Batman/Detective Conan crossover 101-102

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The Detective Prince

Chapter 101

Challenge of the Doubled Edged Murder (Part 2)

He kept up with him from a few feet behind as they walked. Voices could clearly be heard coming from around the corner as they neared the location where the elevators stood. They arrived to find several police officers standing in the middle of the hall in conversation, which included Celek who had arrived there before the two of them.

"Looks like they're having a meet of some kind," Heiji said. "Must have something to do with the elevator Celek spoke of."

"Only one way of finding out," Tim said. "And that's to ask directly."

"Let's hope it's not too serious of a problem."

"This is the part where we need to keep a notable distance between us," Tim said. "Like we agreed, we don't want them to suspect you of working with anyone outside of their unit."

"No need to remind me, I haven't forgotten."

"Good, then we're clear."

With nothing further said the two separated with their next steps taken, steadily moving apart as they did so. He moved further to the right, closing in on officer Celek who was in the middle of a conversation with a woman who stood across from him. He chose not to interrupt the two, simply standing off to the side in wait. It didn't take long for Celek to notice him, more than glad to see he had come.

"There you are, that wasn't a long wait at all."

"What happened," Heiji asked. "Did they figure out what was wrong with the elevators?"

"Not elevators, only the individual," Officer Celek corrected. "One elevator in particular has been causing troubles all morning."

"What kind of problem?"

"A delay is what they're saying," Officer Celek replied. "Some kind of discrepancy with the weight limit."

"As in too many people being on the elevator at once?"

"That is correct."

"What is the weight limit on these elevators?"

"1145 ibs is what I've been told."

"It would take at least eight people to go over that limit," Heiji said. "Is the elevator in question currently unresponsive?"

"It was, but finally began functioning once after a minute of waiting." The woman from across spoke.

"And you are?"

"Carol, Carol Flowers," She replied. "CCO, Chief content officer of the company."

"They said you would be coming in."

"That must make you detective Hattori, correct?"

"You know me?"

"Lonard mentioned you in a discussion we had yesterday evening."

"What did he say?"

"Not much, just that you would be helping with a personal dilemma."

"What about the elevator," Heiji asked looking back his way. "Do they plan on giving it a look?"

"There's mechanics on the way as we speak," Officer Celek replied. "They should be here soon enough."

"Since we're past all introductions, mind if I ask you a couple questions regarding your hours put in last night Ms. Flowers?"

"Well of course," Carol replied. "After all, that's why I'm here."

"Alright, we'll start with the basics," Heiji began. "Did you see anything unusual last night, or hear anything you normally wouldn't?"

"Not from my office, no."

"Your office, where is that?"

"Below us," Carol replied. "On the eighteenth floor."

"Do you recall what time you left the building?"

"After two, I don't remember the exact time."

"Did you happen to come across anyone at that given time?" Officer Celek asked.

"What do you mean?"

"On your way out, did you see any of the other employees who were working late such as yourself?"

"Now that you mention it, yes," Carol replied. "I did see someone on my way out."

"Who was it that you saw?"

"Mr. Hamilton," Carol answered. "The man who works the front desk in the lobby."

"Is that so," Heiji remarked. "Is there a storage room on that floor?"

"Yes," Carol confirmed. "How did you know that?"

"I heard it from Hamilton himself, he told me he had gone to the storage room before he was to take off," Heiji said. "Can you confirm this?"

"I didn't actually see him go in, but he was heading in that direction," Carol replied. "Sorry, but that is all I can give."

"Which is good enough for now," Heiji said. "Though it's odd."

"What?"

"When asked not once did Anthony Hamilton mention seeing you on his way to the storage room."

"Think there's some meaning to it?" Officer Celek asked.

"I'll go and revisit Hamilton soon, but first I'd like to have another word with Fournier about a little something."

"Does that mean we're done here?" Carol asked.

"For now yes," Heiji replied. "But stick around, we may need another statement from you in the coming minutes."

"Understood, I have no intent on leaving," Carol said. "I'd like to find out exactly what went down last night."

"Go on ahead, I'm going to wait here until the mechanics arrive," Officer Celek said. "I'll keep you updated on the situation."

"Sounds good to me," Heiji said. "I'll return as soon as I'm finished."

"And I'll be here."

With that he turned for the left, heading back to the office with his head leaned over in thought.

"Looks like the elevator situation was nothing but a side ploy, probably nothing to worry about."

It wasn't long after that the presence of someone could be felt from his side. He turned to see him keeping pace with him from the right.

"You catch all of that?"

"No, I actually asked one of the other security guards," Tim replied. "He told me the circumstances surrounding the elevator, I only followed you after seeing that you were headed back to the office."

"I'm surprised Kudo didn't join us, he's usually the one to look into every possible lead," Heiji said. "Though this one turned out to be unrelated."

"I don't blame him," Tim said. "That room is the center piece to everything."

"That I can agree on, but we still need to gather as much information surrounding the situation as a whole."

"Now that we got that all cleared up, what do you plan on doing next?"

"I want to go and search Grahm Fournier's office, I have a feeling there might be something to find," Heiji replied. "That is after I've spoken with his brother first."

"Bout time," Tim said. "I was wondering when Grahm's office would register to your radar."

"In any case, why don't you go and find Kudo," Heiji suggested. "Let him know about the whole elevator situation, I'm sure he's wondering how that all turned out."

"Sure thing," Tim agreed. "We'll regroup with you soon."

"Sounds good to me."

They parted ways from there, only taking a couple more steps before reaching the door to the office. He took to the left side of the room once in, looking ahead to still see Lonard at the comfort of his chair. He reached him soon after, laying a hand to the desk to gain his attention.

"You're back, good," Lonard said. "What happened out there?"

"No one is entirely sure yet, the only thing we do know is one of the elevators has been experiencing minor problems," Heiji informed. "The mechanics are on their way now, so I'm sure they'll have that cleared up in no time."

"I see," Lonard said with the grip of his tie. "Anything else you have to report to me?"

"No, but I do have another question," Heiji replied. "With all the surveillance that is staged throughout the facility, are there any surveillance camera's in this room as well?"

"Unfortunately not, we hadn't gotten around to doing so."

"How long has this room been your office?"

"Roughly two weeks now," Lonard replied. "The old one was two floors below, decided to move up here for the additional space."

"So when is it you planned on having camera's set up in this room?"

"Tomorrow was the planned date."

"And was Grahm to be the one to have that all taken care of?"

The office phone set out on the desk began to ring before a response could be given.

"Would you hold on for a moment, this could be important."

"Take all the time you need." Heiji replied.

He reached for the phone, leaning back in the chair while answering it. What the discussion was about was unknown to him. He waited for over a minute for him to finally lay the phone back onto the hook.

"Alright, now what was it you were fixing to ask?"

"The camera's that were scheduled to be installed in this room, was your brother going to be the one to have wired it all up?"

"Him and his unit, yes."

"That leads into my second question, his office," Heiji said. "Where might I find it?"

