Detective Boys - The Mystery of the White Tiger

[WBoon]

Conan examined the heavy wooden door. "The hinges are on the other side," he announced. "We can't remove the pins or do anything like that, and there's no way we can break it down - it's too thick."

"If only there was a window," Ayumi moaned. "I could climb out out and swim to the jetty."

"Forget it," Conan told her. "Though the distance between here and the jetty is short, but the harbor is full of sharks."

Suddenly, Genta screamed and jumped on top of an old box. Conan and Ayumi spun around to stare at him. He pointed to the floor where a dark, furry shape scuttled around in the gloom. "Help!" he screamed again.

Conan and Ayumi couldn't contain his giggle within their lips as they stared at the silly sight. "It's only a rat," noted Ayumi.

Genta was trembling with shock. "It's not funny! It's disgusting!"

Conan scooped up a piece of broken wood and hurled it at the rat. It went scurrying off into a corner. "Those things are a little bit creepy. We're trapped like rats with rats."

Ayumi stopped laughing and turned to Conan excitedly. "I've got an idea," he said. "We should follow the rat and see where it goes. If a rat can get out of here, maybe we can do the same!"

Genta shuddered, and he looked like he was going to throw up. "Ayumi, that's sick!" he whined.

"Ayumi's right," informed Conan. "Rats always know how to get in and out of places."

They watched the huge rat darting around the floor, its nose twitching as it explored the shadowy corners. Its fat body moved with amazing speed. Suddenly, it raced across the floor into the furthest corner and disappeared.

Conan followed it. He knelt down and let out a shout. "There's a drain here! A big one!"

Ayumi joined him, leaving Genta shivering on top of his crate. She examined the large, round hole at the base of the wall. An old metal grating covered it. The bars were sticky with slime. Conan tugged on the bars. The grating shifted and squeaked. Soon, his hands were thick with black, oily sludge. It was impossible to grip the bars firmly. He leapt up, ripped off his shirt and wrapped it round the bars. Ayumi got behind him and put her arms round his waist. Conan counted to three and hauled on the bars. His muscles rippled. Behind him, Ayumi pulled and grunted.

Soon, Genta was calm enough to step down off his box and joined them, circling his arms round Ayumi's tummy and pulling as hard as he could. Again and again, Conan counted to three and they pulled back with all their strength. The metal grating groaned and shook. Suddenly, it came away from the wall and rolled across the floor.

They stared into the black depths of the drain. The sounds of rats and the slosh of water echoed in the mysterious tunnel.

"I'll go in first," offered Ayumi. She placed her hand on Conan's shoulder in an assuring manner. "I'm the skinny one."

"I don't think it's such a good idea," Genta said in a trembling voice. "I mean, if there are sharks in the harbor, there might be sharks in the drains, too."

Ayumi stifled her giggle of amusement. "Baka, there are no sharks in drains, Genta-kun."

"Even if the high tide might wash one in," Conan added, "the man in the hood said that water comes into the basement when it's high tide, so there has to be a way for the water to drain out somewhere else. Anyhow, we have to do something. If we don't die of starvation, we'll be drowned when the tide comes in."

Genta nodded doubtfully, watching in horror as Ayumi lowered herself through the black hole into the drain. Suddenly, she vanished from sight and they heard splashing sounds in the darkness.

"How deep is it?" called Conan nervously.

"My feet can touch the bottom," Ayumi answered from somewhere inside the drain. She gave a sudden squeal. "It's okay," she called a moment later. "I just touched something!"

Conan clambered into the drain, followed by Genta, of whom barely manage to pull his butt through . They splashed into the foul water. It lapped dangerously around their chests.

Genta gasped. "I touched something, too, and it... it m-m-moved!"

The air was damp and cold, and the smell churned their stomachs. Their feet sank into the mud. The sinister water was thick with oil. Strange things brushed against their bodies. Rats squeaked and scurried into their secret hiding places.

"Follow me," called Ayumi in the darkness. "And hold on to the person in front of you."

Step by step, they waded through the mud and stinking water. Then, at last, the drain reached a junction. Other drains opened into it, and trickles of water echoed in the gloom. On one side, a flight of worn stone steps led up into the shadows. Ayumi began climbing them, treading warily so that her shoes wouldn't slip on the thick layer of green slime that coated the old stones. The others followed, one by one, their shoes squelching inth eerie silence.

The stairs ended at a thick wooden door. Ayumi reached for the handle, then jumped at the sound of explosions from the other side. Suddenly, a hole appeared in the door and something smacked against the wall above their heads.

"Get down!" warned Conan.

A second bullet drilled through the door.

Then, there was silence again and they looked at one another. After a while, Conan crawled to the door, stood up and turned the handle. The door swung open and he stepped through into the back of a familiar hallway. The ceiling light had been blasted to pieces and shadows cloaked the corners, but there was no mistaking the headquarters of the Black Hands gang.

"Hey, we're back where we started," he whispered. "This is where we came in."

The others hurried into the hall. Street sounds drifted in through the open front door.

"There's nobody here," Ayumi looked around. "I wonder what all the shooting was about?"

"Who cares?! Let's get out while we can," Genta urged.

But, before anyone could move, a groan was heard from the shadows. A bulky shape was crawling towards them. Suddenly, it collapsed and groaned again.

It was Nifty, and he called out weakly in a grasping voice.

"They got Khor... It was The Snake's men... They took him away!"

