Because of You
Sequel to: "This I Promise You"
Building a Family series
Written by: Chochowilliams
Disclaimer: I do not own Gravitation or the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Summary: It is six years later and while Shuichi has moved on with his life, there are those who have not.
Warning: M/M, M/F, Sexual Situations, Romance, Angst, Drama, Fantasy, Infidelity, OOC, Language, M-Preg, OCs, Japan Natives: Surname first
Pairings: Shuichi/Eiri, past Hiro/Ayaka, Hiro/Suguru, Tatsuha/Ryuichi, past Maiko/OMC, OMC/OFC
Inserts: recap from chapter 9
A/N: The study mentioned at the end of last chapter is a real study that the University of Buffalo conducted when I first wrote this.
oOo
Last Time
"What about Riku?" he asked Dr. Li turning back towards the man.
"Ah! Yes. Kitazawa-san. He is in surgery."
Eiri froze. His eyes went wide. In surgery? His heart starting beating wildly in his chest. "Is he okay?" He'd read a study on line from one of the local universities some time ago that claimed that the safest place to be in a car during an accident was in the back seat. The safest place in the backseat was in the middle, which strangely enough was the least popular site in a vehicle to sit. From that, he would assume that the least safe place in a car during an accident was more than likely the driver's seat.
"He's being taken care of by Dr. Amada Hirofumi so I don't know much about his condition, but I do know that he may have suffered some spinal injuries during the accident."
Eiri went white. He felt woozy.
"Someone will be out here to talk to you shortly," Dr. Li told the distraught father. He patted Eiri lightly on the shoulder and turning, vanished down the hall, leaving Eiri to try to cope with the devastating news.
Eiri turned slowly to watch his husband and their sons. How was he supposed to tell Shuichi that Riku might have been left paralyzed in the crash?
oOo
Chapter 10: Her Package
That Evening - Shindou Residence - Hokkaido, Japan
As soon as she and her two young children stepped into the house, the phone rang. Its shrill tones filled the cramped, but newly renovated confines of the apartment. With a curse, Maiko hopped through the foyer trying to pry her sneakers off as she juggled with an armload of shopping bags.
"Chiaki, help your brother take his shoes off please," she told her daughter who was unzipping her heavy winter coat with its faux fur lining.
"Okay," her daughter complied. Chiaki hung her coat on its hook besides her book bag and then turned towards her two-year-old brother. "Come here, Subaru," she said, grabbing hold of him as he tried to step into the house without removing his shoes.
Subaru protested.
"We gotta take your shoes off and then you can watch Blue's Clues."
She said the magic words. Two-year-old Subaru started talking up a storm to his older sister about one of his favorite television shows as Chiaki started to take off his outerwear.
Meanwhile, Maiko continued to struggle with removing her shoes as the phone's continuous reverberations sounded more and more hysterical.
Finally free of the hindering feet adornments and loaded down with her shopping bags, Maiko rushed through the house and fishtailed into the kitchen. Tossing the bags onto the kitchen counters, ignoring the several that flopped onto the floor, their contents spewing everywhere, she slid on stockinged feet across the slick tiled floor and grabbed the phone mid-ring. "Hello?" she breathed breathless. "Hel-?" She pulled the phone away from her ear as the dial tone buzzed in her ear. "Guess not." She replaced the receiver. She was bent over her shopping bags, returning their spilled contents into their bags when her daughter skipped into the kitchen with her little brother in tow.
"Who was it Mommy?" Chiaki asked as she crossed the kitchen towards the dining room.
"Don't know," Maiko said. "They hung up."
"Oh." Chiaki pulled out one of the stools and perched herself at the bar peninsula looking back into the kitchen.
"Oh, dear," Maiko exclaimed as she caught sight of her son's hair as he played with the magnetic characters on the refrigerator. Subaru's mop of black hair was electrified and sticking on end. Maiko guessed it was because of his hat. Maiko giggled. "Come here, Subaru," she continued to laugh. "Poor Baby." Picking her son up, she balanced him on her hip and made her way to the sink. Setting him on the lip of the stainless steel sink, she turned on the faucet enough so that the water just barely trickled out. Wetting her hands, she ran her fingers through her son's frizzy hair. Subaru reminded her of Shuichi. She could remember when they were younger and Shuichi's hair would look all frazzled like this in the morning.
"He looks funny Mommy!" Chiaki commented from behind her.
"He sure does."
"Oo!" Chiaki exclaimed when the phone started to ring again. "Can I get it, Mommy?"
"No, I'll get it," Maiko said.
Chiaki whined in disappointment.
Maiko picked Subaru up and crossed the kitchen. "Do you have any homework?"
"I got some math," Chiaki said. Her mood did a complete one-eighty. "Kitsuki-sensi said that if we didn't finish in class, we had to do it at home and bring it in tomorrow. You have to sign it too."
Maiko nodded. "Okay. Then go get your backpack and bring it to the counter."
"Okay!"
