AN: Oh hello, back again with an update of this! Halloween is fast approaching- who else is looking forward to it? Because I sure am! It's a crap shoot as to whether or not we get any trick or treaters this year though. We got some last year after a super long dry spell so here's hoping!

As always, thanks for reading, and leave a review if you could be so kind! Until next time!

Devils Bleed Black

Chapter Thirteen

Home Sweet Home

"...on second thought, Kudo, why don't we try leavin' the station from the other way?"

There was no need for a detective to decipher what Heiji's sudden change of opinion was about, not with that panicked expression on his face. Even without Kazuha grabbing him by the arm, giving him a firm glower, he could pretty much figure out that he'd spotted someone that he didn't want to see right now.

"Your mother's waiting for us, isn't she?" Shinichi asked, trying to pick out where exactly she was in the crowded station. He'd never seen her before, so he no idea what she looked like- and Heiji hadn't shown him any pictures either. He couldn't see anyone that fit the bill- but it was possible that Heiji was capable of sensing his own mother far better than he would be.

"She sure is." Kazuha chimed in, heaving a long sigh. "Geez, ya were the one who was actin' all confident yesterday. Don't try an' back out of it now, Heiji!"

"But, Kazuha-!" Heiji protested, before heaving a long sigh, his shoulders slumping. "Fine, fine, I get it. At least maybe with three other people around, she might not try an' skin me alive."

That last part Shinichi determined was something he'd meant to say much quieter than he actually had- and briefly, he had to wonder just how scary this Hattori Shizuka was. Someone that was married to Hattori Heizo, and a devil on top of that... maybe bringing Ran here with him hadn't really been the best idea?

She, at least, didn't look that perturbed.

"I'm sure it'll be fine, Hattori-kun." Ran reassured him, giving him a smile. "We even brought presents with us. You said your mother would like them, right?"

"Yeah." Glancing over towards Ran, Heiji gave her an awkward grin. "She loves that brand of chocolates."

"Ya don't have ta be that worried." Kazuha chimed in. "Auntie Shizuka's really nice! It's just that a certain someone here thought the best way ta tell her he'd blown his secret to an exorcist was ta send her a mail, an' then switch off his phone till now."

"...no wonder she's mad, then." Shinichi muttered, arching a brow. "Though I'm a bit embarrassed to admit, I'm having a tough time finding in her in the crowd. She must be quite good at concealing her aura."

"Yeah, she's an expert at that." Heiji muttered, rubbing the back of his neck, before seemingly resolving himself to his fate. "Might as well get it over with. Come on, I'll introduce ya."

Waving a hand, Heiji shrugged off Kazuha's arm, and walked somewhat stiffly ahead. Exchanging a glance with Ran, Shinichi fell into step behind him, adjusting the strap on his luggage. In truth, he was a bit nervous about meeting the woman himself- he had no idea at all what to expect from her.

A devil who had fallen in love with a human, and had committed a taboo by having a child with him- that was about all he knew about Heiji's mother at this point. Aside from her favorite brand of chocolates, that was.

"Ah, Auntie Shizuka!" Kazuha was the one who called out first, waving a hand, the bright smile on her face the total opposite of Heiji's does not want to be here expression. "Over here, over here!"

Now that they were a bit closer, he could finally pick up on what he assumed Heiji had- the faint trace of devil's aura. Just as he said, she was quite good at concealing it- but there was also the added fact that out of the crowd, the composed traditional looking woman would have probably been one of his last picks for being a devil.

Or for being Heiji's mother, for that matter. He guessed the skin color must have come from his father's side of the family.

"Oh, Kazuha-chan." For all the world, she looked quite pleased to see all of them- before her gaze fell on Heiji, and Shinichi could make out what he knew to be a we're going to talk after this type of expression in her eyes. Judging from the way Heiji flinched, it would seem that the message had been well delivered.

"Y-ya didn't need ta come out all this way just ta pick us up, mom." Heiji spoke, doing his damnedest to look anywhere other than in his mother's direction. "It's not like I don't know the way home or anythin' like that."

