Chapter Text
Bringer of death.
Bodies drop around you.
No, please don't invite him, he scares me… let's just go.
Whenever you're around someone dies.
I don't want to die.
What are you, a death god?
Murder follows you.
Kudo Shinichi slowly cracks his eyes open. The morning sun shines through his window. It’s so bright his blinds do nothing to stop it. He rolls his head to the side and glances at the alarm clock on his nightstand. It hasn't gone off yet. There is still another hour before it will. With a huff and a grumble towards his blatantly wrong internal clock he turns away from the window in an attempt to get that last hour of precious sleep.
Five minutes pass as he begrudgingly counts each ticking noise that comes from his clock. He pushes myself up into a sitting position and quietly groans as he decides to just give up on sleep. “It’s too damn early for anything.” He covers a yawn and tries to blink the sleep from his eyes. He throws the covers back and two bare feet touch down onto the cold floor. The difference in temperature sends a chill up the back of his legs. "Another day, another inevitable murder," he says to no one as he extracts himself from the warm bliss of his blankets.
One haphazardly made bed later Shinichi manages to drag his feet to the kitchen just a little after six in the morning. His hands gravitate towards the coffee maker as per routine. A single slice of bread gets lazily dropped into the toaster while his sweet caffeine is being made.
The only sound in the empty house is the crunching of lightly burnt toast and the occasional sip of coffee. There is something special about the tranquility the house offers. His parents had moved out to expand their careers leaving it in their son's care during their absence. Frankly, there isn't any other place he’d prefer to be. A cafe, a library, a park... it doesn’t really matter for as long as he's around other people, around humans, someone would end up dead. While it gives him with another case to solve he always worries about whether or not his presence somehow influences the deaths.
Ever since he was little people fell around him. It hadn't taken long for him to become desensitized to about it. However that didn't stop him from mourning for the victim and their families. His parents tried to shield him from the events but they still occurred no matter what they tried. After a while Shinichi started to develop this feeling that something about him was different. Not that he was necessarily any better than the humans around him but he didn't quite fit in with them. He got this sense that his mere presence was an inherent danger to them. A thought by itself that had initially scared him as he became to consider the possibility that he may be something else. He never shared the hypothesis with anyone not even his parents. They had enough to worry about with their careers and everything else going on in their lives.
As an only child he played alone and to him it wasn't anything out of the ordinary. However, when he finally reached the age to attend school he refused to make any friends. There was one girl who kept trying to talk to him and even now she still persists in her quest to become his friend. Having 'friends' wasn't something he wanted... or something he felt he could have, strictly speaking. It was something he couldn’t risk. The longer he spent with an individual the higher the probability of them dying. Even just sitting by someone during class turned out to be an issue. His concentration slipped one day and those around him went home early with a sudden case of the flu or some other illness. He had learned that a simple touch could kill after petting a stray dog on his the way home. The next day the poor little creature had been dead just a few feet away from where Shinichi last saw them. He stopped approaching animals after the second time.
He soon came to realize he had this aura around him. If he was stressed or his mind elsewhere it would become suffocating to those around him. The radius of it extending further and further out the longer he neglected to actively control it. Cicadas, birds, and butterflies would drop from the sky, dead. That was how he ended up sitting in the back most corner of every classroom throughout his school years. Trying to affect as few people as possible was all he could think about.
It wasn't until his early teens that he got more of a handle on containing whatever it was about his presence that sucked the life from those around him. With no one to turn to for guidance he tried his best to focus on seeming normal and ignoring everything else about himself that made him different. It left him with very little desire to see what else he was capable of. If his daydreaming ended up with any living creature dead, big or small, surely anything else he could possibly do would only cause them harm as well.
With breakfast done, Shinichi drags his bag off of its resting place and saunters out the front door. As he reaches the gate he hears a small explosion coming from Agasa's house next door. He sighs, pulling the gate closed and heading down the street to school. While walking down the street he begins to ponder how the day will go. If he is lucky no one will drop dead before he reaches Teitan High School.
