CHAPTER THREE

The case is simple. Kana Nakamoto's daughter, Kimura, is claiming to see demons all around the house. She draws the things she sees and judging from those, it doesn't seem pretty. The daughter will go into panic attacks, fits of rage, and other episodes all at the drop of a hat. According to her mother, Kimura is very firm in her belief of her demons. Yet aside from things moving around here and there, the others in the house aren't dealing with too much. Medication isn't helping, no matter how many pills they've shoved down her throat. Other investigators have tried only to find nothing - the SPR doesn't seem to be doing any better.

Can't ask for a better case, Jen thinks. It should be pretty close and shut, nothing she can't handle and certainly something that she can do that the SPR can't. As she draws closer to the house, driving through a narrow driveway, she frowns deeply at the sensation that floods through her - or rather, the lack of.

Boston floats beside her in the passenger seat - Jen doesn't even bother telling him to wear a seatbelt considering the fact that it won't do much.

"What's the matter, buttercup? It's your big break!"

Jen shakes her head slowly, "That's the problem. I think big break is a bit of a stretch. Look around Boston, do you see anything here?"

He shakes his head with a shrug, "Not really, but you're the one with all the mystic mumbo-jumbo, not me."

She snorts, "Yeah and my mystic mumbo-jumbo isn't tell me anything. Amplified emotions, sure, and I would be concerned if this wasn't such a high stress situation. The daughter's probably freaked out, the mom is terrified, that's all pretty normal in any case, but what's not is that I don't actually sense anything that is causing their fear."

"Huh." Boston frowns, "No baddies, then?"

"Notta," she shakes her head, "Not even a low-level spirit. But just because I can't see anything here doesn't mean that something isn't going on. This woman's daughter is going through something and it's my job now to find out what."

Boston hums in thought, but doesn't offer much. Jen, however, just frowns deeply. If there's no demons, no ghosts, that doesn't mean that something paranormal isn't going on. A curse, maybe? Some sort of hex? Maybe a backfired spell if the girl practices stuff. She hopes that it's something like a curse, as bad as that sounds. If it isn't that or something similar, then the daughter's psyche may play a factor and that is something that Jen has little that she can do aside from some charms. She could use a spell to (quite literally) get into the girl's head, which would against the whole 'natural' thing she has going now, but that can prove to be dangerous if she doesn't know the girl's mental state. She could end up getting trapped or worse.

But I don't think I'm in over my head just yet.

Mai huffs as she takes an open seat, crossing her arms against her chest with a pout. I wonder why Naru took this case, there's not anything really going on here. We haven't got a single piece of evidence aside from one shot of a moving bookcase - it could be a poltergeist, but Naru doesn't seem too convinced that that's the case.

She wonders if the daughter they've been sent here to investigate did something to rig the bookcase, maybe that was why Naru didn't seem to like it. Or maybe, like always, there is something more going on here that she won't know about until the last second since Naru doesn't exactly like sharing his plans. She swears she could really slap some sense into him sometimes.

She glances toward the door, where Nakamoto-san had left moments ago when the doorbell rang. And I wonder who's even here? She didn't mention anything about any guests coming. She looks toward Naru, who frowns and doesn't seem too pleased that whomever it is at the door has interrupted them going over the bookcase video with Nakamoto-san.

"Wonder who it is," John comments, taking a seat by Mai, "She didn't mention anyone coming, did she?"

"No," Naru closes his eyes in frustration, letting out a long sigh through his nose, "But I have a feeling I know who it is."

"Want to share with the rest of the class," Monk raises an eyebrow, but Naru isn't nearly as amused.

"Yesterday she called Lifetower - another paranormal investigation group not too far from our own base. Apparently she's not too convinced in our abilities to solve this case."

Mai's eyes widen slightly, and she's not the only one. On some level or another, everyone seems a bit surprised at the revelation. Yasu lets out a low whistle in surprise while John merely blinks in shock. Lifetower, Mai wonders, I haven't heard about them before. Are they a less popular group or a new one? Naru doesn't seem too threatened by the mention of them, just frustrated.

