing another detective’s work.”

“I accuse no one, Watson. I am simply pointing out a series of facts and details that others have missed. Now, I do have a theory, and it does concern the absence of Jimmy Kudo.”

“But if what you are saying is correct and the answer lies with Jimmy Kudo, then the big question is... where is he?”

“Where indeed.” Sherlock smiled as he saw a certain someone walking with a teenage girl toward a diner. “Tell no one of my suspicions for now. I wish to gather more information before I make my final conclusions. At the moment, I feel like having some tea. Come.”

Watson nodded as he followed Holmes into the coffee shop, just as Rachael Moore left the shop to go buy some cake for Conan. (2)

----------

“Well now, we meet again young Conan.” Sherlock greeted as he and Watson sat in a booth next to the one Conan was sitting in.

Conan gulped a bit as he paused in his lookout for Rachael’s supposed date. He was still in a bit of awe to be in the presence of someone who just might be THE Sherlock Holmes. He was still somewhat skeptical, but he managed to keep his cool as he continue to note the people coming into the diner. In all, he saw a large, beefy man with a bandage wrapped around the third finger of his left hand, (which he claimed he had injured while playing rugby), a college student, a very grumpy female who wanted coffee, and a striking woman who appeared to be an attorney. She gave him the shivers when she glanced at him. He then began noting each one as they headed toward the restroom, while he greeted Holmes and Watson. He also overheard the large man as he talked to the owner of the diner, stating that his wife was angry that he had to remove his wedding ring, due to the injury to his ring finger.

“Uh... Hello again... Mr. Holmes... Mr. Watson. I heard about you on TV. Is everything all right?”

“Things are going nicely, now that we have a place to stay. And how are you, Conan? Did you find the person you are looking for?”

“Er, what makes you think I’m looking for someone?”

“Oh, the usual signs. You have been periodically glancing out of the corner of your right eye, every time someone comes through the front door. Judging by the way you take a slight intake of breath when it is a male, I have reason to believe you are looking for someone of the same gender as yourself. The way you study each individual and taking in details, I surmise that you are gathering information in an effort to learn the person’s identity and intentions.”

<Whoa! This guy sure doesn’t miss much! I’d better watch my step around him. If he really is Sherlock Holmes, then he might even find out about my real identity of Jimmy Kudo.>

At that moment, a sly-looking character with a short ponytail walked in. He was dressed in a white suit that was dreadfully out of bad taste, and he sat down in a booth just behind Conan’s. He took out his cell phone and began talking to his friend, bragging about how he had scored a date with a naive girl. When Conan showed a slight expression of anger and jealousy, Sherlock smiled knowingly.

<Ah, so that’s it.> He then remembered Rachael exiting the diner and put the pieces together. <And the so plot thickens.>

Conan was then paged by the waitress to answer a call. At the same time, the cad decided to head toward the restroom and a few moments later, there was a horrible scream. People began rushing toward the restroom, including the people that Conan had watched before. Sherlock and Watson immediately ran after Conan as he sprinted into the lavatory.

Sherlock noted that the cad was sitting on the floor and in a state of shock as he pointed to one of the stalls. He then saw a pool of crimson on the tiles under the door and that’s when he witnessed little Conan trying to open to door. Unable to do so, the child crouched down, reached for what looked like the circular pattern on his right tennis shoe, then unbelievably leapt up some six feet up to catch hold of the top of the stall. He peered over the door and gasped in shock at what he saw in the stall.

<Interesting. It seems that a solar-powered skateboard wasn’t the only thing that Dr. Agasa gave to Conan.>

----------

Soon enough, the police arrived with Inspector McGuire leading the investigation. After questioning Conan on what he had seen, he turned to face Holmes and Watson.

“So you’re the detective who solved the Mishima kidnapping and the Tsaska murder.”

The detective gave the police inspector a slight bow. “Sherlock Holmes at your service, Inspector McGuire.” He then gestured to his associate. “May I also introduce you to Dr. John Watson?”

“Pleased to make your acquaintance.” Watson greeted.