Maiko picked up the portable extension and pressed the talk button as her daughter skipped out of the kitchen. "Hello?"
"Maiko?" came the static-filled voice over the line.
"Ma?"
Subaru began squirming so Maiko walked to the living room and shut the baby gate behind her. It was the same type of gate her brother had scattered throughout his house.
"Was that you who called a minute ago?" she asked her mother.
Subaru ran on his short, chubby legs across the living room to the television. He patted the black screen and looked over his shoulder at her, saying something that sounded vaguely like "clues". Maiko walked across the living room towards the entertainment center, grabbed the remote for the television that was sitting on top of the TV while her son scampered to the couch, and started rocking quite forcibly as he talked to her about what a great show Blue's Clues was, or so she assumed.
"Yes. I've been trying to get a hold of you all day," her mother was saying.
"Mommy," came Chiaki's voice from the kitchen.
"In a minute," Maiko called over her shoulder to her daughter. "Sorry," she apologized to her mother, "we just got home." She grabbed the remote and searched for Blue's Clues among the dozen or so shows that were recorded everyday on the DVR system; most of them were recorded for Subaru.
Subaru cheered behind her as the opening theme song to Blue's Clues began.
"I picked Chiaki up from school and then we did some shopping. We just got home and I forgot to charge my cellphone last night so it died. Why? What's up?"
A heavy silence, which grew heavier the longer it continued, greeted the end of her question.
Maiko drew her brows together. "Ma?"
"…Have you listened to the news at all today?"
"The news? No," she drawled cautiously, "like I said, we just got home. I haven't even had time to put my feet up." Maiko did not like where this was going. "Why? What happened?"
"Eiri called me a little while ago."
"Eiri?" Maiko's heart performed a series of summersaults. "Oh God! Is it the babies? Is it-?"
"There's been an accident."
Maiko gasped. "What?! Oh my God," she breathed. She staggered backwards and flopped into the armchair. The color drained out of her face. "Wh-what happened? Is everyone okay?" she stuttered in alarm.
"Both Eiri and Shuichi are fine," Shindou-san assured her daughter.
"Oh that's good," Maiko sighed in relief.
"But…"
Maiko perked up. Her heart was heavy with anticipation.
"Apparently, Riku was taking Kei and Kane out to do some shopping in Osaka and…they were hit from behind…"
"Oh my God." Maiko felt faint.
"Your father and I are on our way to Osaka right now."
"Oh, no. Poor Shuichi." It seemed to be one thing after another.
"Thankfully, Kei and Kane just have some minor cuts and bruises, but they're unsure of Riku's condition. He's in surgery right now."
Maiko brought a trembling hand to her mouth. "Oh God. I hope he's alright." Her brother did not need this right now.
"They're saying it was a hit and run."
Maiko gasped. "What?! Oh my God."
"I don't know any of the details…This is just terrible. Terrible."
oOo
"Mommy!"
Maiko was not sure how much time had passed when she was jerked out of her dazed state by her daughter's shouts. She could not even remember what she did with the phone.
"Mommy come look!"
"What is it?" she asked Chiaki distracted. Her voice with thick and did not sound like her own. She continued to stare unseeing out the front window at the clear winter night with its fresh layer of snow.
"It's that lady!"
"What lady?" she asked uninterested.
"On the TV!"
Sighing, Maiko dropped her legs to the floor and swung around. She looked across the living room and through the arch at Chiaki who was standing on the stool's spindles and pointing at the television. Her backpack was propped open besides her. Its contents looked like they had exploded all over the countertop. It also blocked Maiko's line of sight at the television.
"Why is the TV on? Aren't you supposed to be doing your homework?"
"But Mommy," Chiaki whined, "look!" She bounced lightly as she continued to indicate the television.
Maiko had the small television that was sitting on the counter along the far wall so that she could watch the news while she got them all ready in the morning and again later in the evening as she prepared dinner and made her daughter's lunch for the next day. With a sigh, Maiko brushed at her tear soaked face and pushing up from the armchair crossed the living room to the dining room, noting that her son had fallen asleep. "You know you're not allowed to turn on the TV until you finish with your homework," she reminded her daughter as she reached out for the power button blindly.
"But Daddy's lady friend that was over that one time when we went to visit Grandma and Grandpa is on TV."
Maiko froze.
"See?" Chiaki turned to look at her mother and pointed at the screen. "See?"
Maiko forced back her tears, whether they were from anger or sadness over the reminder of the day her marriage fell apart because of her husband's infidelity she was not sure. She had enough to deal with without bringing up that.
She had met up with him back in August and just listened to what he had to say just as her brother had suggested. He was her husband and she promised to stay with him through the good times as well as the bad until death did they part. Maiko might have been willing to forgive him for one act of infidelity, though life for him would not have been a very merry picnic. She had been willing to listen, open to trying to make their marriage work. He was her husband after all and despite what he did to her, to them, she still loved him, but to say that meeting had not gone well would be an understatement.