"No, no, not when you're bringing such important guests over, Heiji." As expected of a devil, Shinichi found himself thinking in spite of himself- she gave no hints as to what she was really thinking. He could more or less make a few guesses, though. "I knew that I had to come here and greet them personally myself."

"Ya could have just done that at-!"

He didn't get to finish that sentence, cut off by his mother's calm gaze. Shinichi got chills just looking at it, even though it wasn't directed at him at all.

"Now then," finally turning to actually address him, Hattori Shizuka gave them a polite bow, that cold aura having seemingly vanished, "...I am Heiji's mother, Hattori Shizuka. I must thank you so much for looking after my son for the last few days, Kudo-san."

"Ah, no." Shinichi said, shaking his head. "It was no trouble at all, really. Your son is quite clever."

"He is that." Shizuka noted, for a moment, almost seeming to glow at the praise. "Though sometimes he can overestimate his own abilities."

"Ah..." Trailing off, it wasn't hard to guess what she was trying to get at. "Still, he's been of great help during out investigation. You must be quite proud of him."

"That I am." Shizuka freely admitted, before turning her gaze on Ran. He could feel her stiffen slightly by his side, something which he could tell that the woman had noticed, but otherwise acted as if she hadn't. "You must be his wife. Kudo Ran, was it? Kazuha-chan has talked about you before, so I remember."

"Ah yes, that's me." Nodding her head, Ran gave her somewhat of a nervous smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Shizuka-san. Ah," reaching into her purse, she quickly produced the box of chocolates, holding it out towards her, "...these are a gift, in thanks for allowing us to stay at your residence!"

"Oh, chocolates, is it?" Shizuka noted, accepting them from her with a smile. "Thank you very much. I will gratefully accept them, then. I hope the trip here was no trouble."

"No, no trouble at all." Ran said, shaking her head, seeming to grow a bit more at ease. "I only just hope we're not imposing."

"Not at all." Shizuka told her, shaking her head. "Though I do wish that Heiji had given me a little bit more notice that we would be having guests over. I didn't have nearly enough time to properly clean the house, so I must apologize in advance for that."

"I told ya yesterday, didn't I?" Heiji asked.

"Yes, you did." Shizuka noted. "In a text message, in the middle of the night."

"...w-well, it's fine, ain't it?" Averting his eyes from his mother again, Heiji tried not to sink under her gaze. "It's not like ya let the place get that dirty ta begin with anyways."

"Then, Auntie Shizuka," Kazuha chimed in, pushing Heiji a bit forward, "...why don't we head back? I'm sure Ran-chan an' Kudo-kun would like ta put their luggage down, an' there's all kinds of things that I'd like ta show Ran-chan while she's here in Osaka!"

"Ah, you're right." Nodding her head, Shizuka gave them another polite smile. "Then, allow me to guide the way. I do hope you enjoy your stay here, in spite of the circumstances that brought you to our city."

"Don't worry, I'm sure we will." Shinichi reassured her, not missing the barbed undercurrent of her words. He got the feeling that she would be watching him very closely, likely in order to determine what his true intentions towards her son were. He'd expected it, but this might actually be a bit harder than he had thought it would be.

Though, in that sense, there was almost no difference between her and a normal mother. His would probably do the same, just far more brazenly.

Speaking of his own mother... well, it would probably be for the best that he kept this information from her. He trusted her, but the guild had ears, and the less this information was spread around, the better.

He didn't want to give his mother an actual reason to resent him.

The first thing that struck him was that the Hattori residence was much larger than he'd thought it would be.

The second thing he noticed was that the entire place- not only just the house, but the grounds as well- were covered by a powerful barrier. It was one that both Heiji and his mother passed through with ease, but crackled a little as he stepped through, as if the person who had cast it did not entirely want to allow him entrance into their domain.