“Yeah, whatever.” Like most people, McGuire thought Holmes was just some kind of eccentric detective that used the name of Sherlock as an alias. “This is police business and I’ll thank you not to interfere in the investigation.”

“It is my sincerest wish that you find your killer and let justice be served.” Holmes said simply as he gazed upon the bloody body of the murdered woman, who was identified as 24-year-old Yvonne Marks. McGuire knelt down and looked at the corpse after a forensic officer informed him that he had found strangulation marks on the victim’s neck.

“Yeah, well from what I can tell, judging by the amount of blood, the victim was strangled then stabbed once in the heart, in which she probably bled to death. And since the window is open and leads to an alley, I can pretty much surmise that this is a case of petty theft. Most likely, it was some lowlife who wanted some quick cash, so he snuck into the bathroom, and waited for someone he could rob. Then when Ms. Marks came in, he pounced on her, and killed her. I can see her personal belongings scattered all over as well as the murder weapon, so I can safely assume that the suspect killed his victim, took her money and escaped out the window and into the alley.”

Sherlock nodded. “Very good assessment of the cause of death, Inspector. However, I cannot concur with your hypothesis of the crime, nor the criminal’s method of escape.”

“What are you talking about?”

Sherlock then gestured to Conan, who happened to be looking at the open window. “Young Conan has already noticed the inconsistency in your deduction, as did I. Please tell everyone here why the criminal couldn’t have escaped through the window, lad.”

Conan found himself in a situation that was quite a shock. Grown-ups were actually asking for his opinion. He gulped a bit as he pointed to what he noticed. “Don’t you think that window’s too clean?”

“Conan, restaurants are supposed to follow a sanitation code.”

“What the young man and Mr. Holmes are trying to point out is that there is no blood on the window or on the frame.”

Everyone present looked toward the door to the restroom and saw the tall, handsome woman that Conan had observed from before. She had a very sure stride and Holmes couldn’t help but admire her presence. She tipped her steel-rimmed glasses up slightly and nodded to Inspector McGuire. The police officer’s face brightened in recognition.

“Ava! What are you doing here?”

Ava Kaden nodded to her old acquaintance and then looked toward Holmes and Conan. “It’s good to see you again, Officer McGuire, or is it Inspector McGuire now? As to why I’m here, well I took and early lunch and was supposed to meet a family member here. Now, as to what I believe the little boy and Mr. Holmes had intended to tell you was the fact that there is blood splatter all over the stall’s floor, yet none near the window. You would think that killing the victim in such a confined stall would cause blood to splatter on the murderer as well. He would have left blood on the glass and sill if he escaped through the window.”

“Well, what makes you think he didn’t wash his hands before he left?”

“Come on, do you think a person who murdered someone in a bathroom stall and make a hasty retreat in a public bathroom would take the time to clean himself off? The murder weapon is still here, simply because the suspect couldn’t take it with him. Therefore, it stands to reason that the murderer is still here.”

“Now see here, Ms. Kaden. The victim’s body blocked the door of the stall and there is no evidence that it’s been moved. That’s the only open window here, so there is no other way the suspect could have escaped! I would be perfectly happy to hear your explanation of how the murderer got away!”

“There is one way. Up there.” She pointed toward the top of the stall.

“A most reasonable hypothesis, Ms. Kaden.” Holmes admitted as he looked at the adjacent stall. “If the suspect was fairly spry, then it would be possible for him to escape the crime scene through that route.”

“This is the first time that a fictional character had paid me a compliment, but I thank you all the same.” Like everyone else, she didn’t believe that Sherlock Holmes was a real person, though she was quite flattered with the gentleman, who treated her with respect and courtesy. Unlike like a certain drunkard and womanizing idiot she used to be married to.

The detective then noted the adjacent stall’s walls and a slight frown formed on his lips briefly. He then walked toward where the murder weapon was being bagged then looked back toward Conan. After a quick glance at the weapon, he looked back and nodded as he noted something about the boy and smiled as he saw the intensity in the youth’s eyes.