"What," Ayako screeches, "Then why are we even here? If she wants someone else, let them do it."

"I hate to say it, but she has a point," Monk agrees, if a bit hesitant, "Why are we still here if she thinks we can't do it?"

"It's not that simple," Lin speaks up as he stands from his spot near the monitors, "We were paid to do a job and we will do that job no matter who else she hires."

"And it will give us the opportunity to show her exactly why she doesn't need a different group," Naru adds, "and show Lifetower that it's quite rude to take over someone's case in the middle of it."

"Funny I didn't peg you for the showoff type," Monk gives a dry, sarcastic comment as he leans against the wall.

Mai rolls her eyes, yeah right, we all know that Naru will take any chance he has to show he's 'so much better' than anyone else.

"Did you say Lifetower," Masako's voice is quite, as if she's trying to figure out what that name sounds familiar to her.

"Do you know it," John questions, "I don't think I've personally heard of them, but maybe if I know the name of the investigator -"

"It's Constantine Jen."

Mai turns toward the door at the unknown voice to see a young woman standing in the doorway with a cocky smirk on her lips. She doesn't look too much older than Naru, maybe a year or two at the most. Dirty blonde hair is pulled into a half ponytail at the back of her head and her outfit looks Western with it being very loose on her. She has multiple different gems and stones on a long thin rope around her neck and Mai wonders if they have any sort of meaning or if it's just for decoration. She has an air around her that Mai can't quite put her finger on, as if she's more than she seems.

Only two people in the room recognize her, neither being someone Mai expected. John's eyes go wide as he whispers Constantine under his breath, as if he can't believe what he's hearing, like she's some sort of hero or well known paranormal investigator, but if that was the case why didn't Naru seem to know her? Masako, however, has the strongest reaction, taking a step backward with a strained look on her face that's a mix of disgust, disbelief, and anger.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Jen bows shortly and swiftly, but her eyes stay on Masako, "I believe we've met before, though I never quite caught the name of the person who so rudely burst into my business only to insult it. I still haven't gotten any apology, by the way."

Masako flushes deeply while everyone turns to look at her in question, even Naru seems mildly interested in what's transpiring before him.

"I will - not," Masako stutters slightly as she huffs, "You are a disgrace to the business to think that you can pass off palm reading - "

"-Something I told you I didn't offer," Jen adds.

"-And," Masako continues, ignoring the comment, "- to make everyone believe you some sort of gift when all you are is a shaman and a con!"

Ayako raises a brow, whispering catfight to Monk, who hides a snort behind his hand. Though Masako's obvious anger toward the newcomer is an amusing surprise to all of them. Mai, most of all, who welcomes the idea of someone who sees Masako for what she is - a rude, snidey know-it-all. Though she never thought Masako could get so easily flustered.

"That's where you're wrong, sweetheart," Jen winks, causing Masako's cheeks to grow a darker shade of red, "I do have a gift, quite a few actually. I can juggle up to four bowling pins, for example, afraid that's the only P-G example I can give."

This time, Monk does laugh, causing Mai, Ayako and Yasu to all also break as Masako stomps her feet in a huff, not knowing how to react to such a comment. Naru leans against the wall, letting the scene play out before him as he shares a glance with Lin, both of them noting that despite her apparent feud with Masako, Jen Constantine does have a supernatural gift - one that both of them can feel easily and strongly.

"That's not what I -"

Masako stops as Nakamoto-san pokes her head in through the door, looking sheepishly at the SPR. She takes a step in, with Jen offering her her arm as support as she gives a smile to Nakamoto-san.

"I'm sorry," Nakamoto-san explains, dipping her head in shame, "I didn't mean to cause you any embarrassment, I just thought that two paranormal groups are better than one and I - I just want you to find out what's going on with my daughter."

"We'll work together," Naru states, causing the rest to look mildly surprised at his willingness to work with someone else, "And we will get to the bottom of things."

"Thank you, you're such a sweet boy, I know you two will get along swimmingly, I'm sure."

Jen snorts. Yeah I'm sure that by tomorrow we'll all be having tea parties too.