Was this the product of Shizuka's power? Haibara had mentioned something about her being a powerful devil, and he couldn't help but regret not asking her for more details. One thing was clear- being able to make a barrier this strong, that Hattori Shizuka was no ordinary devil.

"You noticed it, didn't you?" Shizuka asked, and Shinichi started, realizing she was addressing him. "I'm sure you must understand why we can't have just anyone enter our home, Kudo-san."

"Ah, yes, of course." Shinichi said, nodding his head. Now that he was inside, he could sense faint traces of a second barrier in place- the kind that would turn even the most straightforward of houses into a confusing labyrinth. If he wasn't careful, he might get caught up in it, and wind up wandering the halls forever.

"Don't worry." Shizuka told him, a smile that bespoke of a warning on her face. "It shouldn't trouble you or your wife during your stay. You are our guests, after all."

Reading between the lines, Shinichi gathered that this was subject to change- namely, if he proved himself to be someone who was a danger to her son. She was truly protective of him, he thought, though given the report that he had read, he couldn't say that he didn't understand.

She might have married a human, and she might live alongside them, but to Shizuka, exorcists were very much still the enemy.

"Ya don't need ta scare him like that, mom." Heiji spoke up. "Kudo's fine."

"If you say so, Heiji." Shizuka said simply, her gaze lingering on him for a moment longer. "Speaking of which, I'd like to speak to you. In private."

"...I'm in trouble, aren't I?" Heiji asked.

"Very much so." Shizuka told him frankly.

Letting out a long sigh, Heiji's shoulders slumped. "I thought so. Sorry, Kudo. Looks like it's gonna take awhile before we can head out ta look into the case. Ya can get started without me if ya wanna."

"It's fine, Hattori." Shinichi told him. "I need to put my luggage away anyways, so take your time."

"Then do ya want me ta show 'em ta their room, Auntie Shizuka?" Kazuha asked. "Will the usual guest room be fine?"

"Yes, that would be lovely, Kazuha-chan." With a soft smile, Shizuka reached out to lightly pet the girl's head. "Thank you."

"No, no, don't worry about it!" Kazuha told her, before glancing behind her. "I'll lead the way. It's pretty easy ta get lost in this place if yer not careful, so remember the way I lead ya!"

"You heard her, Ran." Shinichi remarked, glancing down at his wife.

"Yes, yes, I know full well that my sense of direction leaves much to be desired, Shinichi, you don't have to remind me." Ran replied, shooting her husband something of a dirty look. "Lead the way, Kazuha-chan."

"Okay." Nodding her head, Kazuha spared her friend a sympathetic glance. "Then, I'll see ya later, Heiji. I'll take Ran-chan around sightseein' after this, so the two of ya can investigate ta yer heart's content."

"Got it." Nodding his head, Heiji watched her head down the hallway, married couple in tow, with a faint smile. It was only once they were out of sight that he felt a chill run down the length of his spine, and he slowly turned on his heel to face his mother.

...as he thought, she was super angry at him.

"...I take it the old man isn't in?" Heiji slowly asked, a bead of cold sweat trickling down the back of his neck.

"He's at work." Shizuka told him, her tone stern. "He won't be back until the evening. Though I'm quite sure he has things that wants to speak with you about as well, Heiji."

"...I guess he would." Rubbing the back of his neck, Heiji felt his shoulders slump. "Look mom, I'm sorry. I know I promised ya that I would keep it all under wraps, but things happened, an'-"

"Things happened?" Shizuka asked, before letting out a short sigh. Turning on her heel, she didn't even have to ask him to follow her- she knew that he would fall into step behind her. "You made a promise."

"Ya should know I'm bad at keepin' 'em." Heiji half tried to joke. "Besides, Kudo's-"

"...different?" Shizuka finished for him. "Yes, I can see that much. However," coming to a halt in what seemed to be nothing more than an empty stretch of hallway, she rapped her knuckles against the wall, the outline of a door that hadn't been there before appearing as a response, "...an exorcist is still an exorcist."