A figure enters his peripheral and out of habit he glances up to see who it is. It's her, Mouri Ran. She jogs over to him with a bright smile on her face. It seems today will be another morning where she walks to school with him whether he wants her to or not. He briefly wonders if she would still approach him with the same joyful expression if she knew what he is; not a human but a so called god of death, a reaper of souls. Whatever people wanted to name his 'kind'. For what else could he possibly be? It was the only explanation he had found after years of looking things up. When he first encountered the concept of a god of death he dismissed it feeling that assuming himself a ‘god’ of anything would be incredibly egotistical. Yet nothing else fit even remotely. Shinichi shakes the thought from his head.
It's not as though humans can't know a death god is around, but he figures it’s better they don't. It didn't take long for Shinichi to see how humanity behaved. Many people are selfish or so full of anger once they become engulfed by their desires and are soon dead by their greed. It's just as they shouldn't be told how or when they die. It would only bring paranoia and mass hysteria. It may even awaken religious mobs, shouting from their texts, attempting to banish the demon of death from their lives or encourage those from the occult to try to take control of death and somehow utilize the power for their own needs.
"Good morning, Kudo."
Instead of blatantly ignoring her, as that never worked in the past, he keeps his greeting short in hopes she won’t push further. "Morning." He glances towards her in recognition before locking his gaze on the path in front of him. She keeps her smile despite the clear disinterest he has in continuing any sort of conversation.
They fall in silent step with each other. Every so often she looks over as if contemplating on what to say before giving up. The school is in sight before she finally manages to find a good enough topic to try to peak Shinichi's interest. "Hey, Kudo. Did you hear about the recent Kaitou Kid heist notice?" Shinichi blinks and turns his attention toward the girl and waits for her to continue. "Looks like that's a no. Given that you work with the police on all sorts of cases I assumed you would have."
"Homicide and dealing with thieves are two completely different jurisdictions." He explains curtly. From what he knows about Kid's methods the heist notices are mailed directly to the police task force in charge of him. There have been only a few times where they were announced to the public by the thief himself and those were for Jirokichi's gauntlet challenges.
In the past, the notices themselves were kept within the police. Shinichi had only been able to get in on them because they required a detective's help in deciphering some of Kid's codes and riddles. After a while of assisting the task force it became almost expected that he would attend and help corner the arrogant thief. Plus with Kid's 'no one gets hurt' policy it was always a much needed break from the falling bodies that followed in the detective's wake. Though he still doesn’t understand why it happens. What irks Shinichi the most about the conversation is that he hadn’t been notified about the notice at all. What the hell?
"Right, right. Well, the notice arrived on Monday around midday." Ran giggles as though laughing at a memory. "After about a day of trying to crack Kid’s code they called my dad begging for his help. Apparently this one's riddle is sending the police in circles. I managed to catch a glimpse of it and I didn't understand it one bit either." She sighs and glances at Shinichi. Just like the mystery-nerd, the look on his face is calculating. When she occasionally asks about his recent cases he tends to be silent about it. However when Kaitou Kid is the topic he visibly brightens.
Shinichi is about to speak up but his voice gets drowned out by the noise of first period as soon as they enter the school gates. Odds are she probably doesn't have a copy of the notice. It’s even more unlikely she’d have a copy with her at the moment.
"Come on, we'll be late!" Ran calls back towards him as she runs for the main building. Shinichi doesn't speed up his pace at all. Being late by a minute or two isn't going to be the end of the world. Besides, the less time he spends in one place the better it is better for everyone else.
As he steps into the classroom the teacher flips open their lecture notes and turns to the board to begin. Shinichi makes his way to the back and sits at a desk in the corner as per usual. With his notebook open to a random blank page and textbook flipped to the section for the day he rests his chin on his palm. He lightly fingers the buttons on his phone from within his uniform's pocket. The first free moment he has is going to be occupied with calling Inspector Nakamori of the Anti-Kid Task Force.