Conan ran to his side and stared in horror at the wounded gangster. "You've been shot. I'll call an ambulance."

Nifty gave a cry of slarm. "No!" Blood trickled between his fingers as he clutched his upper arm. "It's just a nick."

"Where's the man in the hood?" Genta asked him.

"Upstairs," Nifty groaned. "They shot him, too."

Nifty's eyelids fluttered and his head fell back. His lips opened and they heard him mutter one word, "Kashmir".

Then, he fainted.

"Now, what do we do?!" demanded Genta.

"Well, first we've got to warn Haibara and Mitsuhiko not to go to headquarters," replied Conan, reaching for his Junior Detective League Badge. "Khor and The Snake might be waiting for them."

But, when he took a closer look, he saw his badge covered with water and slime.

Genta nudged him. He knelt down and picked up the mobile phone that was lying beside the wounded gangster. "Use his phone," he suggested with a smirk. "I'm sure he won't mind."

Before Conan could make the call, Ayumi gripped his hand. "Conan, I've had an idea. If it's not safe to go to headquarters, why don't we all meet at Agasa-sensai's house tonight after dinner? Haibara has a database kept in Agasa-sensai's computer as well. We could do the next part of our investigation there."

"Fabulous!" agreed Genta, looking down at his filthy, mud-streaked stomach. "I haven't eaten anything since this afternoon. That will give me time to have five quick bowls of eel rice!"

Conan called Haibara and Mitsuhiko, and passed on the news. But when they told him about Benny's missing tiger, his eyebrows shot up.

"This case is getting very interesting," he observed, his eyes shining brightly behind the glasses, "and I've got a feeling we're very close to cracking it."

[akai-kun]

Most impressive, Master Jedi.

THAT'S AWESOME!!!!!!!
(Yeah, I know I'm repeating myself once again, but your story is awesome!!)

CONTINUE~~

[WBoon]

(Yeah, I know I'm repeating myself once again,

Well, you could always post about the parts of the story you like, how you feel about the way I move the characters you know and love from the anime, how I could improve, etc. You know, stuff like that, instead of pointless things like

Most impressive, Master Jedi.

No offense. I appreciate that you are the only one who's willing to give this fan fic any attention, but it is still kinda annoying to just see you telling me how 'awesome' this fan fic seemingly is without convincing me of the one truth.

And isn't anyone else besides akai-kun interested in this?
~~~

"So, let's recap - what do we know about this case?" asked Mitsuhiko. He leaned forward in his chair and eyed the other young investigators.

They were gathered in Professor Agasa's main hall after dinner at the local burger restaurant. Everyone looked fresh and wore new clothes. Conan, Ayumi and Genta were the only ones with mobile phones, Ayumi having bought a new one that afternoon.

Ayumi rubbed her petite chin. "Well, we know there's going to be a robbery and Khor's going to do it."

"And we know The Snake is behind it," said Haibara.

"And we know the Black Hands want to muscle in on it, that's what they told us," reminded Genta.

"And we know it's got something to do with a white tiger," inserted Mitsuhiko.

"And we know that Benny has four Bengal tigers and one of them is missing," added Haibara.

"Right," agreed Conan. "But what does it all add up to?"

Mitsuhiko raised his hand. "Conan, before we try to answer that question," he suggested, "I think it's best if we do some research on white tigers."

Haibara nodded slightly in agreement, turned to the professor's computer and entered WHITE TIGER into the search engine. Seconds later, the picture of a pale-colored tiger appeared on the screen. As she scrolled through the text, she began reading it out loud:

"The white tiger is about 3 meters long, not counting its tail, and weighs from 180 to 285 kg. The white tiger is actually a white-colored Bengal tiger, the largest member of the cat family. It is not a separate species. It has blue eyes, a pink nose, and creamy white fur covered with chocolate-colored stripes."

"But why is it white?" wondered Ayumi.

"White tigers are born to Bengal tigers that have an unusual gene that gives them the white coloring," Haibara explained, not having the need to look at her computer.

"And, what's more," added Conan, "both parents must have that special gene to breed a white tiger."

"So, wouldn't that make them rare?" asked Genta.

"Very rare," Mitsuhiko nodded and studied the computer screen. "Today, most of them are found only in zoos. The white tiger has almost disappeared in the wild. It lives in grassy of swampy land and forests. It is a good swimmer, but a very poor climber. It is also a slow runner and catches its preys at night."

"Despite that," Haibara pointed out, "most wild tigers avoid people. Only three or four out of every 1000 tigers eat people, because they're sick or wounded and can't hunt large prey anymore."

Mitsuhiko was jotting down notes. "I wonder if this says where the white tiger comes from..." he mumbled beneath his face.

"They're native to India," Conan answered. "Bengal tigers live in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Burma."

Suddenly, Mitsuhiko froze as he was reading off the screen. "Listen to this!" he exclaimed. "It says that a century ago, there were 100, 000 tigers in the world. Today, there are only 5000 tigers left in the wild. About 4000 of them are Bengal tigers, most of them are in India, and it is against the law to hunt them."

"That's right," noted Conan, "it is apparent that The Snake is probably smuggling or stealing them."

"People make a lot of money doing that," Haibara told them. She scrolled to a photo of two men holding the skin from a dead tiger. "Look what it says here. Tiger coats can be sold for a small fortune and their body parts can be used for traditional medicine and exotic recipes. That's why there are laws to stop tigers from being shot, before they're all wiped out. The Bali tiger is extinct. The last Java tiger was shot in 1971. And there are only 47 South Chinese Amoy tigers left."

Genta sat back. "It's very clear, isn't it? The white tiger is worth more money than any other tiger. That's why The Snake, and Benny, and the Black Hands all want to steal one."

"But where does Khor fit in?" asked Ayumi.

"Safecracker."

The others looked at Conan, with all of them giving him a weird stare, save Haibara.

"But, you don't keep tigers in safes..." Ayumi reluctantly corrected him.

"Yeah," Conan answered calmly, keeping his cool, his head down, and his eyes shut, "but what if the white tiger is so rare that it's in a cage with a very special lock? That would require them to use Khor to get it out."

"Great thinking, Conan!" grinned Mitsuhiko. "So there we have it. The mystery of the white tiger." Then, his smile disappeared and he slumped back in his chair. "Except we don't know where the white tiger is, or when the robbery is going to take place."

Conan got to his feet and paced up and down.

"And there's something else we don't know," Conan reminded him. "Remember that Black Hand gangster who'd been shot? Just before he passed out, he said 'Kashmir'."

"Kashmir?" Mitsuhiko raised an eyebrow. "What's Kashmir got to do with Bengal? They're two different places."

Conan leaned against the windowsill. "When we know that," he told him, "then we'll have cracked the mystery."
~~~