"Kazuha an' her mother are priestesses." Heiji pointed out, even as he followed behind his mother, the door through which they entered vanishing behind them as it closed. "What makes them okay, but Kudo not?"

"I've known Toyama-san forever." Shizuka told him firmly. "As has your father. I know nothing about this Kudo Shinichi."

"Ya should give him a chance." Heiji told her. "He doesn't treat me any different, now that he knows. Neechan- his wife- too."

Letting out a long breath, Shizuka allowed her human guise to slip away, feeling comfortable doing so only now that she was out of the exorcist's reach. In truth, she had half a mind to ask that he find other accommodations, but as much as she didn't like the idea, she still more or less believed in her son's judgement of character.

Which wasn't to say that he couldn't be tricked. Half of his blood was human, after all- a race who to her still somewhat seemed as if they were made to be deceived.

By devils and fellow humans alike.

"I'll be the one to determine that." Shizuka told him, her tone brokering no arguments. "Has he seen you?"

Sensing what she meant, Heiji let out a short sigh, golden eyes taking the place of blue, a faint rustle of clothing as his tail slipped out. "Yeah, he has. My blood too."

"How are your wounds, incidentally?" Shizuka asked, taking a step forward. Without being asked, Heiji lifted up his arm, allowing his mother to pull up the sleeve of his shirt. Carefully unwinding the bandages, her lips pursed together as she saw that his skin was still scarred from the exorcist's chains.

He healed faster than humans, but not fast or well enough for her taste. A devil shouldn't scar as he did.

"It's no big deal." Heiji reassured her, a quick grin on his face. "It only just grazed me. He didn't see my face either."

"Will he be involving himself in this investigation further?" Shizuka asked, carefully twining his bandages back in place. "This Hakuba Saguru?"

"Probably." Heiji told her. "Kudo said he'll try an' limit contact with him as much as possible, but since he already knows that I'm lookin' into the case, an' that Kudo's workin' with a devil on it, that might only make things more suspicious. I'll try an' avoid him, though."

"Good." Shizuka said, giving a firm nod of her head. "I don't care for him."

"Because of his blood?" Heiji asked.

"No, because of his attitude." Shizuka said simply, tugging back down her son's sleeve, giving his shoulder a soft pat. "You don't have to worry about that woman, if that's what you're saying, Heiji. Unlike some devils, I happen to understand the meaning of self control."

Though she had to be honest- the woman's blood was rather pleasing to her. But since Heiji and Kazuha alike seemed so fond of her, she really had no interest in bringing any kind of harm to her.

"Besides, she's my guest." Shizuka stated simply, taking a step back. "And I do intend to be a proper hostess."

"Glad ta hear it." Heiji said, the tip of his tail twitching. "The chocolates were my idea, by the way."

"Oh, trying to appease me?" Shizuka asked- and for a moment, Heiji couldn't tell if his mother was joking or not. "I'll trust your judgement for the time being, Heiji, but if I sense that he intends to hurt you, or turn you over to his guild, I won't have any mercy."

There was a long pause there, a silence that hung in the room. He knew full well that if given the chance, his mother would have likely wiped the exorcists that had tried to seal him from the world- in the end, there were simply some differences between humans and devils that could never be gaped.

The only thing that had stopped her from going after them was the fact that consoling him- or trying to- had been her tantamount priority. He'd pushed her away then- and he knew that it was a fact that still stung her, years later.

He still regretted it too.

"...I understand." Heiji said finally. "But I don't think he'll give ya any reason ta worry. He kept that Hakuba from chasin' after me, after all."

"I haven't forgotten." Shizuka said simply. "Please do remember to be careful, Heiji. Not just because of Kudo-san, but because of the devils you're dealing with as well. If they brought up your heritage..."

"I know." The bright smile on his face was somewhat forced, but he kept it up anyways. "I'll be careful. I promise."

"Do you actually intend on keeping this one?" Shizuka asked, skepticism clear in her voice.

"...well, I'll try."

