Detective Conan FF: ♤The Poisoned Trio♤ (English)

Chapter 23.1

It was still late at night, the moon high in the sky, its light pushing through the curtains and illuminating the room. Ash tossed and turned restlessly in her sleep, tangled in her blanket, sweat running down her forehead. Suddenly she cried out, and sat up, startled. At first, she looked around in confusion, then she remembered that she was with Minuro in the apartment. Her heartbeat calmed again, she reached for the bottle beside the bed, but it was empty. "Damn," she gasped, her throat dry. She had had another nightmare. Again, those disgusting images that she actually would have preferred to forget. "I can sleep one night without seeing my dead parents," she grumbled.

Ash stood by the window and opened a wicket to let the fresh air flow into the room. The charge of oxygen did her good. Suddenly the door opened, and Minuro stood in the frame. "You were screaming," he commented. It was an observation, not a question. The girl with brown hair sighed and turned back to the window. "I didn't call you," she replied, "I know. But I thought...I thought you'd like to talk about it," he said hesitantly. Ash remained silent. She didn't want to talk about it. She didn't want to talk at all. Her eyes fell on the empty bed beside her. She had to think about him again. Again. "You're thinking about him too...aren't you?" the Frenchman asked the girl. "No, I'm not," Ash lied and up to her tongue. Why would she? But deep inside she felt something rising. Maybe it was anger, or maybe it was sadness. She didn't know.

"I do, though. As strange as it sounds...I miss him. The fellow didn't deserve to die..." replied Minuro, his cold, ice-blue eyes scrutinizing Dubonnet's sleeping place. "He's a dirty rat. A NOC, a traitor!" she hissed. "He's still human. So are we," Minuro reminded her. "I don't care, he betrayed us! He just took advantage of us!" she cried angrily. "That's true...maybe not," Minuro hesitated. "Yes, he was a NOC, but his behavior to you...and to me was honest," the grandpa confessed. "And how would you know?", Brennevin shook his head.

"Maybe I understand people better than you do," Minuro threw back. Ash wanted to retort something, but closed her mouth. "Go back now," she hissed, "You sure? If anything happens...I'll be there," he reminded her. A few seconds passed, only then he turned and left the room. Brennevin looked after him for a while. Then she sighed. "I hate you Nick...but somehow I don't", she was talking to herself again. She should stop doing that. A quick glance at the clock told her it was three in the night.

She should go to sleep. And stop thinking about that ass.

Nick...

Then she lay back in the bed and closed her eyes. Sleep would come to her sooner or later.

(Change of view)

Chardonnay stood still for a moment, listening, but Ash said no more. Then he stepped into his office and sat down in his chair. The candles on the table gave the room a warm atmosphere, the books in the background shone in the flickering light. The man really wanted to sleep, but his head was full of questions. Besides...he still couldn't believe that Nick was...dead.

"Actually...I'm sure you're out there somewhere...or...that death is just a part of something bigger," he muttered. The headache returned; the pill stopped working. Or maybe he really should go back to sleep. That would be a possibility, too. The Frenchman blew out the candles and stretched. Then he, too, lay down in bed.

"Good night, Ash," he whispered. A few seconds later, he fell asleep.