"It depends on what you mean," Lonard said. "There's the security back room where he spent most of his time, but he also had an individual office of his own where he filed most of his paper work."

"Where might that office be?"

"Look no further." Lonard pointed.

He turned to where he had pointed, looking across the room to see a door located on the far right wall.

"That door there is a direct link to his office from mine."

"Mind if I take a look inside?"

"Not at all, there's already a small group looking through the room as we speak," Lonard informed. "I'm sure they'll give you an update on what they've gone through thus far."

"Before I go there's one last thing I'd like to clarify."

"Which is?"

"You spent a majority of last night on the lower levels, at any time did you visit any of the higher floors?"

"I did, the twenty first floor," Lonard confirmed. "I went to retrieve a diagram for something I was working on."

"At what time was that?"

"Anywhere frome ten to twenty after one," Lonard replied. "You can check the security cameras to get an exact time."

"Appreciate the talk," Heiji said before turning away. "It's about time I paid that office a visit."

He trailed off to the other side from there, pleasantly surprised to find a clear path to the door. He opened it after reaching it, taking a look inside to see a few others in the room like he had been told. He looked to the right wall to see a large board clamped to the wall with several small notes clipped in place. He then looked to the left to see the two of them standing behind a small desk at the corner.

"Looks like they beat me here."

He moved further into the room, taking a step around the desk to join the two of them.

"Had no idea I'd find the two of you in here," Heiji said. "Anyone try to question why the two of you are in here?"

"We've pretty much blended in up til this point," Tim replied. "Besides they're more focused on those notes on the board than anything else."

"Come across anything worth the mention from this end?"

"There might be something," Shinichi replied before sliding on a latex glove. "I found this while checking the outlet where all the cords are running through in this room."

Using the protective glove he reached into his pocket to pull out a plastic bag, what was inside was a bit hard for him to make out at first glance.

"What is that?" Heiji asked.

"Tape," Shinichi replied. "I found it attached to the phone line."

"What do you make of it?"

"We believe someone might have been listening in on his phone conversations while in this room," Tim replied. "It was found in a secure location where a recorder could have been placed."

"If so, the who and why is our next question to figure." Shinichi added before placing the plastic bag back into his pocket.

"Did you already tell him about the situation surrounding the elevator?"

"Was the first thing." Tim replied.

"What about you and Fournier," Shinichi asked. "What did you two discuss just now?"

"Not much, just a couple questions here and there regarding the security angle."

"I'm going to need you to go and see him once more," Shinichi said. "We need to find out what calls were made and received from this phone, I'm sure if you ask he'll have the records dug up for you."

"Sure thing."

"When you do happen to do go, make sure you ask for all phone records," Tim added. "Not just for this room, but for all phones throughout this entire building."

"Why," Heiji asked. "I thought our only concern was with the one here."

"It's for a good reason," Tim replied. "I'll let you in on it later."

Shinichi looked at him after hearing this.

".. Does he know?"

"I'll go and see him now, the sooner we get this done the better."

"We'll follow you," Tim said. "We're done here."

"Agreed," Shinichi said. "With this latest development there's something else I'd like to look into."

"What is that exactly?" Heiji asked as they began to walk.

"All other phones on this floor," Shinichi replied. "If the phone here was in fact tampered with in any kind of way there's a chance others could have received the same treatment."

They walked out soon after, closing the door in the process.

"Smart thinking, that might actually lead to something," Heiji said. "What about the notes clipped onto that board, either of you check that out?"

"Was the first thing looked at when I entered the room," Tim replied. "It was nothing but annotations for his daily routine."

"See anything that might shed light on the situation?"

"Everything seemed pretty normal from a business stand point."

"Did you check the drawers of the desk?"

"Only his working supplies remained," Shinichi informed. "All documents that could be found had already been removed by the time I had arrived."

"Which puts that out of the equation for the time being." Heiji said coming to an unexpected stop after another step taken.

"What is it?"

"Fournier is no longer at his desk," Heiji replied beginning a quick skim of the room. "I wonder where he could have went."

"I'm sure he didn't go far," Tim said. "If you wait here he'll probably reappear soon."

"This leaves the perfect opportunity," Shinichi said. "I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?" Heiji asked.

"To check the phone line at his desk," Shinichi replied. "Would you like to come along?"

"You go on ahead, we'll be right here."

"Suit yourself." Shinichi said before taking off for that very task.

He stood there for seconds, monitoring the door for his return. This lasted for a bit to come, lowering his head as he went through all details learned up to this point. In the mist of it all something snapped, almost as if a missing link to the puzzle had been attached.

"Could it be..?"

"What is it?"

"The elevator," Heiji replied. "We need to get back to the elevator."

He headed for the door with nothing further said, looking to find he followed at his side.

"Mind telling me what this is about?" Tim asked.

"I think I know what caused the malfunctions with that elevator." Heiji replied.

"Is that so?"

"At first I thought it had nothing to do with this, but if what I believe is true that might not be the case."

"What's the connection between Grahm Fournier's death and this elevator?"

"That is yet to be revealed," Heiji said as they exited the room. "Let's hurry, we have to be sure no one attempts to move that elevator."

Unsure on what he meant by this he followed none the less. They strolled down the hall, not stopping until after reaching those who still stood around the elevators.

"Back so soon?" Officer Celek said being the first to greet them.

"The elevator, has anyone tried operating it since the last I was here?" Heiji asked.

"Of course not," Officer Celek replied. "We're still awaiting the arrival of the mechanics."

"We don't have time," Heiji said. "There's something that could prove crucial."

"You mean something involving the elevator," Officer Celek questioned. "Like what?"

"According to the statements collected the weight limit went off when using the first elevator there on the left," Heiji pointed. "As we know it would take at least eight people to exceed the weight limit of each."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I had a little chat with Mr. Hamilton on my visit to the lobby earlier," Heiji informed. "Last night before clocking out from his shift he claims to have heard a noise."

"What kind of noise?"

"The sound of what appeared to be something that dropped down from a distance, which he said was on a floor above from where he had been."

"Which floor was he on at the time?" Officer Celek asked.

"The eighteenth," Heiji replied. "He wasn't the only to hear it, but Ms. Flowers as well."

"Is that true?" Officer Celek asked turning to her.

"That is correct," Carol confirmed. "It happened some time after two."

"So the two of them heard a sound," Officer Celek said turning back to face him. "I hardly see how that relates to the elevator problem."

"Think about it," Heiji said with a pause. "They could hear whatever dropped from where they were, and being that it was on another floor at a large facility such as this that could mean something."

"What are you suggesting," Officer Celek asked. "That something large fell over?"

"Not only that," Heiji said. "I'm thinking whatever they heard might have been the sound of something falling on top of the elevator."

"That's a wild prediction, but makes sense when you add in all the known facts," Officer Celek said. "That now begs the question, if something fell on top of the elevator.. how did it get there?"