While Conan and his investigators were talking in Professor's Agasa's house, another meeting was taking place elsewhere.

High in a building that towered over the city, the mysterious man known only as The Snake had called his deputies together. The Snake sat behind a silver screen so nobody could see his face, and spoke to them through a special microphone that disguised his voice. When The Snake was talking, everybody listened carefully and nobody dared interrupt. They all knew the penalty for failure.

"I have some recent developments to share with you," he announced. "As you know, because our driver was late getting to the jail to pick up Khor, the old fool went off by himself into the city and was discovered by those young detectives. He also attracted the attention of the Black Hands. That's when all our problems started. That imbecile has now been taken care of the way he should be."

A shudder passes through the men in the room. They all knew how vicious The Snake could be.

"We have also rescued Khor from the Black Hands and put them out of action," continued The Snake. "Khor told us those young detectives had also been captured by the Black Hands and were locked up in their basement. So we don't have to worry about them anymore either. They've probably been drowned by now, or eaten by eats. As a result, we can safely get on with our plans."

Everyone nodded, relief on their faces.

"The white tiger is on board a freighter from India," explained The Snake. "The ship is called the Star of Kashmir, and it is due to arrive in the early hours of tomorrow morning. I have made certain arrangements with the captain. I will board the ship with Khor and we shall crack the lock on the cage that contains the white tiger. Before the ship docks, we shall take the white tiger to our own warehouse. In the meantime, Benny has painted one of his old Bengal tigers white. He'll bring it out to the ship and make the switch. Khor will lock it up in the cage and nobody will know the difference. Most people will just see its white coloring and think it's the real white tiger. Eventually, when the experts take delivery at the zoo, they'll notice its eyes and nose are the wrong color. By then it will be too late!"

Heads nodded.

"Unfortunately," The Snake went on with a grim smile in his distorted voice, "after Khor and Benny have made the switch, the captain of the ship will arrange for a tragic accident to take place. Khor and Benny will never be heard of again..."
~~~

Josie was puzzled. Benny had never missed a circus performance, but tonight, he had phoned in to say he was ill. One of his assistance would be working with the lions and tigers.

But Josie didn't believe a word of it. Benny was never ill.

During the show, when everyone was in the big top, Josie prowled around near his trailer. There had to be another reason why he was away. And, she thought, maybe those young investigators were right to be suspicious. Maybe something was going on...

She was watching Benny's trailer from behind a tent when she saw a man approaching. It was Maxim, one of his assistants. Maxim was a young, skinny man with a face that froze her blood. Whenever they met, he always stared at her with a sly expression.

Maxim was carrying a huge chunk of meat and Josie's curiosity was immediately aroused. Maxim looked around nervously before unlocking the door to a small trailer parked to one side. He disappeared inside for a matter of seconds. When he stepped out, he was empty-handed. He locked the door and hurried away.

Josie waited until she was alone. She crept over to the mysterious trailer and listened at the door. Strange grunting noises came from inside. She circled around until she discovered a small hatch on one side. She lifted it quietly and peered through.

It took a few moments for her eyes to focus on the darkness inside. A cage had been built in the trailer. And there, in the gloom, she could see the shape of a tiger hungrily devouring the meat. But not just any tiger, suddenly realized.

A chill rippled down her spine.

It was a white tiger.

Josie closed the hatch, her mind reeling. Now she knew something weird was happening.

Where had the white tiger come from?

And why had Benny hidden it in the trailer?

She found Genta's card in her pocket. He'd know what to do.

She ran back to her family's trailer. Her father had left his mobile phone on the shelf. She snatched it up and punched in Genta's number.

"Genta," she called out his name without the suffix when she answered, "I've got to see you. I don't care if you're busy, this is important. I've got to see you right now. I've found something you won't believe!"

[akai-kun]

YO!

Great chapter as always, keep it up~

Some points I want to mention sperately here:

1) That were a bunch of information the reader got in this chapter, could be quite confusing if there are more chapters with so much information coming up... - But great research! - Or did you know all that without using help?

2) How you write the speeches of the Detective Boys is perfect!!! Never read anything great as this!

3)

"Genta," she called out his name without the suffix when she answered, "I've got to see you.  ||||||||||  I don't care if you're busy, this is important. I've got to see you right now. I've found something you won't believe!"

- That's the only thing that I can mark out: These last sentences (without the first one, see the |||| ) are a little bit too short for me, but it's alright...

---------------

Thx for writing, I really love your fanfic!

THERE SHOULD BE MORE PEOPLE WHO READ THIS!!!!!!
PEOPLE, READ!!!!!

Waiting for the next chater~

[WBoon]

Thanks for the constructive criticisms, akai-kun. See? That wasn't so hard, so it? Keep them coming!

1) Yeah, I actually did the research myself from Wikipedia. Wasn't that hard, either.

2) Heh, I'm always worried they would sound out of character when considering what the Detective Boys would normally say.

3) Yeah, Josie's not a girl of words.

Thanks again.
~~~