It is hard. During the breaks between classes he can hear Suzuki Sonoko rambling to Ran in an ecstatic, lovesick voice about the Kid notice. She is begging Ran to tell her the date and time of the heist so she can be there to see her handsome thief. When others in the class overhear, not that it’s very difficult to do that with how loud Sonoko is talking, they rush over pushing for details as well. Every time someone asks, Ran always replies with the same, "I'm sorry but my dad has had trouble wrapping his head around it" and with a pout "unfortunately I wasn't able to get a copy to share either."
When class is dismissed for lunch Shinichi bolts out of his chair, bag forgotten against his desk, as he rushes to the roof. As he ascends the stairs he speed dials the number. There is a slight pause after the ringing stops. "... Hello? Who is this?"
The corners of his mouth slips into a soft smile. "It's Kudo. I hear you've received a notice from Kid." There’s an audible grumble on the other side of the phone.
"Ah yes, the homicide high school detective." It’s well known that Nakamori Ginzo is the Kaitou Kid specialist. If only because of the sheer number of times the Inspector dealt with the criminal. Since Shinichi began helping with the heists many within the task force started referring to him as the Kid Killer since he’s been able to foil all of the magician's plans and retrieve the stolen jewel more often than not. It isn't a new occurrence for Nakamori to try to remind Shinichi what his jurisdiction is. Even if he isn't officially on the force yet. "I thought you were rather busy with your homicide cases recently?"
"There's been a lull. I've got time." Shinichi says rather impatiently, waiting for Nakamori to speak up again. The man isn't typically one to ask for help, especially outside his own task force, but from what Shinichi overheard from Ran they are completely stumped. He checks his watch. There is still quite a few minutes until lunch ends. He'll have to remember to eat something once he gets home. There's no way he'll have time to get anything now.
"Alright, fine." Nakamori says finally in a defeated tone. A sound of rustling papers suddenly blocks out all the idle background noise of the office. Shinichi positions the phone between his ear and shoulder as he takes out his notepad and a pen. He clicks the pen open beside the receiver to signal that he’s ready. The detective carefully writes each word as neatly as possible, breaking the lines when Nakamori seems to pause for a split second. "Do what you will with it... and give us a call if you think you figure out any part of it." With a beep the call ends.
Pocketing the phone and clipping the pen to the back of the notebook to bookmark the page, Shinichi stares at the latest riddle.
On the last cent of the day's dollar,
Branched off from the many crossroads,
Within the boundary of the forest,
The Seven of Pentacles shall finally take,
From the fortuned chests of history.
-Kaitou Kid
His eyes drift from word to word and line to line without being able to pick out anything immediately other than 'Seven of Pentacles'. Merely the wording of that specific line implies that it may be referring to Kid himself but-
From within the school the bell rings to signal the end of lunch. With a frustrated sigh, Shinichi snaps the notebook shut and heads back to the classroom. His mind buzzes with possible answers on when, where, and what Kid is stealing.
Throughout the rest of the day he turns ideas over and over in his head. Each new theory he has for the riddle's meaning causes his mind to drift to increasingly obscure possibilities. It has already been two days since the notice was received. Plus it is common for Kid's chosen date to be within the week afterward the notice’s delivery. Two days and still the task force, Ran's father, and now he, himself, hasn't been able to pinpoint any details. It has only been a few hours since he finally got his hands on the contents but he can't help already feeling a bit of pressure. There’s no way he’s going to sit back and let Kid complete a heist without a sufficient amount of resistance. Shinichi smirks at the thought. Kid would probably end up disappointed without the challenge.
To Shinichi’s delightful surprise no one dies on his way home. He manages to elude Ran as he leaves and enjoys a quiet walk back. He barely closes the front door behind him and carelessly drops his school bag by the entrance. With determination he strolls into the kitchen. Putting a cup of coffee on to boil and then proceeds to the study. He leaves the door open, allowing the smell of the coffee beans to flow in from the hallway and fill the room as they blend.
The first thing he does when he enters the room is rewrite the notice on a bigger sheet of paper. He pulls a few books off the shelves and flips through them. As he searches for possible references he piles up the ones he wants to investigate further while replacing all others back to the shelves.