"I was thinking whatever generated that noise was evidence linked to the crime," Heiji said. "Maybe even the weapon used in the act."

"You've got me thinking," Officer Celek said. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to have a look into your deduction before the mechanics arrive."

"How do you propose we do that?" Carol questioned.

"We have someone send that elevator to the twenty fourth floor," Heiji replied. "Then we can open the doors from here, thus allowing for us to look down to see if anything is in fact weighing down on the elevator."

"Brilliant idea," Officer Celek said in agreement. "I'll have someone set it up right away, you wait here."

"Had no intent on moving." Heiji said in response.

He stepped off to the side, approaching a security official who stood at the right side of the wall. He watched as the two dove into conversation, looking on as progressions were made. With that underway, he then looked to the opposite wall to see Tim who still stood in the same spot as before.

"You sure did put a lot of thought into this," Carol said regaining his attention. "I must say, I'm impressed."

"Can you elaborate on something for me?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"When you heard that sound," Heiji said. "Do you think you could give an estimation for how many floors up it came from?"

"I couldn't really tell you," Carol replied. "It all happened so fast, I would guess at least two floors up but that's just a guess."

"Don't worry," Heiji said. "We'll eventually get around to finding out the answer to that."

They were then rejoined by Celek who returned from his quick discussion he had with the security guard.

"Good news, everything is a go," Officer Celek informed. "They're sending someone down to the floor below to call for that elevator, which will allow for a clear view of the top of the elevator from our position."

"I'm almost certain it will be rather dark," Heiji said. "Do you happen to have some source of lighting we could use?"

"Of course," Officer Celek replied holding up a flash light held down at his side. "I borrowed this from him before he and two others left for the twenty fourth floor."

"Smart thinking," Heiji commented. "Any idea how we're going to open these elevators doors to have a look down when the time comes?"

"Already accounted for," Officer Celek replied. "Once they're set they're going to alert Cyless of security to manually open the elevator door from the back room, leaving us with the task of checking out the top of the elevator from up here."

"Sounds easy enough."

"I'd say so myself," Officer Celek said. "What about Fournier, did you let him in on your sudden analogy?"

"Would have, but couldn't find him," Heiji replied. "When I returned to his office after checking out Grahm's office he was nowhere to be found."

"I wonder where he could have gone."

"No idea," Heiji said. "But I'm sure he'll turn up soon."

"I'd assume so, it's probably something business related that has opted for his brief absence."

It was only a second later that the vibration of his phone could be felt from his belt. He reached down to answer it, taking all but a few moments for the conversation to end.

"That didn't take long, who was that?" Heiji asked.

"They just lowered the elevator to their level," Officer Celek replied. "We should be expecting the doors to open any time now."

"Let's do this."

"Right after you." Officer Celek said as the two turned for the first elevator located on the left wall.

They stopped immediately after reaching it, knowing they didn't have much longer to wait until the next stage in the process was to begin. He looked off to the side to see Ms. Flowers who patiently awaited the open of the doors as well. The longer this went on the more anxious he became. Before any of them knew it the elevator doors opened just like any other time when normally summoned.

"This is it." Officer Celek said being the first of the two to make a move.

The two stepped up, making sure to keep a safe distance between them and the edge. He flashed the light, allowing for the two of them to peer downward to see if something indeed had landed atop the elevator. What came to their sight left them in a frozen state of shock, neither expecting to find what was laid out below. Curious as to what silenced the two, Ms. Flowers stepped up to the both from behind.

"What is it," Carol asked. "What can you see?"

The two looked to one another before then looking back to her.

"It's not a weapon like we had originally considered, but rather." Officer Celek began.

"A body." Heiji completed.

"A body," Carol questioned. "Are they..?"

"Dead, yes," Heiji replied. "There's high amounts of blood that can be seen, and there appears to be an object that was struck into the right side of their skull."

"If you ask me I'd say it's an axe." Office Celek said having another peak with the flash of the light.

"Call it in," Heiji instructed. "We need another unit working this immediately."

"Do you think this has anything to do with what happened to the late Grahm Fournier?" Carol asked.

"Two deaths in the same building in less than a twenty four hour span, I'm certain there's some kind of connection between the two."

"That must be the guys from below," Officer Celek said at another incoming call. "Better let them know the situation."

"While you do that I'm going to go and find Fournier," Heiji said. "Chances are the body belongs to someone who works here, who better than Lonard to identify the body."

"Go on ahead," Officer Celek said in agreement. "I'll take care of the procedures here."

"I'll be back as soon as I can."

With that he turned back into the direction leading to the office where it all had began. It didn't take long for him to notice he had rejoined his side as he walked.

"You hear all of that?"

"Every word," Tim confirmed. "Could you distinguish if the body was male or female?"

"Defiantly male," Heiji replied. "We'll only be able to ID who it is by getting a closer look."

"You mentioned a blow to the right side of his head," Tim said. "Were there any other notable wounds you could see from your position?"

"There was too much blood, we'll only know by getting in closer."

"Nice work with your deduction by the way," Tim complimented. "Had no idea that elevator would lead to such a big reveal."

"Now comes the fun part, piecing its relation to the death of Grahm Fournier."

"I'll go and inform Shinichi of your findings, I'm sure he's almost completed his task of checking all the phone lines on this floor."

"How many rooms are on this floor anyway?"

"No more than ten," Tim replied. "I took note of that the second time I walked through here."

They arrived back to the office soon after, taking a look inside to find Shinichi was nowhere to be seen.

"Looks like he has yet to return," Heiji said before locating Fournier who had returned to his desk.

"No matter, I'll go in search of him," Tim said. "I'll be back as soon as I do, that leaves you to break the news to Lonard."

"I'm already looking forward to it." Heiji said heading toward the desk.

He went through his choice of words as he approached, thinking of the best way of breaking the unexpected news to him. He stopped once reaching the desk, silently waiting for him to take notice.

"There you are," Lonard said raising his head. "I was told you were looking for me, what is it you wanted?"

"That can wait, I have some disturbing news to bring," Heiji replied. "Another body was just found."

His eyes shot wide at this news, sitting there in shock for seconds to come.

"Another body," Lonard questioned with the wipe of sweat from his forehead. "Where, how long have they been dead?"

"We don't know, the body was just discovered laying on top of the elevator that had demonstrated problems earlier in the day," Heiji informed. "If you don't mind I'd like for you to come with me, we need someone to identify the body."

"You think it's an employee of Nano High?"

"That would be my first pick," Heiji replied. "Only one way to find out."

"Come," Lonard said pushing up from the chair. "Let us go."

"Yes of course." Heiji said turning back for the door.

He followed at his side as they walked out of the room. Yet again he returned to the scene that had unfolded by the elevators, quickly sighting Celek who seemed to be handing out instructions to those who surrounded him.

"Who was the one to make the discovery?" Lonard asked.

"Officer Celek and myself," Heiji replied. "Though I was the one to suggest that we take a look, turns out it was for the best."

He turned at the sound of their voices, delighted to have his return.