Genta cut the call and turned to the others. "Josie just found something at the circus. She wants me to go over."

Ayumi looked at him curiously. "Josie? That girl you met at the circus?"

"You mean that girlfriend he met at the circus..." Mitsuhiko teased, before laughing off together with Ayumi.

"It's part of the case!" argued Genta.

"Could we trust her?" Haibara's sudden remark brought silence to the room. "I mean,  she is related to Benny."

"Look," Conan broke the silence, getting out of his seat, "I've got the answer. I'll go with Genta."

"I'll come along, too," volunteered Mitsuhiko, his answer seemingly affecting Haibara. "I don't mind seeing Josie!"

"Fine," Haibara shrugged, "guess I'll come. You boys are better off staying here... You know, just in case something else needs your attention."

"Like wha..." Conan didn't get to finish his sentence as Haibara stared him down with her trademark freezing glare. A cold sweat trickled down his forehead as he slowly get back to his seat. "I get it... heh heh..."

"I'll come, too!" declared Ayumi, smiling. "Just in case Ai-chan needs help."

Genta turned pale. He watched uneasily as the two girls got ready to leave.

"We'll call you from the circus when we see what Josie's found," Ayumi promised.

"I'm sure it's nothing important anyway," Haibara remarked as she yawned.

The door closed behind them and an awkward silence filled the room.
~~~

By the time Ayumi and Haibara reached the circus, the show had ended. Hundreds of people streamed from the field. They stood by the entrance watching.

"Where's Genta?" asked a voice.

Haibara turned to find Josie staring at her, a look of disappointment on her face.

"We've come instead," announced Ayumi. "Are you Josie?"

Josie scowled at her. "Are you his girlfriend?" she asked Ayumi bitterly.

Just as Ayumi was about to answer, Haibara cut in. "What did you find?" she asked coldly.

Josie began to walk away. "I don't think I'll tell you!"

Ayumi took her by the arm. "Josie, let's be friends. You see, we're working on a very strange case. We think Benny is involved. It's got something to do with stealing a tiger. A white tiger."

Josie froze. "But that's what I found!" she gasped.

Haibara stared at her in disbelief. "You mean, the white tiger's here at the circus?"

Josie looked around nervously. "I'll show you. But we've got to be very careful. I don't know where Benny is. He might come back at any moment."

She led the way across the circus field, keeping to the shadows. At last, they arrived at the small trailer.

"It's in there," Josie whispered. "But after I rang Genta, I found something else...

She stepped across to where a sheet of canvas covered a pile of equipment.

"Look at this..."

She lifted the corner of the canvas and showed them two empty cans and a paintbrush. The bristles were covered with what looked like white paint.

"It's dye," she explained. "They use it sometimes to paint the animals."

Haibara knelt down and examined the brush. Suddenly, she leapt up, her eyes glowing with knowledge. "Josie, you told us today that one of Benny's Bengal tigers was missing. Do you think Benny used this dye to turn it into a white tiger?"

Josie shuddered. "I think so. And that's why it's hidden in that trailer. So no one can see it!" She looked at Ayumi and Haibara. "But why would he do that?"

Haibara grabbed her chin. "I think Benny is going to switch a fake white tiger for the real white tiger."

She quickly explained the details of the case to Josie. "We think Benny is working with a criminal called The Snake."

"But where's the real white tiger?" Josie wondered.

"We don't know," Ayumi shrugged. "But if we follow Benny with the painted tiger, we'll find out."

The sound of voices sent them diving into the shadows. Maxim and another man approached the trailer.

"You can bring the truck round," Maxim ordered. "Everything's ready. We've got to get the tiger down to the dock."

Ayumi screamed. Something hard and cold had pressed into her neck.

"Hold it right there," snapped a voice.

Josie jumped to her feet. "Benny!" she cried in alarm as the two men rush towards her.

"Get lost, Josie," Benny told her, his gun trained on Ayumi and Haibara. "I'll handle this. I don't like people trying to steal my tigers."

Josie took one look at the gun and ran for her life. Haibara glanced at the helpless Ayumi calmly as Benny snatched away her mobile phone.

"You girls have given me enough trouble," Benny snarled. "From now on, I'm not taking any chances. You're coming with us." He hauled them to their feet, a triumphant look on his cruel face. He fingered the ring in his ear. "You've interfered for the last time!"

Then, he yelled at Maxim and the other man. "You fools! I warned you about people snooping around. Just as well I was here. I thought I heard someone talking." He waved his gun at the girls. "I don't want any more mistakes! Put them into the truck with the tiger. And if they try to escape, shoot them!"

But none of them had noticed another figure crouched in the shadows. Nifty, his arm bandaged, rose stiffly to his feet and melted into the night. The Black Hands would be very interested to hear what he had to report.
~~~

Mitsuhiko prowled up and down restlessly. "We've got to find out where Kashmir fits into all this," he challenged the others.