The sun hovers just above the horizon before a grumbling sound fills the library interrupting any train of thought in Shinichi’s head. He closes the current book and lets it slide from his hand onto the growing pile. His feet carry him back to the kitchen where he fixes himself yet another cup of coffee in the biggest mug available.
With sustenance in hand and its sweet aroma calming his thoughts, he returns to the riddle. He glares at it as he takes a few sips. Maybe he is just overthinking this one. He left the obviously wrong answers to the police to fiddle with as he assumed the meaning goes much deeper than surface level. Kid has never written his notices to be anything but obscure and borderline obnoxious in their difficulty. Yet Shinichi has always loved tearing them apart word for word, only to piece them back together like a puzzle. They make him think. Deeper than any homework his teachers could assign.
He figures out the 'Seven of Pentacles' references the card of the same name in Tarot. It’s a form of fortune telling that Shinichi actively tries to avoid.
It had been just a few years ago when Ran and Sonoko had dragged him to a tarot reading done by a kind elderly woman in an older part of town. The shop was filled with various related items to fortune telling and other aspects, and smelled heavily of incense.
As the girls talked with the woman, Shinichi's curiosity took over and he found himself mindlessly browsing the shelves. There had been one section in a far off corner littered with ancient looking books with drawings of a cloaked skeleton holding a scythe as the cover. Some were just bound in black while others had bookmarks hanging from them that resembled bones of small animals. His fingers just grazed the spines when Sonoko found him and he rejoined them in the back.
Ran had already been in the middle of her reading, and Shinichi couldn't help but notice that as soon as he stepped through the curtain, the shopkeeper's head shot up. Their eyes locked and he couldn’t help but see what looked like utter fear in her soul. Her attention was brought back to the cards as Sonoko sat down at the table and Ran patted another seat beside her for him. The woman didn't look at him again as she finished Ran's reading and then Sonoko's after. The girls both giggled to themselves at their supposed futures while Shinichi was skeptical of the whole thing. It was all just chance. A luck of the draw and acting skills.
"Ladies, if I may, I'd like to give this young man a private reading." The three teenager's eyes widened in surprise, Shinichi's most of all. "You're free to browse the shop in the mean time."
Sonoko and Ran both glanced at him but he couldn't look away from the fortune teller. "I'll be out in a minute." He found himself saying despite everything in him wanting to leave, now.
He waited for them to go before moving to the center chair that was directly across from the woman. Meanwhile she gathered the cards and shuffled them. They sat in silence. The only sound was the muffled conversation from Shinichi's companions in the other part of the shop. Something told him this woman knew. The way she avoided looking directly into his eyes after their initial meeting was purposeful. It was always said the eyes lead directly into the soul. Did she believe he could take her soul just by making eye contact? Was that something he had to worry about accidentally doing? If she knew then it was the first time Shinichi ever had someone to ask his questions to. Yet the wary body language she held made him hold his tongue.
She gathered the cards into her hand and flared them out. Offering them up to for Shinichi to choose from. He picked three at random just as he'd seen Sonoko do. The rest of the deck was placed off to the side. "I apologize for my reaction. I thought you were one of the others. It's been a long time since I saw you last, sir, daresay a hundred years or more. I've been long waiting a long time for your return."
"'Sir'? I'm sorry," he started, pausing as he watched her lay the cards in front of them. "A hundred years? Others? I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about." How could this woman possibly know him? He was only sixteen... and what did she mean by 'others'? Could there be more of his kind in the world? It would make sense. Granted he felt the taunt pull of lives ending all the time, and though he'd long become accustomed to it to the point where he'd become numb to it at times, he couldn't imagine it being absolutely constant. It would make sense for there to be multiple so one reaper wasn't overwhelmed. Yet the thought hadn't really ever occurred to him before. He had instead chosen to ignore as much of his nature as he could. Until now it seemed.
She smiled, the fear long gone, replaced by a look of sadness. "I see. That explains a lot, my dear."