"Good to see you were able to find him," Officer Celek said. "Have you been brought up to speed on the situation?"

"He told me everything while in the office," Lonard confirmed. "Which elevator was this body found on?"

"The first one on the left," Officer Celek pointed. "Follow me."

He did just that, following him close to the edge before stopping. He pulled out the flash light from before, pointing it downward to give him a clear view of the body.

"And there it is," Officer Celek said. "Do you recognize who that is?"

He brought an arm to his face as he looked away in disgust, shaking his head in response.

"I have no idea who that person is," Lonard replied. "I'd need a closer look to make a determination."

"And we will soon," Officer Celek said. "The mechanics will be here shortly."

"Fournier, do you think I could have a word with you?" Heiji asked.

"Yes, of course."

The two stepped off to the side, giving them privacy away from the others who stood in the general area.

"Alright then, what is it?"

"Before any of this had been discovered I had tried looking for you," Heiji said. "Where were you exactly?"

"Taking a call in another room, I was given further details on my brothers death," Lonard informed. "They're now saying he was shot from afar, and not at close range like we had originally thought."

"I see," Heiji said with a pause. "Well that sure changes up the elements to the scenario."

"You're telling me."

"Did they have an estimation for how far away the culprit was when he took the shot?"

"No," Lonard replied. "Only that they're certain it was more than ten yards."

"That's not much to go off of, but does alter the dynamics no matter how you look at it," Heiji said. "Do you mind waiting here until the mechanics arrive?"

"I had not planned on leaving, at least not until an identification is made on this body."

"Good."

"What about you," Lonard asked. "You plan on sticking around for the duration of this?"

"You'll see me here and there, but right now there's someone I need to see," Heiji said in response. "I'll be back in time."

"Then go," Lonard said. "You have a job to do."

He nodded, turning for the other side of the hall before taking off once more. He trailed all the way back to the office, walking in to see the room still being examined for additional evidence that had yet to be obtained. To his delight it didn't take long for him to see the two of them standing in front of the office desk. It was only a matter of seconds for them notice him walking their way.

"How did your scavenger hunt go?"

"Result filled," Shinichi replied. "There was one other phone line that I discovered small amounts of tape connected to it."

"Which was?"

"The phone at this desk," Shinichi pointed. "Which means both Fournier brothers were intertwined in some kind of agenda."

"One which could be at the center of this whole ordeal," Tim added. "On the flip side how did things go out there, was Lonard able to identify the body?"

"Not on his first look, the body was too far down for him to see," Heiji replied. "He'll have another look when the mechanics arrive, once they reel the body into position we should have a clearer view on things."

"Guess it's wait and see from here."

"Not entirely," Heiji said. "We now know that Grahm Fournier was not shot from close range like we had originally thought, that gives us a whole nother angle to work."

"Are you certain of this?"

"I heard directly from Lonard."

"That more than changes the outlook on things," Shinichi said. "It even gives more depth to the glass window being opened at some point."

"Which means we could be dealing with a sniper," Tim said. "Did he clarify an exact distance?"

"Nothing set in stone, only that the shooter was at least ten yards away from where he stood when the trigger was pulled."

"Not much to take away from that," Tim said. "But it does beg the question of where the shooter was when the shots were fired."

"Nows there's the body that was just discovered on the elevator which only further complicates things."

"You're right," Shinichi agreed. "The chance of the two murders being connected is high, but before making anymore analogies I'd like to have a look at the body myself."

"That might take some time for it to be accessible," Heiji said. "But I could give you a brief run down of what I saw."

"That'll have to do for now," Shinichi said in response. "I'm listening."

"First and foremost, the cause of death appeared to be a blow to the right side of his head," Heiji began. "From what I could tell it appeared that an axe was embedded into the contents of his skull."

"The right side huh, interesting," Shinichi remarked. "Any other notable cuts or bruises for that matter?"

"Couldn't tell, I wasn't close enough," Heiji replied. "But I'd say it's more than likely, the amount of blood surrounding the body would seem to imply multiple wounds."

"We'll have to wait for further observation to gain anything significant." Tim said.

"It would seem that way."

The next moment brought a subtle sound, to where it was coming from was uncertain.

"That noise.. do you hear it?"

"It's me," Tim answered before diving a hand into his side pocket. "My phone to be precise."

He pulled it from within his jacket before holding it out to see the incoming call.

"Who is it?" Shinichi asked.

"Bruce," Tim replied. "I wasn't expecting to hear from him so soon, it must be important."

Just as he was to answer the call he heard a loud whistle from behind, all three turning to see officer Celek enter the room.

"I didn't realize you two were still here," Officer Celek said. "I was recently informed we are not to let anyone use their phones while in the building at this given time."

"Under what circumstances?" Tim asked.

"No detailed answer was given, I'm only going by what was told to me."

Going in compliance with his wishes he lowered the phone back into the security of his pocket.

"I apologize for the inconvenience."

"No need to say," Tim said in response. "Orders are orders."

"What brought you back here anyway," Heiji asked. "I thought you were going to wait out there until the mechanics arrived."

"That was the plan," Officer Celek said. "But to speed up the process the ever so handy man Cyless was able to get the elevator into position to where the investigation could begin."

"And the body, was Lonard able to identify who it was?"

"It seems our supposed ghost has been found," Officer Celek replied. "The body belongs to none other than Nathan Bennet."

"Nathan Bennet?"

To Be Continued

The Detective Prince

Chapter 102

Challenge of the Doubled Edged Murder (Part 3)

"Nathan Bennet, are you sure?"

"Mr. Fournier ID'd the body himself," Officer Celek replied. "He seemed more than sure of this."

"That's not what I was expecting to hear."

"I was notified to come and give you the news myself," Officer Celek said. "Lonard would like for you to return to the elevator at your earliest convenience."

"Alert him that I'll be on my way soon," Heiji replied. "I'm just about done here."

"I will go and let him know." Officer Celek said before heading back to where he had come.

They stood in silence for the first seconds of his departure. He reached into his pocket with that given moment, shutting off his phone which had still been on.

"What was that for?" Heiji asked out of curiosity.

"That officer said no calls can be taken at this given time," Tim reminded. "I was just powering off the phone to block out any calls that I may receive, I think you two had better do the same."

"Already did," Shinichi said. "Now onto the subject at hand, are we to assume we're dealing with the same culprit of the first murder?"

"I'd say that's a safe bet," Tim replied. "It's not often you come across two murdered victims in a highly featured building such as this in under a twenty four hour span."

"Agreed," Heiji said. "Whoever the gunman was to have shot Grahm Fournier is most likely the same person to have committed the second murder."

"The details of his death are next to none," Tim said. "You had better head down there to investigate, not to mention the fact Lonard wanting to speak with you."

"I'll gather as much information as I can."

"In the mean time I'm going to return to the lobby," Shinichi said. "Someone has to revisit Hamilton about what he heard or even saw last night."