"It's a place, isn't it?" Genta asked.

"Yeah," Conan answered. "In the North of India."

"Maybe it's where the tiger is coming from," Mitsuhiko wondered. "Or where they're taking it after they steal it."

Conan rubbed his chin. "Or maybe it's where the robbery will take place - that's why the gunman talked about it."

"If that's true," said Genta, "then Kashmir has to be something or somewhere right here! Like Kashmir Street... or a building called Kashmir... something like that."

Conan flipped through the telephone book while Mitsuhiko borrowed Professor Agasa's street directory.

"Nothing," Conan groaned, scratching his head in frustration.

"There's a Kashmir restaurant," Mitsuhiko discovered. "But you wouldn't take a tiger there, would you?"

Suddenly, Conan leapt across the room to the professor's computer. He threw his fingers over the keyboard and started typing away.

As the others watched in confusion, he explained: "When my dad took me to Hawaii when I was younger, I swear I saw a transportation of some sort with the name, Kashmir across it. I don't think there's an airline called Kashmir, but there might just be a ship with that name!"

"Younger?" Genta inquired. "How young were you then, Conan?"

Conan kept silent, grinning at Genta nervously.

A moment later, he gave a triumphant yell. "That's it! There's a Princess of Kashmir... and a Star of Kashmir..."

Mitsuhiko studied the information and his face fell. "The Princess of Kashmir sailed last week..."

But Conan remained grinning. "Yeah, but the Star of Kashmir is arriving tomorrow morning at dawn."

Genta slapped Conan on the back, to which he expressed an expression of agony. "That's it! The white tiger must be on that ship!"

Conan picked up his mobile phone. "I'll call Ayumi and tell her."

He punched in her number, but there was no reply. Her phone was switched off.

Mitsuhiko wrote down all the details while Conan considered a plan.

"We've got to be there when she docks," he said. "I'll bet we'll see Khor and The Snake." He stood up and headed for the door. "We should get there first. Let's stake out the dock now, before anyone else arrives. I want to stop anyone from stealing the white tiger!"

They rushed to follow him.

It was only in the taxi that Genta realized his mobile phone was still back in Agasa's house...
~~~

Josie had circled around behind the big top and doubled back. She was just in time to see a truck drive up to the small trailer. Benny led the white-painted tiger up a ramp into the back of the truck. Maxim and the other man dragged Ayumi and Haibara after him. When the truck drove away, Josie hurried across to her family's trailer and borrowed her father's mobile phone. She had to tell Genta what had happened to the girls. She didn't know where they were going except Maxim had mentioned a dock.

But what dock and where? Somewhere down at the harbor maybe?

But, when she tried to call Genta, nobody picked up the call. She rang again and again.

Nothing.

There was only one thing she could do and she punched in another number.

"Police emergency," replied a voice.

"I want to tell someone about two girls being kidnapped," she blurted out. "There's a man called Benny at the circus. He's taking them to a dock. It's got something to do with a white tiger. Kojima Genta and Edogawa Conan know about it."

The officer taking the call put his hand over the phone. "Some girl on the line with a story about white tigers," he scowled.

The officer beside him rolled his eyes. "Crazy, some of these people."

"She said something about someone called Edogawa Conan," the officer taking the call added.

His companion looked up sharply. "Hey, isn't that kid that Sleeping Kogorou's disciple or something? You'd better put the call through to Megure-keibu..."

[WBoon]

Conan led the way onto the deck. It was deserted. the harbor sparkled with the lights of a hundred ships. The three made themselves comfortable on a pile of sacks by the side of a warehouse. Mitsuhiko switched on the light on his flashlight wristwatch, checking the time.

"It's just after midnight," he whispered.

"Nobody's here," Genta yawned.

"Not yet," cautioned Conan. "But they will be."

Mitsuhiko stared along the empty dockside. "I wish we knew what Haibara and Ayumi were doing..."
~~~

Moonlight glinted on the large ring in Benny's ear. The truck had been parked behind another warehouse. He and Maxim brought the girls down to the furthest end of the dock, and they stood in the shadow of a massive crane. Concrete steps led down to the water where a powerful fishing boat was moored. A small dinghy bobbed behind it in the early morning tide. Benny held the gun steady while his cruel eyes scanned the horizon.

"The Star of Kashmir should be here at dawn," he told Maxim.

Ayumi and Haibara shared a quick glance.

"So that's what Kashmir meant," Haibara whispered. "It's a ship. If only we could tell the others."

"You won't be telling anybody anything," Benny growled, lifting her chin with the tip of the gun. The metal was icy against her skin. "You've got a little boat ride coming up."

"Where are you taking us?" Ayumi asked nervously.