"Ma'am, please, explains what?" Shinichi pressed as he started to lean closer.
"Shh, dear," the woman whispered. Her hand hovered over the card on the far left and spoke. "An old, powerful soul. One of the seven. Plagued by the War of Souls that ended in both victory and betrayal. Erasing so much of who you were and who you are." She turned the card over and it showed a drawing of a skeleton banishing two scythes crossed over its front. Hands were coming up from the ground. The word 'Death' was printed on the bottom. "The past was nothing more than the cruel end of a cycle that didn't need to be broken. Yet with it torn it allowed for the beginning of change as all death does. For without it we wouldn't have life."
Shinichi stayed silent as she spoke. He had no idea how old she was but her tone somehow carried the wisdom of many lifetimes. She moved onto the next card, the middle one, and flipped it over. "The change has taken everything from you. It’s left you alone in isolation from everything that makes you who you are. The twisted knife forced you off the path and caused you to lose your way." On the card a clothed figure stood at the tip of a cliff over an ocean with the moon shining behind a few clouds in the sky. It was called ‘The Hermit’.
The last card was flipped and, though he had no idea what any of this meant, he found that he was holding his breath as she finished the reading. The card, Judgment, was split into two sections. The bottom half held graves while the top showed what looked like an angel with a trumpet in hand flying overhead. "In your future there will be an awakening on everything you've ever known. The clover will cause doubt and fear from the inevitable lack of self awareness. Yet do not fear, young reaper, for all will be well in time."
Shinichi's eyes widened having not expected her to actually say the word. He whipped around in his seat just to make sure neither Ran nor Sonoko were secretly standing behind him to listen in. For a long silence all he could hear was the sound of his rapidly beating heart. The words ‘What now?’ repeating over and over in his head. The panic was growing as he tried to figure out what to do. His hyperactive mind was halted by the woman's hand coming to rest atop his own on the table. "Hush, child. It is alright." Shinichi instinctively jerked his hand back, unable to comprehend how she could know so much about what he was yet still fearlessly reach towards him. "There's no need to fret."
She wore a kind smile as she waited patiently for the reaper to collect himself. When he finally found his voice he barely had half a question out before her eyes darted behind him and Shinichi bit his tongue, swallowing the words. "Looks like it's time for you to go." She stood and gathered the three cards into the pile. "I hope to see you again, sir. It was a pleasure to know you're with us again."
"Wait! Please, ma'am! I still don't understand- who are you? How do you know? What others? What war?" He frantically stood up, the chair clattering behind him in his haste. The questions finally spilled out of him. He was afraid this may somehow be his one chance to get answers. "How can I control it-"
"Control what, Shinichi?" Ran popped her head through the curtain, looking between him and the fortune teller.
Shinichi floundered. None of his typical excuses came to mind. Thankfully he was saved seconds later by Sonoko bursting through the curtain beside Ran. "Shinichi! We've been waiting for you. Are you ready to go?"
"Ah-" He glanced back at the mysterious woman. She had a distant look in her eyes as she stared back and but said nothing more. "Y-yeah, I'm ready..." Shinichi picked up the fallen chair and approached the curtain as the two girls headed back out into the store, his disappointment hidden behind a blank smile.
As he pulled back the curtain he heard a voice behind him. "Worry not, young one. You'll find your way and fall back into step soon enough. The events of the past may have had an adverse affect on you, however, one never truly forgets how to ride a bicycle just because of one stumble over a millennia of practice. You're doing well. Now that we've found you we'll be sure to keep a better eye on you for your own safety less history attempts to repeat itself."
Shinichi found himself lingering. He waited, hoping for more explanation than the cryptic message he was given. What happened in the past? Why does he need to be watched for his own safety? None of it had made sense and it sent a chill up his spine.
He nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard Sonoko yelling for him to hurry up. He thanked the shopkeeper and ran out after the two girls.