"That's right," Heiji said. "Ms. Flowers claims to have seen him, yet not once did he mention seeing her."

"Bernadea should be down there as well, I'll gain further statements from both if possible."

"Good," Tim said. "Then we're all clear."

"What about you?" Heiji asked.

"I'll be here," Tim replied. "I'd like to further search this room for anything we might have missed."

"Like what?"

"Shinichi brought up the fact a trick of some kind might have been used in the assault," Tim replied. "If that is true, they might have left evidence behind that we might be able to exploit into our favor."

"Then we'll leave you to that." Shinichi said before turning for the door.

"How do you plan on getting down to the lobby," Heiji questioned. "You think the security officials will let you get by?"

"That's only a problem if I had planned on taking the elevator," Shinichi said in response. "Why have the confrontation when I can just take the stairs."

"And where is that exactly?"

"At the opposite end of the hall." Shinichi replied before moving on.

It didn't take long for him to find his way out of the room.

"Hope all goes well with that."

"As do I," Tim said. "When you approach Fournier remember to bring up the phone records, we need to know the numbers for all the calls that were received and made in the past weeks."

"So the two of you found tape strangled around the wires, but no recording device?"

"If there truly was one used we have yet to find it."

"If not seen around the cords why not check the outlet," Heiji suggested. "Devices such as those can be hidden in a secure area, some times even behind an outlet top."

"We considered that, but would have to go to someone to have them unloosen the nails holding the outlet in place," Tim said. "If we're to do that I think the best option would be to go to someone working security."

"Cyless would fit the bill perfectly."

"Then we'll go to him in time, but right now we need to deal with the important task of finding out how the killer pulled off both of these murders without being seen," Tim said. "It's one thing to evade the human eye, but with a full facility of top surveillance as well is another level."

"Makes it sound like we're dealing with someone with skills off the chart."

"Or just someone who happens to have resources on their side," Tim said. "You had better go, they're waiting on you."

"I'll be back with a report as soon as I can."

"See you then."

He nodded before turning for the door. He relaxed his hands into his pocket on his way out, heading for the left where the others could be found. Not far down he crossed paths with Carol Flowers who was walking in the opposite direction. Though he looked to her with a smile, she did nothing in return to acknowledge this.

"I wonder what that was all about?"

He shrugged this off as nothing of concern, continuing to where the elevators stood in wait. He completely made his way around the corner shortly there after, almost instantly sighting Lonard Fournier who stood against the opposite wall across from the elevator of where the body had been discovered. He slowed up in his approach, clearly seeing the turmoil he was enduring over the whole ordeal.

".. Mr. Fournier, you wished to see me?"

Seconds past before responding to the sound of his voice. He slowly removed the hand which had been rested over his face to reveal the redness that had taken form around his eyes.

"Sorry," Heiji apologized. "If this is a bad time, I can always come back."

"That won't be necessary," Lonard replied wiping a single tear away. "We can talk now."

"Alright," Heiji said. "What did you want to see me about?"

"We've already completed the first task in this second incident, which was to take pictures of the crime scene," Lonard said. "Two detectives just finished up with that about a minute before your arrival."

"Ok, that's good to know."

"Since that has been taken care of I'd like for you to be one out of the two detectives who takes the first initial look at the body."

"One out of two," Heiji questioned. "Why only two detectives to investigate the evidence?"

"Only because of the small surface of the elevator," Lonard replied. "We wouldn't want for any evidence to unintentionally to be tampered with."

"You make a good point."

"Once you and the lead detective have finished your diagnosis we'll send in another group to take a second look, just so we have more opinions surrounding the matter."

"Lead detective..?"

"Is that clear?" Lonard asked.

"Oh, yes," Heiji said looking back at him. "I understand."

"Good, then I'll leave you and the other bright detective to it."

He nodded in response before turning toward the elevator. Unsure of what he was to find, he braced himself for the max. He made his way clear to the other side, only stopping after reaching the wall. He took a peak inside past the doors which had been locked in place, coming to find the elevator had indeed been raised. It was now only a yard down from where he stood. The faint view from before was now blown into full perspective, taking in the scene as a whole. There was much blood to be found, smaller traces could be seen on the outer surface. He raised his head to see someone else was already at work with the examination of the body.

"That must be the detective I was told about."

He was unfamiliar with who they were, being that their back was turned to him. He stood there for a second longer, wondering if he should move in without approval.

"Do you plan to stand there all day, or have you come to help flush this all out?" The unnamed figure spoke.

This caught him by a bit of surprise.

"You must be the lead detective I was informed of."

"That I am," He confirmed. "Come young dt, we have much to go over."

Not wanting to waste anymore time he dropped down to the elevator, looking out for all blood trails that were very apparent.

"Watch your step."

"No kidding." Heiji said in response.

He took his time on his path forward, carefully stepping around or over anything that could be labeled as something of importance. He still wasn't able to make out his face as he neared. It was then that he discovered that the unnamed detective too wore a cap like himself, one which covered his eyes from sight.

"So.. do you have a name?" Heiji finally asked after reaching his right side.

"Galldon, detective Galldon." He replied looking up at him.

"That name, I've heard it somewhere before," Heiji recalled. "That's right, detective Gates mentioned you while we were at the Futures Building."

"Did he now?"

"Yea, he said you'd be there," Heiji continued. "Can't say I remember seeing you though."

"And you shouldn't have, not on a recognizable level anyway," Detective Galldon replied. "Any task given to me I take seriously to the full extent, we were given the task of sniffing out the supposed thief, picking him out of the crowd was only the first part of the task."

"What was the second?"

"To keep my presence hidden from most, while in a position that gave me a clear view of every single person.. including you," Detective Galldon replied. "There are several ways to play the game, but only one path guarantees absolute success."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Take a knee why don't ya, no way we're ever going to ever get anything done with you standing around all day."

He let his remark blow past before kneeling down to the right side of him. His first look was to the axe that could still be seen attached to the side of the victims head.

"Was the axe to the skull the ultimate cause of death?"

"That has yet to be determined," Detective Galldon replied. "Raise the head, tell me what you see."

He reached into the top pocket of his jacket upon his request, feeling around to find that it was empty.

"What is it?"

"It seems I've used the last of my latex gloves," Heiji replied before checking his lower pocket to grab hold of something. "Guess I spoke too soon."

He removed the pair of gloves from his pocket, sliding both tightly into place before repositioning himself to the top side of the body. He reached for the handle of the axe first with the use of his right hand, using his left for lifting up the head all in one motion. He was careful in all movement, having a peak underneath which confirmed all beliefs. He lowered the head back to the surface with as much care as he had when lifting it.

"What did you see?"

"If the blow to the head didn't do him in, then the fall most certainly did," Heiji replied. "I'd say he fell from a minimum of two floors."

"I figured that'd be the case."

"What about the rest of the body," Heiji asked. "Have you gotten around to checking anything else?"

"I checked his hands and wrists, both seem to be in relatively good shape," Detective Galldon replied. "But I did find something on his left shoulder, a bruise."