"You wanted to see the white tiger," Benny sneered. "Well, soon you will!"
~~~

Dawn seeped into the sky. The rumble of an engine brought Conan to his feet. A sleek motor launch approached the dock a few meters from where they were hiding.

"The Snake!" Conan quietly warned the others. "He's here!"

They edged forward for a better view as a man leapt up onto the dock and stood looking out across the ruffled waters of the harbor. A smudge moved on the horizon, slowly becoming the squat outline of a small freighter nosing into port.

"The Star of Kashmir!" breathed Genta.

Suddenly, a light flashed from the freighter. Once. Twice. The man on the dock held up a lamp and replied with two flashes, before clambering back onto the launch.

Conan crept from cover and crossed the deck. Mitsuhiko and Genta followed. They peered over the edge and watched the crew preparing to cast off their lines.

And that was when everything went wrong.

"Good morning, Edogawa Conan," said a smooth, sinister voice. "Stand up slowly and keep your hands above your heads."

The detectives did as they were told. They turned to face two men. One had a green reptile-skin mask stretched over his face. His finger tightened around the trigger of a gun.

The other was Khor.

"You traitor!" Genta accused him furiously. "You asked for our help and now look what you've done!"

Khor shifted uneasily. "Look, there's nothing personal. You just kept getting in the way. I didn't know what to do with you."

Conan confronted The Snake. "We know the white tiger is on board the Star of Kashmir," he said, his cold eyes remained staring at the scaly mask, his expression unchanged. "But where's Benny?"

The Snake's green reptile mask twitched. "You're quite a good tantei*, Conan-kun. Too good, in fact. What a shame you won't live to develop your talent." He motioned with the gun. "Get down onto the launch."

An armed crewman pushed them into the stern. The Snake and Khor took their places in the wheelhouse. When everything was ready, the lines were cast off and the engine roared into life. The launch carved through the swell and out into the harbor towards the approaching ship.
~~~

From the opposite end of the dork, Benny saw the signal from the Star of Kashmir. He watched as The Snake's launch pulled out a few minutes later and headed towards the ship.

"Everything's going according to plan, the The Snake's on his way," he told Maxim. "Let's get the tiger on board!"

Maxim disappeared, returning with some tough-looking men. The painted tiger was trussed up in a net, and suspended from the arm of a mobile crane. It snarled angrily and Maxim's whip lashed its flanks. Ayumi and Haibara watched in horror as the huge beast was lowered into the hold of the fishing boat.

"Put the girls into the dinghy," Benny ordered Maxim. "When we've finished, you can feed them to the sharks along with The Snake and Khor."

Ayumi gasped. "You're going to double-cross The Snake!" she exclaimed in a rebellious tone.

Benny shot her a smug look. "Yes, not that you can do anything about it."

"But we can," said a voice. "Drop your gun, Benny."

Benny whipped around as a small army of men in black emerged from the shadows behind him. His gun cluttered to the ground.

Cold sweat trickled across Haibara's forehead like rushing waters.

"The Black Hands," Ayumi told her.

The hooded man, followed by Nifty, stepped forward. "We'll take over from here, Benny," he announced.

Sweat broke out on Benny's face as well. "Hey, we can do a deal," he pleaded. "I'll cut you in on the profits."

The gun rose. "You're in no position to make deals, Benny." The hooded man barked an order. Benny and his men were led away. "Now, let's get out to that ship!" he snapped.

The Black Hands pulled on masked and boarded the fishing boat. One man tied up Haibara and pushed her into the dinghy. Then, Ayumi was forced into the small boat with Haibara, where she was bound hand and foot.

The hooded man gave them a final wave.

"Enjoy your trip, girls," he called. "It's going to be your last."
~~~

When the launch drew near to the ship, Conan saw a hatch had been opened in the side and a metal ladder lowered to the water. A uniformed figure stood in the opening. The launch throttled back and nosed in against the ship's hull. As soon as it was tied to the ladder, The Snake climbed up quickly. He passed a package to the waiting officer.

"Thank you, captain," he murmured. "It's a pleasure to do business with you."

The captain saluted. "Everything is ready, sir," he beamed.

Khor climbed up the ladder next and the armed crewman motioned Conan and the others to follow. They were escorted along a passage that stank of oil and old cooking odors. Their footsteps rang out on the metal deck. Water slapped against the hull.

The captain swung open a heavy door and stood aside. They entered the gloomy hold. Crates were stacked everywhere, and in one corner, a cage had been lashed to the deck.

The silence was shattered by a fierce snarl. The white tiger paced behind the bars, its blue eyes suddenly alert and suspicious, its pink nose twitching as it recognized the smell of human enemies. Such men as these had laid their traps in the swamp where once it had roamed free. Now, every instinct warned it not to trust the creatures that were moving closer. Muscles rippled beneath its creamy white fur. Its chocolate colored stripes flexed with anger and hatred.

"Quite a specimen," observed The Snake. "Its skin alone will more than double my profits on this venture."

As though it had heard and understood, the tiger gave an ear-splitting roar and hurled itself against the sturdy bars of its cage.

Khor jumped back. "I'm not going near that thing!" he whined.

"Patience, Khor..." The Snake reached into his pocket and pulled out a small gun. "Let's see if we can quieten it down for you."

The gun spat a tranquilizer dart into the tiger's flanks. It roared with surprise and pain, and then sagged against the bars. Its eyes began to close.

The Snake pushed Khor towards the cage door. "Now you can get to work, and be quick about it."

Khor nervously approached the lock, but th tiger ignored him. Special metal seals had been attached to show whether anyone had tampered with it. Khor expertly unpeeled them, then his fingers deftly worked on the lock. He put his ear to it and the click of the tumblers echoed softly in the hold.

At last, the lock popped open and Khor stepped back. The Snake produced a metal leash and entered the cage, dragging Conan with him. He secured the chain around the tiger's neck and gave the other end to Conan.

"You were so keen to see the white tiger, Conan-kun, perhaps you'd like to bring it to the boat," he said.

Beads of icy perspiration aligned Conan's sideburns. He tugged on the leash and the drowsy tiger struggled to its feet, its huge paws padding along the metal floor. Mitsuhiko and Genta followed, the armed crewman behind them.

"Stay here, Khor," The Snake instructed. "Benny should be along very soon."

Conan pulled the massive beast along the passage to where the captain was waiting. They stopped by the open hatchway. A harness had been rigged to lower the animal into the launch.

Suddenly, without warning, Conan pushed the tiger forward. Its paws slipped on the deck and it plunged over the side. Conan dived in after it.

Men were shooting on the launch. Shots blasted into the water.

"Don't shoot!" yelled The Snake. "You might hit the tiger!" He spun round and stared at the two remaining detectives angrily. "That foolish friend of yours! The tiger will drown!"

"Don't you know?" Mitsuhiko asked with a smirk. "White tigers are expert swimmers."

"And so's Conan-kun," Genta added. "He told us he once swam out from a collapsed building before!"

The Snake screamed at the men in the launch. "Get after them! Don't let them get away!"

Genta tapped him on the shoulder. "Er, sorry to interrupt, oji-san**, but don't you think it's a little too late for that?" he asked politely, and pointed to where a police helicopter was skimming low over the waves towards them.
~~~