It took over a week before he was able to make the time to visit the shop again, alone this time. What he found was not the woman but instead a girl about his age maybe a little older. She was the woman's granddaughter and was taking over the shop as her grandmother recovered from a sudden illness. Shinichi asked if he could pay her a visit, maybe bring flowers and a get well card, but he was shot down rather harshly. He couldn't help feeling bad like he was the cause with the way the girl was glaring at him when she didn’t think he would notice. He didn’t understand, her grandmother seemed so healthy when he had seen her last.
It wasn't until another week later that he finally found out the woman's name, Jinshi Henshi, from the obituaries.
Even now as he researches the craft with those the specific cards in mind he feels uneasy. The memories and guilt resurfacing along with this sense of doing his best to make her proud. That the faith she had in him, a stranger, wasn't going to go to waste in her final days. All of it still threatening to eat him alive as he recalls what she said to him. It hadn't made sense back then and it still doesn't now. He's been actively looking for any type of 'clover' yet nothing sticks out as significant enough. He doubts 100-yen store goods and common household items embroidered with the motif was what she had been talking about, after all.
Shinichi shakes the thoughts out of his head. He turns his attention back to the task at hand. He isn't sure about the whole interpretation of the Seven Pentacles card. Kid has never once kept a gem, let alone done anything to profit from them or his heists. Even the Kid merchandise lines available were created by greedy companies looking to cash in on the public's entertainment and enthusiasm towards the magician. However there is one line in the current reference material that sticks out with the various interpretations; patience while waiting for well deserved benefits of labor.
Kid's been doing heists for years. Always returning the jewels saying 'it wasn't the one I was looking for'. The addition of the word 'finally' within the line concluded it. But if Kid had been searching for one jewel this the entire time, then the notice would be hinting at this being the last one. Previous gems always had to be in his possession before he confirmed whatever it was he was checking. What is the point of a heist if he had already checked it? And if he has already checked it, how did he?
Shinichi has always enjoyed Kid's heists. They have been a form of harmless entertainment as well as intense battles of wits. While not forgoing the possibility of this being a final heist, Shinichi chalks it up to just being an unintentionally added hidden message within the riddle. Despite what the public thinks Kid's still only human. Humans always make mistakes even geniuses like that crazy thief. Part of him hopes that's what the case is here.
Shinichi works on deciphering the rest of the notice throughout the night. At midnight he hears the clock chime. He briefly glances over at it to acknowledge the time before turning back to his work, wanting to solve the puzzle laid out in front of him.
"Fortuned chests of history," he says out loud in hopes that it would will give him a new angle. "If I take just 'history' then that could mean a museum, landmark, or a site of historical importance." He pulls out a map of the region and stares at. There are dozens in each category. He looks at the notice again. Chests... chests... Throughout history, chests were used to store important documents, treasures, and jewels which could narrow his search down to museums. A few of said museums currently have gems on display. Clearly the first half of the riddle is the location so what Kid is stealing has to be connected to 'fortuned'.
Shinichi brews yet another cup of coffee at two in the morning. "One more hour..." Shinichi mutters before taking a big gulp. That promised hour comes and goes threefold. There aren't any museums with displays anywhere close to an actual forest so therefore it has to be a reference to a more concrete one. One that isn't near a busy intersection but instead a bit off the main roads. Since all gems were treasures, 'fortune' has to refer to chance or luck. That easily narrows it down to the French exhibit of the Joyau de la Chance, or the Gem of Luck.
After a while he hears his morning alarm clock go off a few rooms away. Shinichi heaves a heavy sigh as he reluctantly removes himself from the study to get ready for school. ‘If only it was Saturday’ he thought begrudgingly as he dragged himself to his room. Then he wouldn't have to worry about going anywhere other than the station to discuss his theory. One shower and a finished coffee pot later, Shinichi eases his feet into his shoes and picks up the forgotten school bag as he heads out the door.
As he walks to school the thought that a murder hadn’t happened in a while strikes him. It’s a rare occurrence to go almost two days without a murder happening around him. It's nice... or at least it was for as soon as the thought crosses his mind a loud thud sounds behind him. Without even turning around Shinichi pulls out his phone and speed dials Inspector Megure.