"Perhaps something obtained from the assault?"

"A possibility, but we can't be certain," Detective Galldon replied. "Go on and have a look, tell me what you think."

He did just that, moving the left sleeve off to the side to sight the bruise mentioned. It wasn't anything too serve, finding there to be multiple possibilities that could have caused it.

"And what of his right shoulder?"

"All clear," Detective Galldon answered. "There was nothing to find."

"I see." Heiji said before pushing the sleeve back into place.

It was then that Galldon reached into his back pocket, switching on a mini flash light which provided for a clearer view on things.

"Do me a favor and lift up his shirt," Detective Galldon asked. "I'd like to get a look at the full extent of his wounds."

"You bet."

He repositioned himself once more. Once all was a go he grabbed hold of both sides of the shirt before slowly lifting it up, both bracing themselves for what they were to see in the coming moments.

Arriving back to the first floor had taken some time, a little over three minutes by his estimation. He walked past the elevators, heading all the way around the corner which brought him back to the lobby. He looked ahead to the front desk, pleased to see Mr. Hamilton who was writing out something on a sheet laid down upon the desk.

"Now's my opportunity."

About halfway across the room he came to a stop, noticing someone who sat in the waiting area alone. He took a closer look, not taking long for him to realize who it was.

"That's Bernadea, I guess she came down to the lobby after all."

Now was the moment of choice, who to confront first. After little thought he came to the decision of visiting the waiting area first.

"Not too many opportunities that I'll come across her alone."

He tried looking as casual as possible on his approach, taking each step in pace with the last. As he neared he could see something held out on her lap, figuring it was a book. Not wanting to disturb her upon his arrival he took a seat in a soft cushioned chair opposite of the couch where she sat. It was only a matter of seconds before she realized someone had entered the waiting room.

"Mind if I join you?"

"No, not at all," Bernadea replied. "You're the friend of that detective, Nogort right?"

"One of a rare bunch."

"What are you still doing here," Bernadea asked. "I had figured you'd have more important things to do."

"The way I see it there's nothing more important than finding out who murdered your uncle at this time," Shinichi replied. "That's what you want to know, as do I and everyone else."

"Are you some kind of investigator yourself?"

"In a sense," Shinichi admitted to a degree. "If you don't mind, could I ask you a question or two?"

"Like I told the others who asked before, I don't know anything," Bernadea said. "I don't even know who might have wanted to do something like this."

"It's not always the obvious questions that need to be asked."

"Did someone put you up to this, was it my father?"

"Not at all," Shinichi replied. "I assure you I'm here on my own accordance."

"What do you want to know?"

"To find out the whereabouts of every employee who worked within the past twenty four hours, or anyone else with close ties to this company," Shinichi replied. "Now tell me, where were you yesterday?"

"At home for a large portion of the day," Bernadea replied. "I had a lot of straightening up to do around the house."

"At any point during the day did you visit Nano High?"

"No, but I did make a call to my father's office."

"At about what time would you say that was?"

"Some time around noon."

"So you never did visit Nano High yesterday, at any time did you leave your home for anything else?" Shinichi asked.

"Not until after two," Bernadea replied. "Which is when I met with my fiance, something we had been planning on doing all day."

"How long were the two of you together?"

"Up until around one this morning."

"What a lengthy time you two spent together," Shinichi commented. "What were you two doing over the course of the day?"

"A lot," Bernadea answered. "You'll have to be more specific."

"Alright then," Shinichi said looking to narrow it down. "What were the two of you doing at around midnight?"

"I can remember that clearly, we were on the ferris wheel."

"Ferris wheel?"

"Yea, the one found at Mount Zomoph." Bernadea clarified.

"You were at that theme park at that time of night," Shinichi questioned. "I didn't even know that stuff remained open that late."

"Not normally, only because it was a special occasion," Bernadea stated. "We were informed earlier in the day that fireworks were scheduled to be fired off later that night."

"Did these fireworks ever come to pass?" Shinichi asked.

"They sure did."

"About what time was it when that occurred?"

"Now that you mention it," Bernadea said with the close of the book still in her lap. "I'm almost certain the show began at exactly around midnight."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm not one hundred percent certain, but I could call the president of operations who runs Mount Zomoph to find out," Bernadea replied. "Not only could we find out the time the fireworks were held, but the reason behind the whole show."

"You mean to tell me you don't know why there was fireworks to begin with?"

"That's right, we were only told by another group of people at the park that there would be fireworks," Bernadea replied. "When asked what it was being held for they did not know."

"And you have the number of the guy who helped to run things?"

"Yes, we were given a red card for spending over fifty dollars in purchases," Bernadea informed. "His number is in fine print on the backside of the card."

"Perfect."

She reached for her purse within that instance, feeling for something she had completely forgotten about. She pulled out the card she had spoken of along with something he did not expect to see.

"What are those, some kind of ear muffs?"

"Yes, they are," Bernadea confirmed before stashing them back into the purse. "This should only take a minute to get the information you're wishing to hear, that is if you don't mind waiting around."

"You go on ahead and make the call," Shinichi said standing up from the chair. "There's one last visit I need to make, I'll be back shortly to get an update from you."

"I'll try my best to get ahold of him."

"That's all I can ask, thank you."

With that he turned back for the left side of the room. It didn't take long for Anthony Hamilton to notice him heading his way from across the room.

"I didn't even see you walk past," Anthony admitted. "How long have you been down here?"

"No longer than two minutes," Shinichi replied upon reaching him. "Mind if I clear something up with you?"

"Sure, why not."

"I had the chance to speak with Carol Flowers, a working associate of yours," Shinichi said. "She too said she heard that noise you described hearing while on the eighteenth floor."

"Oh, yes."

"She also mentioned crossing path with you while walking by," Shinichi continued. "If she saw you, you must have seen her."

"I did."

"If so, why didn't you mention that before?"

"I didn't think that would be an important detail," Anthony admitted. "Besides I'm sure whatever it is I heard has no real relevance to what happened to Mr. Fournier."

"I might have agreed with you when I first gathered your statement, but another body has been found," Shinichi informed. "It was discovered laying on top of one of the elevators."

"Another body," Anthony exclaimed. "Who was it, are they ok?"

"Sorry, but no," Shinichi replied with the unfortunate news. "They were already dead."

"Do you know who it was?"

"Yes, but it's not in my place to give you that information," Shinichi replied before turning back for the other side. "I'll leave that to someone else to let you know."

"Where are you going?"

"Our talk here is done, I'll come back if there is anything else I need to ask of you."

He moved on from there, looking across the room just in time to see Lonard Fournier had re-entered the lobby. It was obvious where he was headed, continuing his path all the way to the waiting area.

"Now comes the delivery of bad news," Shinichi thought. "It'd be best if I weren't around for this."

With that in mind he made his way back to where the stairs were located.

The attempts had increased over the past minutes, only to continue to receive the same results. He lowered the phone down to his side once again.

