Informing the Informant

"…rihara-san. Orihara-san. Orihara-san!"

"What?" he turned to his secretary with a quick whip of his head in annoyance.

"You've been pacing back and forth for a half hour! Sit down and do some work or something; you're creeping me out!" Namie sighed drastically. "I find it harder to work when you're distracting me like that."

Izaya walked around his desk and sat in his chair. The events from the previous day were still making him antsy. Why on earth would Shizu-chan ignore him like that? He couldn't even remember one time he entered Ikebukuro without getting chased by the bodyguard. And there he was, walking right beside the man, and was ignored. The word burned through Izaya's mind. IGNORED. He had never been so insulted in his entire life! Even from the brute, this was all just too much. He sighed for the sixteenth time and placed his head in his hands, whirling in his chair. His fingers yanked at his dark hair, as if that would give him the answers he wanted.

"Orihara-san," Namie called over in annoyance. Obviously, he was still distracting her.

"Just go home then," he said impatiently, not bothering to look up at her.

"But I need the money of a full day's work," she retorted.

"Fine! I'll pay what is owed to you! Just get out of my apartment!" he barked at her. He glared up at her as she hastily gathered her belongings and left. Izaya was more frazzled than she had ever seen him, and she did not want to be on the receiving end of his wrath. Said frazzled man got up from his chair and resumed his pacing. He just couldn't wrap his mind around it. He was the ulcer of Shizuo's life. He knew this as a fact because he had been told so by the blond man himself. So why? Why was he simply ignored? He needed answers and he needed them quickly.

Izaya knocked more and more impatiently as his fuse shortened. He knew the man was home, he never left. Finally, he was slamming his fist against the door.

"I'm coming already! Geez!" came a muffled voice from the other side. The door opened a little. "Izaya?" Shinra sounded surprised. Izaya had no time to waste, and strode past Shinra without invitation. He flung himself on the couch and waited. The doctor came around the couch and sat as far away from the informant as he could.

"And what brings this little visit?" Shinra sounded less than enthused. Of course, he was probably still angry about Celty not getting her promised day off. Really. Humans and their grudges.

"I am going to cut to the chase, because my patience is wearing thin. Have you noticed anything wrong with Shizu-chan recently?" Izaya tried not to look as hopeful as he felt. If anyone knew what was wrong, it was bound to be Shinra. As often as Shizuo confided in Celty, surely she shared bit of information with her partner. Sadly, the doctor tilted his head in confusion.

"Shizuo? No, I haven't noticed anything…of course I haven't seen him for a few days. Why? You didn't do anything to him did you?" he eyed skeptically.

Izaya sighed again. Seventeen times now…

"Honestly Shinra. If I was the one who broke him I would be happy! Instead I am left to figure out what the hell is going on, and for once I am at a loss! I have no clue what is wrong with that…monster!"

The doctor waved his hands in front of Izaya's face to try and get him to stop ranting. "Hey! Easy now. What do you mean broken? Shizuo broke another bone?" he asked.

"No, you sad excuse for a doctor! He…ignored me. I was right in front of him, and he just kept walking like I wasn't there! I know he saw me because he spoke to me!" Izaya spat. Honestly, he wasn't sure why exactly he was so angry. He just was. To his annoyance, Shinra laughed. He laughed at the entire, infuriating story.

"Haha! Maybe he finally realized there's no reason to chase you anymore? Maybe he's decided to move past your little game?" his glasses glinted. Shinra could cut to the quick when he put his mind to it. Izaya feigned a hurt expression.

"Right…" he mumbled in his defeated voice. He looked up at the doctor, waiting.

"Ugh, okay. What did Shizuo say to you when he spoke? Did he at least recognize you?"

The information broker thought for a second. "No. He said 'excuse me' like some trained little beast. Then he strode past me and walked away! No 'IZZZAAAAYYYAAAA' or anything!" He saw a flash in Shinra's face. It was one of recognition. "Shinra. Tell me what you know about this. If you do not, I will have to forcibly take the information from you and I really would rather not stoop to such a level."

"I can assure you that it's none of your business. Shizuo's fine. He's been working a lot recently. He was probably half asleep or something. Don't you forget faces when you're tired? I know I do. Once I called Celty 'mom'! I never thought I'd live that one down.." Shinra laughed a little, trying to pass this off as a good-natured story. Pulling one over on Izaya was never an easy task.

Izaya glared at him, saying nothing. In all honesty, he was seething with rage. But, he felt that beating the information from Shinra wouldn't be the greatest course of action. For one, Shinra wouldn't talk anyway. For another, Celty would stop transporting for him. So, he gave his most convincing grin to the spectacled man.

"Ah, yes. I hadn't taken Shizu-chan's work schedule into consideration. He was probably just tired. I'm sure we'll have our little chase tomorrow, ne? Till next time, Shinra." He stood from his resting place and opened the door.

Standing in the hallway, he began to think about what he was just told. With his profession, he had learned to put two and two together. Sadly, he didn't have enough pieces of this puzzle to know the answer entirely, but here's what he did know:

1. Shizuo wasn't being himself.

2. Shinra knew why.

3. ….Well, there wasn't a three as of yet. The thin man grumbled to himself, getting ready to leave, when he heard it. Shinra was talking to someone through the door. Was Celty in there? No, she had jobs today. Curious, Izaya put his ear to the door and listened to the exasperated doctor.

"Shizuo, you said you were still taking your meds! I know that's a lie when even Izaya knows there's something wrong with you! He was just here pumping me for information about you! If you're out, you need to come see me. Don't let this go too far, Shizuo! Call me back as soon as you're able to, it's urgent. Bye." There was the distinct click of a phone being flipped closed.

If anything, Izaya only had more questions than answers. Not ever being one to give up, he strolled out of the building and headed toward the city. If he couldn't get the information he needed from others, he would get it from the source itself.

"I'm coming to see you Shizu-chan~. You'd better not stand me up."