By the time the culprit is caught and the reports are given it’s already halfway through the school day. Shinichi's job was done within an hour of finding the dead body but it was the paperwork that had followed that had taken the most time.
As always, he places the note from the Inspector on the teacher's desk and proceeds to his seat for the remainder of the lessons. Lunch comes and he stays put. He opens his bag and pulls out what is actually yesterday’s forgotten lunch. It’s a simple to make sandwich that has clearly become quite soggy overnight. Two bites into it and he re-wraps it and deposits it into the bottom of his bag. Shinichi leans back in his chair, content to take a quick nap before the inevitable chaos that he will experience with the Kid Task Force.
The bell rings at the end of the day and Shinichi bolts out of the building. The entirety of the travel time from the high school to the Ekoda police department is full of a jittery sort of impatience. There is a swiftness in his step as he leaves the train and heads down the street.
Once outside the building Shinichi wastes no time rushing through the front doors. He waves to some of the officers as he passes with a weak smile on his face. He bursts into the Kid Task Force headquarters. "Inspector, I-" His voice quickly gets drowned out by the hustle and bustle of the team. Officers are frantically flipping through files and loose papers ripping out possible leads from books and rapidly clicking through various websites all while listening to Inspector Nakamori’s usual loud ranting.
Shinichi steps into the room as someone runs by him out of the door with a stack of rejected books in their hands. Everyone in the room is either currently scurrying around the tables or each other. He stands off to the side with his arms crossed watching the chaos and waiting for the briefest moment of silence to interject. As time slowly ticks by he begins to wonder if Nakamori is actually human as he has yet to take a breath between his ravings about catching the thief. Pretty soon enough is enough and Shinichi clears his throat rather loudly in order to interrupt the office's chaos and catch everyone’s attention.
They all slow and turn in the direction of the pained sound. Shinichi pulls out a few papers from his bag and the officers smiles widen. He isn't even able to fully retrieve the rest before Nakamori swipes them from Shinichi’s fingers and slaps him on the back. "Kudoooo! You’ve certainly come through every time! Much obliged! Though I'm sure we'd have cracked it anyway given another hour!" Shinichi withholds the urge to roll his eyes.
Inspector Nakamori’s volume had been tolerable from across the room but now that it is right beside his ear... "I’ve managed to pinpoint where and what Kaitou Kid plans to steal. The only problem is-" any further explanation is once again drowned out when Nakamori turns to his task force. The lot of them are already huddling around Shinichi's notes.
"Ooh! That makes so much more sense when you stop thinking about it in the literal sense!" He hears someone say as the individual sheets are passed around.
"That museum, huh?"
"I'm impressed. Not even Detective Mouri was able to figure out any of these details."
"Don't flatter him yet. This is all pointless if we don't know the time or date it's occurring."
"As I was saying," Shinichi starts before being practically ignored, "the 'day's dollar' is referring to-"
One of the officers yells in exclamation. "I get it!! It must mean when the common worker gets paid!"
Another officer slaps the back of the first one's head. "Idiot. People don't get paid on the same day. It's when they get off work."
"Seriously? There isn't just one type of shift people work. It's all over the day and night. That leaves-"
"Friday at 11:59pm." The room gapes at him. They await the explanation while at the same time seem primed to disagree. "Taking a look at the kanji for writing the weekdays, only Friday has 'money' within it. If you take 'cent' to mean minute then the 'last' would be right before midnight." Shinichi explains, pausing to takes a breath, praying that no one speaks up in his pause. At least the Anti-Kid Task Force is always energetic and up for the challenge. "The problem is since deciphering Kid's notice took so long we only have a little over a day to prepare."
"Leave the heavy lifting to us. Just make sure your Kid Killer instincts are ready." The officer gives a confident smile and while Shinichi figures once Kid shows he'll end up carrying the team as usual, their determination is appreciated. Alas, as always they'll probably get swept away in the thief's antics.