"So..?"

"Still no answer," Dick replied. "None of them are picking up for that matter."

"Then I'm going to go to them myself," Bruce declared. "We don't have much time, this could be a life threatening chain of events."

"Let me go in your place," Dick said. "It would best if you stayed here and set up the equipment for the examination that will be needed, I'll get back here with him as soon as I can."

"I can't stress the time enough, but keep it under control," Bruce warned. "I don't want you getting pulled over."

"Yea, that'd only add an unwanted delay."

"We've spent enough time waiting for a response, go," Bruce instructed. "I'll have everything set up by the time you return."

"You bet," Dick said opening the front door. "I'll inform you when I'm on the way back."

With that he stepped out with the close of the door.

"Let's hope we're not too late." Bruce thought.

He had lifted up the shirt as instructed, allowing for the two of them to gaze down to the marks that had been made in fine detail.

"Twelve cuts in all," Heiji said. "Five to the chest, with another three located in the abdomen area."

"Four wounds in all with both arms factored in rounds it up." Detective Galldon finished.

"Will that be enough?"

"Yes," Detective Galldon replied. "Go ahead and lower the shirt, I've seen enough."

He released the shirt just as planned, holding out his right hand after doing so.

"Your light, may I borrow it?" Heiji asked.

Without a response needed he handed the flash light over to him. He immediately pointed toward the outer wall, standing back to his feet after doing so. He slowly took the time to search the entire perimeter, checking to see if anything else might have fallen atop the elevator besides the body. The possibilities that ranged in his mind were from mini mobile devices to even jewelry. After coming up empty on his searches he returned the light to Galldon who tucked it away.

"I guess we're just about done here." Detective Galldon said returning to his feet as well.

"What about the rest of the body," Heiji questioned. "We haven't looked over everything yet."

"No worries," Detective Galldon stated. "I already took the liberty of searching everything else before your arrival dt, I can assure you there is nothing else of importance to keep note of."

"Dt.. what does that mean?"

With that Galldon turned back for the elevator doors, prompting him to do the same. The two were extremely careful on their way out as they had been on their way in. They were greeted soon after by officer Celek who wasted little time in greeting the two.

"I see the two of you have finished, I'll let them know to send in the next group," Officer Celek said. "How did it go in there, are we any closer to finding out what happened to Mr. Bennet?"

"To an extent, yes," Detective Galldon replied. "But I'm still uncertain why the unsub chose to kill him."

"Wait, are you saying you know who did this?" Officer Celek asked.

"I'm almost certain, but there's still a few lingering details," Detective Galldon said in response. "I'll need to gather a little more evidence before anything can be set in stone."

"If you know who it is, tell us."

"You'll know in time officer," Detective Galldon replied. "Now if you would, there is something of importance that I must look into."

He moved by him from there, walking past the others who stood around. It didn't take long for him to fade out of sight.

"He hasn't even been on the scene for over an hour, no way he knows who the killer is already," Heiji thought to himself. "This only forces my hand, I need to figure this out before he plays his hand into the face of deception set up by the culprit."

"Hey, are you alright?" Officer Celek asked after noticing his sudden silence.

"I'm fine, just thinking is all," Heiji replied before turning back to the opposite wall. "Where did Fournier go, I had something I needed to ask."

"He went down to see his daughter," Officer Celek informed. "Of course to break the damaging news to her."

"Any word back yet on the bullet that killed Grahm Fournier?"

"As a matter a fact there was," Officer Celek replied. "I just got off of the phone with one of the lab technicians a minute ago."

"And?"

"The bullet that penetrated the skull is confirmed to be that of an M855," Officer Celek informed. "Consistent with that of a rifle."

"Just as I thought," Heiji said. "Wait here, there's something I need to do."

"Tell me if you find anything."

"Will do." Heiji said before taking off once more.

He took his travels down the left hall, heading back to the room where it all had begun. He arrived back soon after, taking a peak inside to see Tim who was in conversation with none other than Carol Flowers. Unaware of what the two were discussing about he made his way toward them, arriving just in time to hear the last of what was said.

"There's one final thing I wanted to clear up," Tim said. "Earlier when you first arrived I saw you sending a message on your phone with the use of your left hand."

"So, what of it?" Carol questioned.

"I'm now confused by that, because when you entered this room I saw you jotting down something on a note pad with your right hand."

"Where are you going with this?"

"Ms. Flowers, which of your hands are you more dexterous with?"

"I see," Carol said. "You're asking if I'm either right or left handed."

"That's correct."

"I'm fairly good at using both, but have troubles with using my left at times," Carol said. "In the case of that, I guess that would label as me as right handed."

"Fair enough."

"Will that be all?"

"Yes, that will be it."

She moved past the two from there, heading over toward the left side of the room where she joined a couple police officers who were in the process of searching Lonard's desk.

"What was that all about?" Heiji asked.

"I was almost certain she was ambidexterity." Tim said half talking to himself.

"I guess we'll leave that one on hold," Heiji said. "Did you find anything while searching this room, something incriminating?"

"No such luck," Tim replied. "How did things go on the elevator?"

"Pretty graphic stuff to say the least," Heiji replied. "We also now know the type of bullet that fatally struck Grahm Fournier."

"Can't wait to hear this."

"An M855."

"Sniper rifle."

"Exactly."

"Knowing the brand of weapon used clears up a lot of things," Tim said. "We're going to need to get ahold of the pictures that were first taken at the scene, that's the only way to start mapping out a possible scenario."

"Here," Heiji said sliding a hand into his pocket. "I have a copy of the first photo's taken."

"Good, that saves time."

He waited for him to pull out the three photos, holding out his hand to accept them shortly after. He looked over the three shots, each giving a distinguishing view that separated it from any of the others.

"So what do you think?"

"Defiantly not a straight shot, the bullet entered from an angle slightly below 0 degrees," Tim replied. "A range from -3 to -8 degrees would seem to be the angle of where the bullet was fired from."

"Was thinking the same myself," Heiji said. "Of course that's only an estimation."

"And only phase one of our diagnosis," Tim added. "We still need to pin point the distance from where the rifle was fired."

"Not going to be easy to project, not only will we be dealing with distance but positioning as well," Heiji said. "There's several structures surrounding this place where the shooter could have taken aim."

"You're right," Tim said. "Then there's the process of determining if the shooter was standing, kneeling, or even flat on their chest when firing the weapon used in the murder."

"That only increases the possibility of the top half of the glass door being opened at some point in time," Heiji said. "No other way the bullet would have had a clear path in without shattering the glass, not to mention what Bernadea said of the temperature in the room when she first discovered the body."

"These photos, will you be needing them back?"

"You can go ahead and hang onto them, I've seen them enough," Heiji replied. "Just be careful as to who see's you with them."

"Note taken."

He stashed the photos away from there, glimpsing over at the doorway just in time to see him re-enter the room. It didn't take long for Heiji to notice him as well, anxious to hear what news he might have in store for them.