<Ah, so the little detective has noticed it as well. Excellent! >

He then turned his attention back to the group of people as the investigation continued. By this time, the body had been removed and sent to the police morgue for an autopsy. After having one of the officers show how easily it was to climb the stall walls, the attorney then began pointing out various facts, such as the locks on the stalls and bathroom door. She also pointed out the faucet near the toilet, which she suggested the killer had used to wash off any blood on him. As various suspects were gathered and told to duplicate the feat of climbing the stall, Holmes was duly impressed with the lawyer‘s train of thought and speculation. However, there were several key pieces of information that made her theory that the suspect had climbed the stall invalid.

As the cad Steve Wilson and the big beefy guy James Tongan were ruled out, leaving Ms. Kaden and the college student Keith Davidovich as suspects, Holmes decided that it was time to get involved.

“No, I’m not the murderer!” The college student protested as he was shown the string found at his booth. “Sure I used the string to tie my books together, but that’s all! I couldn’t have killed anyone!”

“Now, now, there’s no need to be upset young man. It is obvious that you are NOT the killer. And I regret to say that Ms. Kaden, who happens to be approaching this case in a very logical and efficient manner, has overlooked one important detail.”

Everyone turned to Sherlock as he walked up to the stalls.

“What are you talking about? Climbing the stall and getting over the top was the only way the killer could have gotten away!”

“I suggest that you pay attention.” Watson said. “When Mr. Holmes makes an observation, it is always relevant.”

“Thank you Watson. Now, so far this case is being examined on the ASSUMPTION that the killer climbed the stall. In my business, one should never base one’s thoughts on an assumption without proper evidence. And the evidence that the killer had climbed the stall is not present.”

“What do you mean?” Eva asked, becoming more intrigued by this person who claimed to be Sherlock Holmes. Normally, she was credited for having a very sharp mind and good observation skills. To have someone disprove her theory was unexpected and strangely appealing.

Holmes pointed with his cane toward the adjacent stall where the suspects had been asked to climb over the top. “You will note that the people you had used to test out your theory all left footprints, either on the toilet seat, the water tank, the sink and the other walls, in order to scale the confines of the stall. However, as you look toward the stall where Ms. Mark’s body had been found, you will note that there are no footprints whatsoever on any of the surfaces. If the killer had gone over the top and escaped, as you had suggested, then he would have left some marks behind.” (3)

Eva was both shocked and impressed that such a simple detail had escaped her.

“If that’s the case, then we have no theory whatsoever of how he got away! You’ve eliminated both the window and the top of the stall as escape routes.” McGuire declared.

“Indeed. I have eliminated the impossible, so now let us concentrate on the improbable.” Holmes stated. “The second assumption that you have all made was that the killer had murdered the woman in the stall, then made his escape. However, since we can now safely say that he didn’t go through the window, nor did he go over the top, the only theory left is that he had not been IN the stall during the moment of Ms. Mark’s untimely demise.”

“What?! She was found dead with her body blocking the door! It‘s impossible for the killer to have committed the murder anywhere else!”

“Not really. After all, there is always more than one way to skin a cat. Or in this case, plant a body. Furthermore, I am also disregarding the assumption that the murderer had been stained by any of the victim’s blood.” He then gestured to Conan as he reached toward the officer and took the murder weapon from his hand. He then gave the bag to Conan and knelt down to face him. “I know that you wanted to look at this, judging by the way you were gazing at it.”

Conan became more apprehensive as he reluctantly took the bag. He didn’t want to show off his detective skills as it would raise more suspicions about his true identity as Jimmy Kudo. However, Holmes smiled at him while reaching into his coat pocket and handed the boy his magnifying glass. To the younger sleuth, it was like being given the Holy Grail. (4)

“Now then Conan, tell me what you see.”

Conan took a deep breath and looked through the instrument. He then gasped as he saw a detail the police had missed. He looked up at Sherlock with wide eyes, then looked down at the bag again, noticing another detail on his right hand. He then remembered when he had first entered the restroom. He swallowed hard as he came to the same conclusion as his idol. He was still afraid to say anything, until Sherlock gave him the assurance he needed.

“Come now lad. One should never hesitate to let others know of something important in the pursuit of justice and the truth, regardless of one’s age and appearance. You saw it too, didn’t you? You know as well as I do, who did it.”

