Case 1: Circle You

Naru's P.O.V

Three years. It's been practically three years since I last saw my old team. I don't know how to anticipate their reactions upon seeing me, for some odd reason. I left them without warning. I left her without warning, and I haven't seen or heard from her since. Some of the rest, though, I have kept in touch with. Ayako and Monk occasionally email me, since I left SPR in their care. John and I worked together on a few cases in England, mostly when he was in the area. The rest I have only been informed of through Lin, who gets that information from God knows where. But her, I haven't known what she's been up to in years. Its almost like she vanished into thin air. None of the others who considered her family have kept tabs on her. I have tried to call her, offer her a job as my assistant again, but every time I get the voice mail, and hang up.

I sigh and lean back in the seat of the plane. Right now its smooth flying to Tokyo, where I will be landing and meeting Lin, who will then drive to SPR and get things back in order. By tomorrow I hope to open the business for work, but I want to find where she is. I want to see her again. I don't know why I want to so badly, but I do.

I close my eyes and find myself drifting off into a dreamless slumber.

I'm jolted awake by the plane skidding to a stop at Tokyo International Airport. I straighten up and rub my eyes, hoping to get any sign of sleep out of them. It takes about five minutes for the plane to make a full stop and another ten just to start letting people out. I unlatch the overhead compartment to grab my carry-on and waste no time getting off the plane. Once out of the gate, I spot Lin almost immediately. He is too tall to actually fit in with the crowd, so I have never had a problem finding Lin when I needed him. I head for him, pushing my way past others, and we silently head for the luggage pick up.

"How was it?" he asks after sometime.

"Fine", I reply.

"That's not what I meant", he says. I glare at him, which doesn't affect him in the least. I know what he was talking about. I know why I was at England, I know why I came to Japan and why I left, I was just choosing not to talk about it.

"Mother and Father were obviously relieved his body was finally found, but it was painful to bury him." I look at the ground. Yes, Gene was found and given a proper burial. It was difficult, and deep down I was saddened by the fact that I had to bury my brother. The only one who understood me for the longest time. The only one who knew me inside and out. It was wound in my heart that reopened and was trying to heal again.

Lin gave a curt nod and said nothing more on the subject. The rest of the trip to SPR was silent for the most part. Lin occasionally asked how everyone was back there and how things were going. But no conversations, just questions.

We finally pull up to SPR by mid-day. Ayako and Monk are waiting outside the door. The head to the car once they finally spot it. I am debating whether I should get out or if I should simply lean back and let Lin handle everything. Reasoning that the latter was a childish thing to do, and I was 20 years too old for that, I reluctantly opened the passenger side door and step out. Monk was the first to speak to me.

"Hey man, its been a while. How's it going?", He slaps an arm on my shoulder. I am not use to the gesture, so I simply brush his hand away.

"Fine", is all I reply, "What has been going on here?"

Ayako is the next to talk, "Well there have been case files coming in by the dozen each day. We have tried to solve a few that we either knew for a fact would be easy to handle or were scams. Other than that we've put them away for filing."

"I see", I say, "And who accompanied you on the cases you did take?"

"The usual", Monk shrugs, "Masako, Yasu, John, and Lin."

"And what about...", I start, but for some reason, I can't say her name. I try, but my throat gets dry and I choke.

The annoying smirk on Ayako's face makes the guilty feeling building up in my chest even worse, "Mai? She hasn't been around since you left."

"What do you mean 'Hasn't been around'?" I ask coldly.

Monk puts his hands up defensively, "That's just it. We don't know where she is. She use to keep in contact the first few months after you left. But after-" Monk is cut off abruptly when Ayako elbowed him in the ribs harshly.

I suddenly get very cold, "After what?"

Ayako glares at Monk, and it seems as if he shirks away like a puppy that's been kicked and is now retreating. She heaves a great sigh, "About five months after you left, Mai's rent got too out of hand, and she ended up being evicted from her apartment."

"Why didn't anyone help her?" I ask. I am getting more and more annoyed with the lack of responsibility these two adults contain.

"She didn't tell anyone about it", Monk says angrily, "If she did, everyone would have helped her out in any way they could, I guarantee it."

"Besides", Ayako spits out, "Its not like you cared for her anyways. You were the one who left her behind with the broken pieces of her heart to clean up and put back together."

My breath hitches in my throat, and I can't breathe. Ayako hit the nail on the head. I was the one who rejected her in the most horrible way possible after her confession. I was the one who took everything away from her and left her with absolutely nothing. I destroyed what little respect and trust she gave to me. I drove her away. I am the reason I can't find her.

Lin placed a hand on my back. I looked back at him. He shook his head slightly, a gesture only I caught. I took a deep breath, "Well we can sit here and play the blame game, but I would rather look at the cases and get back to work as soon as possible. You two are free to go."

I brush past the two adults, both burning holes in my back as I head up the steps to the front door. Its time to start working. Its time to start over and make things right. I am going to find Mai, if its the last thing I do.