Heaving a short sigh, Shizuka accepted that. Promises, after all, were not exactly a devil's forte.

"Did you finish talking things over with your mother?"

"Yeah." Nodding his head, Heiji muttered something about creaky floors underneath his breath, before he glanced around the room. "Did Kazuha already leave with Neechan?"

"Just a bit ago." Turning back to look at the high school detective, Shinichi gave him a small smile. "How'd it go?"

"Fine, fine." Waving a hand, clearly not wanting to get into more depth, Heiji entered the room. "So? How's the room?"

"It should do just fine. I'll have to thank your mother again when I get a chance to speak with her next." Shinichi said. "Is she still around?"

"Nah, she left ta get some groceries fer dinner." Heiji told him, shaking his head. "Don't worry, I'm sure she'll stick ta makin' human food while the two of ya are stayin' over."

Judging from the vaguely traumatized look in his eyes, Shinichi felt it was better not to question what he meant by that too much. Instead he nodded his head, taking a moment to grab his wallet. "So? Did you want to head on? I assume you want to try and speak to those girls again."

"Yeah, somethin' like that." Heiji told him. "There's a chance that one of 'em might have remembered somethin' since then. Besides, I kind of want ta check up on their condition."

"Fair enough." He hadn't heard any news coming out of Osaka about people mysteriously collapsing yet, but he could understand the worry. "By the way, I never did ask- what exactly were you doing the first time we met, Hattori?"

"Ah, that?" Heiji asked, rubbing the back of his neck, almost a bit embarrassed about it being brought up after so long. "I thought that if I could force one of those gremlins out of 'em, that I could make it spill. Kazuha an' I thought we had it trapped, but it ended up slippin' away from us, so I gave chase. As fer what happened next, well," shrugging his shoulders, "...ya pretty much already know the answer ta that."

"I guess they wouldn't want to say much to a half devil." Shinichi remarked, before jerking his head up, briefly wondering if he had perhaps offended Heiji with that remark.

And sensing that much, Heiji flashed him a grin. "That's pretty much how it is. I'm pretty much hated."

"That must be rough." Shinichi observed.

"Nah, it's fine." Heiji told him. "I don't particularly want ta be liked by devils."

"What about your family?" Shinichi ventured- and didn't miss the faint way that Heiji flinched at the question. Was there still something that was being kept from him? He wasn't about to press for it, knowing that he'd already uncovered a big secret of his, but he couldn't help but curious.

"My family... my old man's side doesn't know about my mom or me. I mean, they know we exist, but," Heiji told him, averting his eyes. "...they just think we're humans, the both of us. This house belongs ta his family, in case ya were wonderin', though ya might have noticed my mom's made a few modifications here an' there. As fer my mom's... well, I've never met 'em, but she was pretty much cast out of it once she married my old man, so..."

"So that kind of thing happens in the devil world as well." Shinichi observed.

"Yeah." Heiji told him, nodding his head. "So I doubt any of them would want ta meet me, seein' as I'm taintin' their blood an' all. Taboos, an' all that."

"Anyways," turning on his heel, Heiji shoved his hands into his pockets, "...ya wanna go? The more time we give 'em, the more time that they have ta think up a possible counterattack."

Frowning for a moment, Shinichi wondered if there was something he could say here- before he decided that nothing he could would make much of an impact. He'd rather not risk hurting Heiji by accident, especially not in his own home- even if his mother wasn't around. It probably wasn't easy, being an existence straddling two worlds- especially when neither of them particularly seemed to want you.

"Right, let's go." Shinichi told him. "Since this is your territory and all, Hattori, I hope you don't mind showing me around."

Perking up at that, the smile that Heiji showed him was a cheerful one. "Of course! Ya can rely on me, Kudo! I know this place like the back of my hand."

Good, Shinichi thought to himself, that was a better expression.

"Ah, Hattori-senpai."

"Yo." Lifting a hand, Heiji flashed a grin. "Sorry ta call ya out here like this. Just needed ta ask ya a few more questions about that incident with yer team."