"Looks like I missed the deadline for our regroup, can't wait to hear what I've missed." Shinichi stated.

"Nothing we can't catch you up to speed on," Tim replied. "But first, how did things go in the lobby?"

"I was able to get further statements from both Fournier and Hamilton," Shinichi replied. "It's just as Bernadea said before, she claimed to have been with Nathan Bennet until a little after one this morning."

"Ok, so we'll go with that," Tim said. "What about midnight, did you ask her where the two were around that time?"

"On a ferris wheel," Shinichi replied. "The same ferris wheel we came across while at Mount Zomoph."

"Sounds casual enough," Tim said. "Spoke with her myself, doesn't sound like she has anything to hide."

"Wait, she did mention something else," Shinichi said. "Fireworks, there were fireworks."

"Where at?" Heiji asked.

"No clue where they were being ignited from, but apparently anyone who was at the theme park at that time was informed of this," Shinichi continued. "Which was the reason why Mount Zomoph was opened up past midnight."

"Regardless of our suspicions surrounding Bennet he does have a clean cut alibi."

"Yea, for not being in the building," Tim said. "Doesn't mean he couldn't have been the one to pull the trigger to the weapon that killed Grahm Fournier."

"Doubtful, I'm sure Bernadea would have seen if he was carrying a rifle around." Heiji stated.

"He's right," Shinichi said. "After all the two were together the whole time."

".. Maybe."

"What about the body," Shinichi asked. "What condition was it in?"

"Twelve wounds in all," Heiji replied. "I think it's safe to assume all were done by the axe that was found at the scene as well."

"The axe, it was embedded into the right side of his skull correct?" Tim asked.

"That's right."

"How deep would you say it was?"

"Enough which would declare strong force was used in the attack if that's what you're getting at."

"That answers that."

"So you told us about your discussion with Bernadea," Heiji said. "How did things go between you and Mr. Hamilton when you reproached him about last night, particularly the part about not seeing Ms. Flowers while on the eighteenth floor."

"I did happen to bring that up to him."

"And?"

"He claims to have overlooked that detail."

"A common response from someone who's got something to hide," Heiji said. "But I'll leave that determination for you to make, what did you think of him?"

"I believe he was telling the truth," Shinichi replied. "But as we all know the truth can sometimes be shadowed upon your first or even second look."

"Would you two excuse me for a moment, there's something I'd like to have a look at." Tim said before heading for the left side of the room.

They watched as he made his way back to where Lonard's desk could be found, joining Ms. Flowers who was in discussion with the two police officers who stood across from her.

"My com link was off at the time, so tell me," Shinichi said redirecting his attention. "What was he doing in here when you arrived back from checking the condition of the body?"

"He was talking with Ms. Flowers."

"Bout what?"

"I'm not quite sure, the only thing I caught was his question to her about being right or left handed."

"Is that so?"

"On a side note I think we'd better pick up on our progressions."

"What makes you say that?" Shinichi asked out of curiosity.

"Detective Galldon, the man who searched the evidence surrounding Bennet's body along with me," Heiji replied. "He claims to know who the killer is."

"Did he share with you the who and why?"

"No, and that's what I'm afraid of," Heiji said. "It seems this whole thing has been set up to where the culprit plans to flash all blame to someone else."

"Then you're right to worry."

"To an extent yes," Heiji said. "But I believe I know who set this all up, and who killed Nathan Bennet."

"You sure about that?"

"More circumstantial than anything, and of course what I've been able to gain from speaking with all of the employees."

"And this belief of yours doesn't include the circumstances circling Grahm Fournier's death."

"Correct," Heiji confirmed. "Though I'm uncertain of who the shooter is, I do have a good idea to who had it to where the job was seen through."

"So essentially you're saying there is more than one culprit we're dealing with?"

"Exactly."

"It's a stretch, but one I can't disagree with," Shinichi said. "With what we've uncovered thus far I'd say we're dealing with a conspiracy of inner interests."

"You mean something dealing with regards to the company itself?"

"You read my mind."

The two then looked back to the left side of the room to see he had vanished from where he had gone.

"He was just there a moment ago," Heiji said looking toward the doorway. "Where could he have run off to in such a hurry without telling us?"

"He's over there." Shinichi pointed.

He looked across the room to see him standing just past the crime scene tape, a few feet back from the glass wall. There was something held over his eyes, something he wasn't able to make out from where he stood.

"What is that he's got there?"

"Binoculars," Shinichi answered. "He probably borrowed them from one of the officers he approached."

"You think he's onto something?"

"Only one way to find out," Shinichi said in response. "Wait here."

He walked toward him, making his way around the crime scene tape that still branched around the blood that was still in the process of drying. He stopped once reaching the left side of him, wondering exactly what it was he was currently looking at. Not wanting to disturb his focus he did his best to make out where his sights were set to.

"Doesn't look like he's got his eyes on any of the larger structures to the east side, nor to the wide spread ones on the right," Shinichi thought. "If he's not looking at either of those two areas than what is he's fixated on?"

He once again tried signaling out where he might have his sights set, slightly raising his head to have a further look ahead. Then he saw it, the brief spin of it just before coming to a stop. His eyes widened with realization of the truth, one which hadn't been so clear prior to this very moment.

"That's it," Shinichi exclaimed from within. "The rifle, Grahm's death, why Bennet may have been killed, it's all starting to make sense."

He turned back for the other side of the room, hurrying for the door with much intent weighing on his mind.

"Where are you going?" Heiji asked as he watched him pass by.

"The surveillance room."

"What for," Heiji asked only to have him fall out of sight. "I wonder what that was all about."

He turned back to the opposite wall to see Tim finally lower the binoculars from his eyes. After doing so he walked around the crime scene tape on his path back to the center of the room.

"What were the two of you looking at over there," Heiji asked. "Did you find something?"

"What makes you believe that?"

"Don't tell me you didn't see the way Kudo took off just now."

Before he had the chance to respond they were interrupted by the sound of several others entering the room, one being none other than officer Celek who immediately approached the two.

"There you are, I was hoping we'd find you here."

"What's going on," Heiji asked looking toward the doorway to still see others entering. "Are we having some kind of meeting?"

"Something like that," Officer Celek replied. "Detective Galldon has asked for us all to return to this room."

"On what grounds?"

"Like he said before, he claims to knowing who committed the crime," Officer Celek replied. "He plans on revealing the who and why in just a few minutes here, saves us the trouble if you ask me."

"What if he's wrong?"

"I wouldn't bet against it," Officer Celek said in response. "He's got one hell of a track record, just you wait.. you witness first hand of his brilliance."

There was nothing to say in response. He looked to the door to still see others entering, then to Tim who stood as blocked off in his expression as ever. This left him at seemingly packed odds, something that would find its way along the path ever so often.

"It's too soon, I need more time," Heiji thought with an urgency laid hidden. "If he's wrong another life will be buried, I won't allow that... it's now or never, my pitch can wait no longer."

To Be Continued

This is great man!