“Holmes, what the heck are you doing, giving a little kid vital evidence?” McGuire cried out.

“I gave him vital evidence because he holds the key to solving this case.” Holmes stated. “Now, would you please tell us your observations Conan?”

The little sleuth smiled as he replied. “Well... I noticed that the knife is covered in blood on the blade and handle, but there was a spot on the blade near the finger-guard that was clean. It was a straight line, like someone had tied a string to it.”

“Really?” McGuire went over to them and looked at the bag. His eyes widened as he saw the knife. “You’re right. There’s blood on the handle and blade. but there’s a clean line near the finger-guard. That’s it! The murderer must have tied the knife and stabbed the victim, then jerked on the rope, causing it to be splattered with the victim’s blood!”

“Very good Inspector.” Holmes then addressed to his assistant. “Now then Watson, would you please give our young friend a boost? I believe that he wishes to show everyone the second detail that he had found.” He pointed up to the top of the stall where the body had been found.

“Certainly.” The compu-droid walked over, picked up Conan by the waist and hoisted him up toward the top of the stall. Conan showed the stain on his hand, then pointed to the top of the door.

“I found some blood on my hand, but since I never touched the body, I wondered how I got it. Then I remembered that I jumped up here and grabbed the top of the door. See, here’s some blood stains.” He was then set back down and smiled in satisfaction. It was good to be listened to by the grown-ups.

“Huh? So how the heck did it get up there?” McGuire asked.

“Hmmm, I must say that I am impressed.” Eva commented as she began to figure out Holmes’ line of thought. “It seems quite clear now that Mr. Holmes was right in his conclusion that the killer had not been in the stall when he murdered that woman. In fact, she had been killed OUTSIDE of the stall, then thrown over the top of the stall, where she slid down to block the door. During the toss, blood splattered on the top of the door. The knife was jerked out by the rope and left at the scene of the crime. The suspect had previously left the window open before Ms. Marks was killed, so as to throw the police off his trail. If that didn’t work, then he would still be in the clear if someone were to suggest that the suspect had climbed the stall, as I did.”

“Very good summation of the crime, Ms. Haden.” Sherlock praised as he then pointed to the chalk mark where Ms. Mark’s body had lain. “Now then, to conclude, throwing the body over a height of eight feet is not a simple task, eh Watson?”

“Indeed.” The machine man agreed. “Judging by the woman’s height and stature, I would estimate that she weighed approximately one hundred ten to one hundred twenty pounds.”

“And the only person who would be capable of hefting such a weight, in such a short amount of time... would be you!” He pointed to James Tongan, who immediately flinched and began waving his hands frantically.

“No! I can’t have murdered her!”

“Oh? And why not?” Sherlock asked. “We have already determined beyond a doubt that Ms. Marks was thrown over the top of the stall and that the killer neither escaped through the window, nor over the top of the stall. Judging by your build and probable physical condition, you are the only one who could have committed this heinous crime. And that bandage on your middle finger was most likely used to tie the knife. I am certain that if we examined it, we will find traces of Ms. Mark’s blood on it.”

“No! I swear that I got injured playing rugby! I had to remove my wedding ring when my finger got hurt and...” James Tongan then paled as he looked down at the bandage.

At that point, Conan put in the final nail in Tongan’s coffin. “Excuse me, but I always thought that the wedding ring went on the third finger of the left hand. (5) Did you retie the bandage when you were in the bathroom?”

Sherlock couldn’t help but feel proud of Conan’s abilities. He then said with a smile. “Excellent Conan. With a keen eye for details, one truth will prevail.”

Conan couldn’t help but feel vindicated after hearing his own motto stated by Sherlock Holmes. He returned the compliment by saying, “And when you’ve eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable it may seem, must be the truth!”

Touché.

At this point, James Tongan was steaming mad and was about to lash out at the two detectives, when Eva added insult to injury. “It never ceased to amaze me as to how stupid criminals can be, to leave a pertinent piece of evidence like that. Even a veteran lawyer like me, wouldn’t have been able to get you out of a conviction.”