It was a good thing that he'd kept the phone number of the captain of the volleyball team, the one who had contacted him about this in the first place. Even though he'd heard that the girls in question had all been exorcised- by Kudo, he now realized- it had seemed at the time like it would be a good idea to keep it on hand.

"Again?" The girl blinked. "I don't mind, but that makes you the second one, Hattori-senpai. After... after him, actually." She noted, frowning a little as she took notice of Shinichi. "Do you know each other?"

"Well, somethin' like that." Heiji told her. "So? Ya said over the phone that ya might know somethin' helpful."

"Ah, yes. I remembered it only after you left." Nodding her head, the girl's gaze lingered on Shinichi for a moment longer, before she focused on the topic at hand. "I'm not sure if it will help much, but..."

"Any small detail is fine." Shinichi reassured her. "By the way, how are those four?"

"Ah, yes, they're doing much better now." She said. "Though we ended up being disqualified from this year's nationals."

"Figures." Heiji said with a shrug. Being in a sports club himself, he understood this sort of thing well- though if people found out about what color he bled, getting disqualified from tournaments would be the least of his worries. "So? What was it that ya wanted ta tell me?"

"I don't really know if it will help, but before the four of them started acting strange, they all went to a small shrine." She said, sounding rather uncertain of herself. "I didn't think anything much of it back when I first spoke with either of you, but lately I've been wondering if that has something to do with it."

"A shrine, huh?" Shinichi mused, folding his arms in front of his chest. "It's not completely impossible for a devil to have taken over such a thing, if they're strong enough."

"Or if it's defunct." Heiji noted, almost muttering it half underneath his breath. "So? Do ya know what shrine?"

"No." Shaking her head, she frowned. "I asked, but they don't remember. Only that they vaguely remember hearing about it from somewhere before."

"Maybe on the Internet?" Heiji mused, glancing up at Shinichi. "What do ya think, Kudo?"

"It's possible." Shinichi mused. "If I looked more into the," pausing for a moment, his gaze flickering down towards the girl, he stopped himself from saying the word guild, "...police records, I might be able to find some kind of pattern."

"Didn't ya check last time?" Heiji asked.

"Yes, though not thoroughly." Shinichi admitted, wondering if he had missed what he was actually trying to get at. It didn't matter- he would tell him later, once the girl was out of earshot. "And there's a chance that something else might have happened since last time I checked."

"True." Frowning, Heiji tilted his head. "So? Ya notice anythin' else strange around yer school?"

"No." Shaking her head, the girl frowned. "But since it's summer break and all, aside from clubs, nobody has really been using the school building."

Ah, that was right. He'd kind of forgotten about that. Rubbing the back of his neck, Heiji let out a faint laugh- he was the type to dig his nose into a case heedless of whether or not he had school that day anyways, so it was easy for it to slip from his mind.

"Yer right about that." Heiji admitted. "Then, ya keep that number of mine, an' call me if ya remember anythin' else, or if any of those four do."

"Or if you notice anything else that's strange." Shinichi finished, giving the girl a polite smile.

"Yes, I'll be sure too!" Nodding her head, the girl quickly said her goodbyes, before departing. It was only when they were sure that she was gone, that the two detectives exchanged a look between them.

"So, how are you with shrines, Hattori?" Shinichi asked.

"Aside from the one Kazuha's mom runs, not very good." Heiji confessed, scratching his cheek. "I can enter them, but they make me feel kind of nauseous. But if the shrine's been corrupted, that's a different matter."

"So in other words, we're looking for a shrine that doesn't make you want to barf." Shinichi noted.

"...ya could put it that way, yeah." Arching a brow, Heiji couldn't help but give the older detective an assessing look. "So? Ya want my help with those police records?"

"No need." Shinichi told him. "I was trying to refer to the guild, actually. I just couldn't say as much with her around."

"...oh right." Folding his arms in his chest, Heiji blinked. "I kinda forget that the whole exorcist thing is supposed ta be a secret."

