Non-challenge: A Policeman's Tale (Day 55)
Title: A Policeman's Tale (Day 55)
Author: ytak
Word count: 1023
Rating (chapter): K+ (PG)
Rating (whole story): T (PG-13)
Comments: Mummified bodies aren't that good to see in person. Seriously creepy.
Other chapters can be read through here or here.
Day 55
Picking his way through the exhibits, Takagi slowly made his way through the museum and the special exhibit from Egypt. The coffins and, especially, the mummies unnerved him. They were dead bodies after all. The plaques did not help either. Some of the mummies had died of natural causes but there were a few that had been murdered.
Well, the plaque says that it could've been an accident, thought Takagi, but the only time I've seen that kind of wound is on someone who has been murdered. It takes an extraordinary chance for that to happen naturally.
There was no mistaking the cause of death on the next one. A couple of arrowheads and holes from the corpse had been discovered. The mummified flesh made the holes more prominent. The edges of mummified flesh looked almost unnatural with the edges of the torn flesh dried to points.“Oh, ew!” a girl said behind him, “That is so gross!”
Takagi turned slightly and was surprised to see a group of schoolchildren behind him. And a couple of them were more than a little familiar. To his relief, the self styled 'Detective Boys' were looking at a different case and had not noticed his presence yet. It's only a matter of time.
Takagi excused himself and worked his way out of the group of children. Some were crowding close to the case to get a better look at the corpse. A couple of children hung around the teacher (Takagi was fairly sure her name was Kobayashi). These children were clearly not enjoying the exhibit and he could hear one ask when they were going to be moving on.
He moved to another case further away from the group and turned so he could keep an eye on them. I don't want them sneaking up on me, he thought, somewhat amused by his attempt to not be noticed.
Absently, he began to mentally account for each member of the little group. He frowned when he came up two short. Conan and Ai were not present as far as he could tell. Then he saw Genta drag Conan away from a plaque he had been bent over reading.
He shrugged. The little blond girl was the one that he noticed was with the group the least. But, she also had a tendency to disappear into the background. Almost as if she were trying. Well, some children are shy.
Feeling a little guilty (and a little childish), Takagi covertly watched the school group and when he noticed them go one direction, he went the other direction. Or, he thought he had. To his chagrin, they seemed to reappear a few minutes later from right around a corner and he failed to turn back in time to escape notice.
“Detective Takagi!” chirped a familiar girl's voice. Takagi turned to face the too curious Ayumi, “What are you doing here?” She leaned in and whispered (but still loud enough for people within six feet of them to hear), “Are you hear on police business?”
Takagi held in a sigh. “No, today is my day off.”
Ayumi, Mitsuhiko and Genta looked around, like there were looking for something or someone. “Where is Detective Sato?” Genta bluntly asked.
“She has work today,” Takagi said, flushing a little at their suggestion. “Why did you think she's here?”
“Well, isn't this where you'd take a person on a date?” Genta asked.
Mitsuhiko added, “And we normally see you sightseeing or doing something interesting or fun with her when you are on dates.”
And those weren't all dates. Some of them were undercover assignments. And some were dates that turned into hunting down a suspect! Takagi thought.
“Er, probably not here. It's a little morbid for a date,” Takagi muttered. It was fascinating but he felt he saw enough dead bodies in his line of work. “Chiba suggested it. Said it might be something fun to do on a day off.”
“Detective Takagi is right,” piped in Conan from nowhere. “Would you want to go here on a date, Ayumi?” he asked.
She thought about it and shook her head, “It's fun with friends but it'd be weird to come here for a date.”
Genta looked a little crestfallen. It was clear he thought this exhibit was the sort of thing to take a girl to.
“But I think Ai-chan would like it. Too bad she's sick and had to miss the field trip,” Ayumi added. “She's smart. I bet she knows even more about mummies that even Conan-kun!”
Conan shifted uncomfortably. He muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, “she probably does,” to Takagi's ears.
“Yeah, too bad she's been sick for days,” Genta said.
Mitsuhiko looked the most crestfallen when he said, “I'd hoped she'd be feeling good enough to come today.” He blushed a little when Genta gave him a teasing grin he quickly followed up with good natured teasing. Conan shook his head and Ayumi grinned at the scene.
Takagi found himself grinning a little at the scene. He noticed that he was getting an amused look from the teacher. She gave him another look that he could clearly read. “Okay, I think your teacher is ready to move on,” he said.
The kids turned and gave their teacher the 'kicked puppy' look. He could see her resolve wavering. Quickly, he added, “You're holding up the field trip. Isn't it going to be lunch soon?”
As if on cue, Genta's stomach growled, “Detective Takagi's right! It's almost lunchtime!” He hurried to the teacher and threw back a significant look to the other kids.
Conan chuckled and quietly said, “Genta and food. Just like Pavlov's dog,” before he also moved to catch up with the group.
Takagi almost sputtered at the reference. Aside from the truth in the statement, it was a rather esoteric comment by a child. But I already know Conan-kun isn't a normal child, Takagi thought, as he went back to looking at the exhibit.