Translations return!
* Detective... like you don't know.
** Uncle

[WBoon]

The icy water seemed to revive the white tiger. Its powerful body pushed through the current. Conan swam alongside it effortlessly, constantly watching out for sharks. Maybe the huge beast would keep them away, he hoped.

He glanced at the tiger's majestic head.

"You're doing well," he told it. "I hope it's not too cold for you."

The tiger turned and its eyes regarded him without expression.

"You are a good swimmer," he commented. "But you're not very good at climbing and running. Weird."

The tiger's ears twitched and its eyes blinked. a low growl sounded from its throat.

Even for Conan, it was enough to startle him a little. "Sorry, I didn't mean to insult you." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, grinning at the beast. "I'm lousy at climbing, too, and Mitsuhiko is a much better runner... when compared to my current size, that is, sigh."

The tiger's mouth curled back to reveal its razor sharp fangs. Conan shuddered with fear. Then, the tiger sneezed.

A shape loomed up in the heavy swell. It was a fishing boat, towing a small dinghy.

"Over here!" he called. "We need help! Call the police!"

But, when the fishing boat drew alongside, he sensed something was wrong. A man in a hood looked over the rail. He knew at once it was the Black Hand leader.

"Looks like you've saved me a trip," he observed.

The tiger's head rose and its mighty jaws opened. Its huge fangs caught the first rays of the sun as it let out an angry roar. Nifty and other Black Hands appeared at the rail. They tossed a net over the side, as Conan helplessly watched the tiger gets captured. He tried and tear at the net with his hands, but it was to no avail. Then, the arm of a crane swung out from the boat, preparing to lift the beast out of the water.

"Conan-kun!" shouted a familiar voice. "We're over here!"

Conan looked round. Right beside Haibara, Ayumi was frantically waving to him from the dinghy that trailed behind the boat. He nudged the tiger and began to swim towards the dinghy. The white tiger growled and followed. The wind had stiffened, and waves broke over their heads.

Conan clung to the dingy, the tiger paddling beside him.

"Benny was going to double-cross The Snake," Haibara called down. "Then the Black Hands took over."

Ayumi peered over the edge. Her eyes widened. "Is that really the white tiger?" she asked.

The tiger looked up at her with a bleak expression. Then, it sneezed again. The hooded man was in the stern of the fishing boat, a machine gun trained on the dinghy.

Suddenly, he was caught in the beam of a spotlight. Two police boats churned the water. "Put down your weapons!" commanded a voice. "You are surrounded! Put down your weapons NOW!"
~~~

The Snake stared at the circling helicopter. He shouted an order and climbed down into his launch. He stopped halfway and looked back at Mitsuhiko.

"I'll remember you, Shonen Tantei Dan*," he called. "Next time we meet, it won't be so pleasant for you kids."

And then he was gone. The launch sped away from the ship and was lost in a curtain of spray.
~~~

Inspector Megure paced the dock, his face jubilant. A swarm of police had rounded up the Black Hands and Benny's men. They were marched off to a fleet of vans.

"What a haul," he beamed. "Not a bad morning's work."

"But it's a shame The Snake got away," said Conan. "I'd more than like to see him behind bars, too."

"So would I," agreed the Inspector. "But there'll always be a next time."

They watched as Khor was bundled into a prison van and driven away.

"I really thought he was our friend," said Genta. "Why did he become a criminal again?"

Megure nodded. "I know what you mean, Genta-kun. A lot of convicts do change their lives and turn their backs on crime. But we must remember that Khor's an old man. I guess he thought he had one last chance to make his fortune."

Men in white overalls led the two tigers away to the zoo. Conan ran over to the white tiger and patted his head.

"Goodbye, boy," he said.

The huge beast bared its fangs and gave him a loud, throaty purr.