"Please don't forget that." Shinichi told him, letting a faint bit of nervous laughter escape him. "I'd rather not have it getting around."

"Fair enough." Reaching out to take the iced coffee that he had ordered, he drank most of it down in one gulp, before rising to his feet. "Well, in that case, I'll check the police records fer anythin' weird while ya contact that guild of yers. Sorry, Kudo, but I'd rather not come with ya fer that part."

"I didn't think so." Shinichi said, sliding out of the booth, letting him get out of it. "I'll call you when I'm done. Are you sure you'll be fine with your father, though? He's the head of the police, isn't he?"

Freezing for a moment, it became clear to him that Heiji had briefly forgotten that detail. Groaning, he scratched the back of his head, before letting out a long sigh, glancing back at him with a shrug of his shoulders. "Well, might as well get it over an' done with. At least he can't kill me in his office."

"...probably."

"...old man."

"Heiji." Opening one eye, Hattori Heizo cast an assessing look down on his son. He looked very much like a child who had gotten caught with their hand in the cookie jar at the moment, having frozen the moment that he'd entered the room.

"Did Otaki-han rat me out?" Heiji asked, lips curling into a frown.

"No. Toyama told me." Heizo observed, shutting the door to the records room behind him. "What are you looking into?"

"Cases, what else?" Heiji asked, before sensing that wasn't a good enough answer for his father. "Tryin' ta find anythin' strange."

"And? Have you found anything?" Heizo asked, coming around to the other end of the table, choosing not to take the chair directly across from his son in favor of remaining standing.

"Maybe." Heiji noted, his gaze briefly flickering towards a pair of files on the desk, set aside from the rest. "Not as much as I was hopin' though. Well, I guess Kudo already did go over these same records himself, so..."

Flinching as he realized that he had been the first one to bring him up, Heiji chanced a look up towards his father. "...yer mad at me, aren't ya?"

Not one for beating around the bush, Heizo gave his son the answer he was already expecting to hear. "Yes."

"...thought so." Letting out a long sigh, Heiji leaned back in his chair, attempting to put a cheerful grin on his face. "Any chance I can tell ya that I already talked all this out with mom, an' that ya really don't need ta give me the same talk all over again?"

"No." Heizo said simply, finally pulling out the chair and taking a seat. Looming over his son could prove effective at times, but it wasn't what he wanted to be doing right now. "Do you trust him?"

"I wouldn't have been the one ta suggest workin' together with him if I didn't." Heiji pointed out, arching a brow. "Have some faith in me, old man."

"Mm." Closing his eyes, Heizo let a silence fall between them, all but hearing his son squirm. In the end, Heiji was the one who had been attacked by exorcists- so if he seemed to sincerely believe that this one was different from the rest, then he wasn't about to dispute the issue.

He could be reckless, but he was no fool.

"...ya gonna say somethin' or what?"

"You should leave this case to that exorcist, Heiji." Heizo told him.

"Like hell." It was exactly the response that Heizo had expected, complete with the flash of temper that came with it. His mother had told him the same thing, he knew, but he doubted that he had reacted to her in the same fashion.

He didn't feel the need to prove anything to his mother, after all. Only him.

Him and the rest of the world.

"It's dangerous." Heizo told him, for once, opening both his eyes, looking dead into those of his son's. Blue, from his side of the family. The lashes, he thought, were from Shizuka's. "More dangerous than anything you've ever dealt with before."

"Ya haven't even looked into it." Heiji snorted, leaning back in his chair. "In case ya forget, I'm actually stronger than ya, old man."

"Sometimes it's not about mere strength, Heiji." Heizo reminded him. "And even without looking into it, I have my instincts. Any case that requires you to travel from Osaka to Tokyo and back like this has the workings of something troublesome."

You don't have to prove anything, is what he wanted to say. But in that regard, he was not a very direct man.

Instead, what came out was- "I've allowed your activities as a high school detective to an extent, but you should know your own limits."