James let off a shout of frustration as he charged at the lawyer. Eva tensed up and took a stance. As she was about to grab his extended arm and toss him to the floor, Tongan suddenly fell face-first and slammed hard into the tile floor, knocking himself out. Eva was quite surprised and looked forward. She then saw that Mr. Holmes has used the head of his cane to hook Tongan’s left foot, causing him to trip and fall.

“That is not the proper way to treat a lady.” Sherlock said to the unconscious felon, then bowed to the attorney.

----------

Later...

After the killer had been taken away by the police on the grounds of killing a former lover, due to an affair that had gone bad, Rachael met up with the two detectives and her mother.

“I must say, that I am impressed with the both of you.” Eva said as she, Sherlock, Rachael, Conan and Watson walked away from the diner. She then addressed her daughter. “You should have seen it, Rachael. These two solved the crime brilliantly and put me to shame.” She then said to Sherlock, “Though I could have handled that brute on my own.”

“I have no doubt that you would have, Ms. Kaden.” Sherlock agreed. “After all, a practitioner of judo would have easily handled Mr. Tongan.”

“How did you know that I practiced judo?”

“Eyes and brains, Ms. Kaden. You took a stance that is similar to what I use, being a judo practitioner myself. You reached for Tongan’s extended arm and pivoted on your left foot, intending to throw him over your right shoulder, using his forward momentum and weight against him. The way you went into the stance indicated that you were well-practiced in the motion.”

Rachael was impressed as was her mother, but the one who was totally awestruck was Conan. According to the novels he had read, Sherlock Holmes was supposed to be proficient in cane-fighting, judo, boxing and French-style martial arts that was practiced in Europe during the 19th Century. After seeing him in action today, his doubt over his hero being real had greatly diminished. He needed just a little more proof before he could believe that...

“Conan, I too was impressed by your actions today. You have the makings of a fine detective.”

Conan blushed at Sherlock’s praise. “Well, I just pointed out some stuff and you probably would have solved it without me. I never would have thought that the body had been thrown over the stall.”

“Tut, tut, Conan. You should not belittle your own abilities. You would have come to the same conclusions as I had, given time. I simply guided you in the right direction.” He knelt down and whispered into his ear. “Though you already know what that’s like. Richard Moore needed a lot of guidance, now didn’t he?”

Conan stiffened and almost had a stroke as Holmes stood up and took Eva’s right hand. Planting a kiss on the back of the hand, he bowed to the two females and bid them farewell. Then he and Watson walked off toward their apartment and office.

“Hmmm... quite the gentleman. I like that. He was VERY impressive. Unlike SOME detectives that I know of.” Eva remarked.

This comment alarmed Rachael. “MOTHER! How can you say that?! Okay, I’ll admit that he is a pretty good detective, but so’s Dad! Why don’t you come back home?”

As Rachael and her mother discussed the possibility of Eva coming back to her ex-husband, (which Eva steadfastly refused), Conan watched the great detective and his associate disappear into the distance. His eyes were as wide as saucers as he felt his heart beat faster.

<He knows! He knows!>

Then he squeaked out in the barest of whispers.

“He is really IS Sherlock Holmes!”

Then he remembered that he still had Sherlock’s magnifying glass. He took it out and looked upon it with new wonder.

To be continued...

Author’s notes

Yeah, I know that most of the readers think that I just replayed a couple of episodes of Case Closed, but I figured that doing it from Sherlock’s perspective would put a new spin on things and give Conan a chance to work alongside his hero. And I wanted to point out a few details that the show didn’t mention or missed.

Next chapter, Sherlock confronts Conan with his secret.

(1) At this point, the episode of Murder at the Television Studio has just taken place.

(2) Fans will remember this crime as Murder at the Diner.

(3) I always thought that little detail was missed when I re-watched the episode. It would have instantly invalidated Ms. Kaden’s theory.

(4) Conan gets the equivalent of Sherlock’s autograph.

(5) In the show, it was stated that the wedding band is on the fourth finger, but that’s only if you count the thumb as a finger. In the western world, the fourth finger is considered the pinky.