Mitsuhiko turned to Inspector Megure. "There's one thing I don't understand," he said. "How did you know where to find us?"

Inspector Megure broke into a grin. "You've got someone special to thank for that... someone who phoned me about Benny and the fake white tiger, and told me you were in trouble."

He beckoned and Josie walked out onto the dock.

"The circus is leaving town tomorrow," she told them. "I just wanted to say goodbye."

Everyone crowded around her. Genta shook her hand, but Haibara smiled at her and was the one who said it first.

"Thanks, Josie**."

Mitsuhiko took Ayumi aside. He looked puzzled. "I thought Haibara didn't really like Josie," he whispered.

Ayumi arched an eyebrow. "It's girl stuff, Mitsuhiko-kun," she told him. "It's girl stuff."
~~~

Translations and interpretations
* Junior Detective Club
** She wasn't using a suffix, thus expressing a more casual form of greeting
~~~

END

Coming soon!
Detective Boys: The Case of the Missing Movie!

[akai-kun]

I saw the new chapter, but it was soooo long, so I decided to read it the next day...
And as I looked into the thread here the next day, I see two more new chapters!
'A long time for me to read' was my first thought and then I began to read...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Again, the three new chapters are truly awesome!


And some points also here:

1) You've got one little little little fault in chapter 15:

Khor nervously approached the lock, but th*e* tiger ignored him.

The 'e' in 'the' is missing (see the *e*). - But no other fault in this sort...

2) There's one little thing that I think of as not perfect, but no big deal: In the last chapter, there's a scene where Conan confronts TheSnake with his detective skills (that he know about the white tiger and this stuff)... - That was the niveau of the detective boys (for me), not of Conan, but if you see the whole story, it's okay.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And you wrote a great ending! "It's girl's stuff." That was funny~ 
--> AWESOME STORY!!


Waiting for your next fanfic~

[WBoon]

Thanks, akai-kun. I get what you mean about Conan's confrontation with The Snake (that's in Chapter 15, by the way, not 'the last chapter ). But, I really wanted a part of the story where someone recognizes Conan's intelligence/sleuthing skills, so... yeah, it was forced, but I'll try and improve on that next time.

Till next time,

~ WBoon

[The Stray]

Great Story I would have replied earlier, but I wasn't a member then. You are a great author, if want more people to read your stories get the word about them out, and also here is a site I subject you take a look at and it is http://www.fanfiction.net.

[Sakina]

Hm, interesting story.  It's a very creative idea.  I don't think I've ever seen a Conan mystery (or any other mystery story) use tigers as the thing being smuggled.  I enjoyed reading it.

I just have a few comments... I swear it's just creative criticism.  I would love you see to improve your writing and write more and better stories.
Conan's not exactly in character.  Canon Conan is much more aware of the danger of cases and does what he can to keep the Detective Boys away from it.  Also, your random Japanese words are a bit on the unnecessary side.  Perhaps it's just me, but I am of the opinion that Japanese words in English fanfiction should not be used unless necessary.  If you simply must use Japanese, at the very least be consistent.  The use of suffixes for example.  Sometimes you use them, sometimes you don't.  If you want to use suffixes in your writing, you should watch a few DC episodes and figure out who calls who what.

Spoiler:

For example, Conan calls Haibara, 'Haibara', while Ayumi calls her 'Ai-chan'.  Mitsuhiko and Genta both refer to her as 'Haibara-san'.  Heiji calls her 'neechan' and Agasa calls her 'Ai-kun'. 
Also, your lack of suffix between Haibara and Josie at the end... I don't speak fluent Japanese so correct me if I'm wrong, but does that not mean that the two are close?  I don't think it's just a casual way of speaking, it's only used if you are really good friends with someone?  Ran and Shinichi don't use suffixes, Ran and Sonoko don't use suffixes, nor do Heiji and Kazuha or Kaito and Aoko.  Genta does not use a suffix with Conan's name because he feels he is superior to Conan (he's leader of the Detective Boys after all) and because he's a rude little bugger.
/random suffix lesson

It was the random Japanese that bugged me the most.  Yes, we know they're in Japan.  You don't need to emphasize it.  And I don't mean to tell you not to use suffixes, just be consistent with them.  Decide whether you want to use them or not and do the proper research if you decide to use them. 

Hope to see more soon!  <3

[WBoon]

Thanks for the reply - both of you.

Yeah, it gets awfully difficult to keep the canon characters in-character in this kind of writing - fan fiction, to be specific. They are not my characters, and I am only writing about them out of casual fun, not some serious Shakespearean novel soon-to-be-published in major bookstores everywhere. (lol)

As for Conan being slightly of a douche - and not preventing the Detective Boys from interfering with the case - in this story... well, that was kinda me trying to develop his character a little bit. He's been called a deux ex for obvious reasons, Conan, it's about time some of his flaws are exposed, fully. The latter, the allowance of the Detective Boys in interfering with the case... yeah, I think I might need to recheck that aspect. That was more of me desperately having the need for them to be involved in the case in some way rather than my play with the characters' personalities.

As for the Japanese suffixes... yeah, they were just there for my own entertainment. I would had wrote the entire thing in Japanese if I know the language - well. <_< I will stop using them in any of my future Conan stories from now on - if I get the time to work on any, that is.

~ WBoon

[JBHKhoo98]

Nice work! I wonder what the next one will be like - The missing Movie!!???