"I don't need yer permission. An' don't worry, I don't blame on doin' anythin' that'll let the world know the head of Osaka's police is married ta a devil." Rising to his feet, Heiji gathered up the two file folders that he had set aside. "I'm makin' copies of these. I'm assumin' ya don't have a problem with that, do ya, old man?"

"No." Heizo said simply, watching as Heiji tucked them under his arm before even getting an answer. "And you know that's not what I mean, Heiji. It's not because of shame that I keep you and your mother under wraps."

There was a slight pause there, before Heiji turned away. "Yeah, I know."

"...anyways, I'm not backin' out of this, old man." Sparing him a glance, Heiji narrowed his eyes. "I finish what I start."

With that, he turned on his heel, not waiting for his father to say anything more before he left. Letting out a short sigh, Heizo merely let him, hoping that at least he had pressed how serious what he was dealing with here was.

There was a scenario far worse than Heiji having his blood exposed- and that was the matter of how.

"Oh, Shin-chan! I had started to think that you weren't going to call!"

"Sorry, mom. I've been kind of busy." Tucking the copies of the records that he had been able to get underneath one arm, Shinichi left the Osaka guild branch building.

"With the investigation, right?" Yukiko's voice came out as a pout over the phone. "I see how it is. You only call when you need something from your mother."

"Mom, please." Glancing down at his watch, he wondered if he should go ahead and head for Osaka police headquarters. He hadn't gotten any messages from Heiji yet, but he might very well be wrapping up his own business there too. "I do need to ask you something though."

"Is it about the white horned devil again?" Yukiko asked. "Because I haven't been able to find out much more about it."

"No, it's not that." Shinichi told her, hoping his answer hadn't come too quickly. "I need you to look into some archive data for me. Your clearance level is higher than mine."

"Sure, I don't mind." Yukiko said. "What is it that you need, Shin-chan?"

"Any cases with loose ends coming out of the Osaka prefecture for around... the past few months or so." Shinichi told her. "And if you could send it to me quickly, I'd appreciate it."

"Sure." Yukiko said. "Did you check the branch headquarters?"

"Just leaving from there, actually." Shinichi told her. "So you can skip it if it's available on my clearance level. I already got that information."

"Got it, got it." Yukiko said. "So? Did you find him, that white horned devil of yours?"

"Maybe." Shinichi said. "Sorry, mom. I can't really discuss it with you."

"A secret even from your own mother, huh?" Yukiko asked. "Well, that's fine. Is there anything else that you need? I've been trying to look up information about the devil whose picture you sent me, but I haven't been having any luck so far."

"I figured not, not with just a picture." Shinichi said. "That's all for now, mom. I'll call you if something comes up though."

"Call me more often than that! Your mom's lonely, out here in San Francisco all by herself!" Yukiko pouted. "And your father is being his usual self."

"You're the one who married him." Shinichi noted, before pausing, his phone beeping at him. "Ah, sorry mom. I've got another call. I have let you go."

"Eh? Wait a second, Shin-chan-!"

Hanging up on her before he could get any further, Heiji picked up the other call. "What's up, Hattori?"

"Got two interestin' lookin' case files here." Heiji told him, skipping any form of preamble. "Made copies, since I thought ya'd like ta see 'em."

"Same here." Shinichi told him. "I was just heading to police headquarters."

"Don't bother." There was a sour note to Heiji's voice- from the sound of it, he'd probably talked with his father after all. "Just head ta my place, Kudo."

"Is that fine?" Shinichi asked. "With the barrier and all."

"Should be." Heiji told him. "Mom gave ya permission ta enter, so there shouldn't be a problem."

"So that's how it works." Shinichi muttered, half to himself. "Okay, I'll do that. See you then, Hattori."

Hanging up the phone, Shinichi pocketed it, wondering if Heiji's mother would be back from her shopping trip by the time he got back there. Most likely- which worked out well for him. He'd been meaning to make some time to speak with her in private, and the sooner the better.