NOIR
Chapter 1
It was a slow day at the precinct. The usual workday din of photocopiers and people talking on the phone with the occasional yell of 'You got the wrong guy! I'm tellin' ya!' lulled me into a state of indifference. I hadn't had a case in over two weeks and was starting to feel skittish, I needed something to do, it wasn't often I sat this idle, and you know what they say about idle hands; the devils play things. I swivelled my chair to face the large window that occupied the back wall of my office, and was greeted with the calming sight of the raging ocean. It was storming, common for this time of year. I massaged the back of my neck that had pulled stiff from me bending over piles of paper work that was long overdue from cases long time passed. My nicotine craving started scratching at the back of my skull, and had me tapping my fingers incessantly on my table. I needed a cigarette, and maybe another cup of coffee. Yes coffee and a drag form a cigarette sounded good.
I stared out the window and allowed my thoughts to consume me. Flashes of a deceptive smile and cruel eyes with distant echoes of What the hell number 4!? and blue hair played across my mind, my thoughts dragging me to the fragments of a past not so long ago, not so easily forgotten, but always fighting to be remembered. I was pulled from my thoughts as a hush fell over the office. There was slight murmuring; with all I could catch was a whispered 'Thank you'. Then the distinct clack clack of a pair of high heels, growing louder as they neared my office. The first thing I saw was red; long red hair that swished as if blown by a phantom wind. I was disciplined enough to keep my eyes above her collar, but not saying that I didn't get a good look of the dame's killer bod. She stood in my doorway almost hesitant, with a doe like look about her. She had the kind of face that could send armies to war. And I had the distinct impression that, perhaps in another time, another life, she had. She was beautiful. But I was never one that was easily taken in by good looks.
"Can I help you woman?"
She squeaked, obviously not expecting my abrupt question. I wasn't a man of many words, and liked getting to the point as soon as possible. "Uhm is this Detective Schiffer's office?"
"It is. Now what can I help you with?"
"May I come in?" She murmured.
I nodded and gestured to the chair on the other side of my table. She sat down gracefully, and the scent of wild flowers washed over me. From what I could see, the dame came from a wealthy family. Her clothing was meticulously kept and obviously good quality, not to mention the pair of sapphire hibiscus pendants dangling from her neck.
"My name is Orihime Inoue, and I need your help."
The Inoues were a rich family, old money; which had befallen a great tragedy last year. The head of the family Ginjo Inoue and his wife Mila Inoue had died in a car crash. Some claimed it was an accident, others thought there was a more sinister hand at play, either way the police found minimal evidence and wrote it off as another drunken drivers fallacy. Anyway they left a son and daughter behind, the son, Sora Inoue, has now taken over the numerous Inoue businesses, and the daughter, well, she was sitting right in front of me. From what I remember her mother was a foreign model, which was obvious in her daughters stunning looks and red hair. The woman was anxiously biting her bottom lip, and frowning slightly whilst, awaiting my response. I wasn't sure if she suddenly expected me gasp and throw myself at her feet, because she had revealed herself to be a famous heiress, but she was looking at me expectantly.
"What is it that you need my help with Miss Inoue?"
Her face softened in relief, as she replied. "It's my brother, his…his gone missing!"
At the end of her sentence her eyes pooled with tears and I could sense hysterics coming on. I stood quickly from my table and reached behind my jacket for my handkerchief and handed it to the woman, she accepted it with a watery smile and murmured Thanks. I made my way to my office door to close it. I was never good with emotions, and having a hysterical woman in my office was sure to go south, and quickly. I handed her a glass of water and waited for the tears to stop, grateful it hadn't led to anything more than a few shuddered breaths and hiccups. As I waited for her to compose herself, I allowed my green eyes to take in her small but curvaceous form, she really was a beautiful woman, no wonder the office had fallen silent at her arrival.
As I made to take my seat she whispered her apology and stated that she was ready to proceed.
"Miss Inoue please, start from the beginning. What makes you think that your brother has gone missing? Have you gone to see the police?"
"I have! And they think that it's just me being hysterical! They think that his probably off jet setting somewhere, as if my brother was that shallow!" She scoffed, and the tears returned.
"Miss Inoue please calm down."
"Of course, my apologies Detective, I'm just so worried, and frustrated that no one will help me…" The sight before me would've had lesser men at her knees proclaiming that they would do anything to help her find her brother; I am not one of those men. Her shoulders were curled in on herself clutching my handkerchief in her hands. I sighed silently through my nose, this is what I get for wishing for a case, I thought to myself.
"Miss Inoue please, start from the beginning."
She looked up at me with watery grey eyes, and a trembling smile and nodded. God she was beautiful.
"You see detective, last week was my 21st birthday and my brother organised this whole shebang," I vaguely recall some boo-ha about a fancy shin-dig in the papers. I nodded for her to proceed. "A-anyway, the party was in full swing around 9pm and my brother still hadn't showed up. And he'd never miss my birthday, especially since his the one that organized it. So I got worried and called the office, just to make sure. His secretary said he left ages ago, and that's when I knew that something wasn't right." She dabbed at her eyes and took a shuddering breath before continuing.
"You see since my parents died. Sora has been under a lot of pressure to keep all my father's businesses afloat, and the thing is, I know my father had his own list of enemies that would do anything to get their hands on the assets my family owns. So you see I suspect it to be foul-play detective. Please believe me, you're my last resort and my only hope of finding my brother."
She looked up at me as she said that last part, holding my gaze with fierceness to those hazel eyes and a small breathe escaped her swollen parted lips. And I knew then and there that I would take her case, but I also knew that this case wouldn't be easy when a dame like her was involved.