The father of her children had the nerve to tell her that she should think of their children and what people would say when word got out about the divorce. He said they should stay together if for nothing more then for the sake of the children, but he did not stop there. He even had the gull to suggest that he would retain his mistress and she would be free to take a lover as well. She had stormed out of the café after throwing a perfectly good Hawaiian Smoothie in his face and telling him to "go to hell". The next day she called her lawyer.
"Chiaki-"
"Take a good look at this woman," the news anchor was saying. "She is thirty-five year old Rinjin Karin-"
Maiko gasped. She knew that name! Rinjin was the name of that guy that nearly killed her brother seven years ago! Unable to stop herself, Maiko turned towards the television. Her eyes went wide and her face went white.
"-she is wanted for questioning concerning the hit and run accident that happened earlier today in Osaka that sent all three Uesugi-Shindou children to the hospital-"
With trembling hands, Maiko reached out for the television and turned it off. It was her! God help her! It was her! The woman she caught her husband with over the summer!
She suddenly felt nauseous.
oOo
Osaka University Hospital - Osaka, Japan
Detective Misawa Ren left his partner, Detective Shigeno Shin, back at the Home Lodge Hotel to deal with the mess there while he came to the Hospital to question Yuki-san, Shindou-san as well as the children who were involved in the accident. They might be able to shed some light onto this investigation.
He called the hospital on the way over and learned the two younger ones, the six-year-old twins, were fine except for some minor cuts and bruises, but that the older boy, Kitazawa Riku, was still in surgery. His condition was still unknown. However, he was told that it was feared he might have suffered some spinal injuries during the accident. Misawa was surprised that the children had survived the accident at all. He had seen the vehicle, or rather what was left of it. It had not so much as crashed into the pylon in the parking garage as had been impaled by it. The Hyundai Tiburon was nothing more than a ball of scrape metal.
There were still no leads as to the whereabouts of Rinjin Karin. The confidential tip line has been receiving calls nonstop since this whole fiasco started. While each one had to be followed up, none of them had panned out.
Though there was no evidence to back them up, those who had been assigned to the taskforce all agreed that Rinjin Karin was still somewhere in the city. She had unfinished business with Shindou Shuichi. They also agreed that she had not been trying to kill Shindou's children, though that would have been an added bonus. She was sending Shindou a message. That was the only reason why she was not even bothering to try to hide the fact that she was behind everything.
Misawa stepped up to the enclosed counter in the Emergency Room and rapped on the glass with his knuckles. He held up his badge. "I'm Detective Misawa Ren. Where might I find the Uesugi-Shindou family?"
"Oh, yes, Detective. I was told you would be arriving. They are in the recovery room," the nurse pointed over her shoulder. "Just go through these doors here and turn right."
"Thank you." He inclined his head.
She returned the gesture with one of her own.
Returning his badge to the pocket inside his suit coat, Misawa marched down the short hallway to his left and pushed through the swinging doors.
oOo
She peered around the corner of the outpatient building.
The Emergency Room entrance was staked out by the local news stations. Their news vans decorated with station logos and erect antennas lined the street. The national news stations would have people en route to the scene. She did not see any yet. Paparazzi as well as reporters from the local radio news stations were mixed into the crowd as well.
The mob was camped by the entrance to the ER earlier until they quickly become a nuisance. The police arrived and the various news media were told to vacate the premise or they would be arrested. It would have suited her just fine if all of them had been hauled away.
The horde of eyewitnesses with their cameras, still and moving, being across the street from the hospital rather than surrounding the automated doors to the Emergency Rooms did not make it any easier for her to enter the hospital unnoticed.
She spied a patrol car turn off the highway and coming straight down the street in her direction. Panicking, she ducked back around the building and pulled the hood of her coat over her head. Stuffing her gloved hands into her pockets, she lowered her head and watched her feet move one in front of the other as she strolled casually down the street. Nobody would notice her. It had been unusually chilly since October. Though it was warmer out today than it has been, there was still a bite in the air.
The police would have the hospital staked out just as the media did. Yuki and Shindou would no doubt have bodyguards. Somehow, she had to find a way to get to them. It should not be too difficult. Not every entrance would have someone watching over it and their guards could not be with them every second of the day.
oOo
Yokoiwabara "call-me–'Yoko'-or-'Tai'-and-you-die" Taisuke, who called himself a "freelance photojournalist" and not a paparazzo, was quickly becoming bored. The constant squawking was giving him a serious migraine.
Nothing was happening. He would bet his favorite body part-you had three guesses as to what it was, and the first two were wrong-that Yuki and Shindou had been in that van that arrived at the hospital earlier. If he were them, he would want to avoid the press at all costs. That meant that they would have veered away from the obvious entrance, which would be the ER entrance even though it would have gotten them to their boys that much quicker. So where would they have entered from? His best guess would have to be the loading docks or employee entrances in the back.
Taisuke glanced over his shoulder at his flock of competitors and quietly slipped away. He took advantage of a momentary opening in traffic and darted across the street.
With a smirk, he said one last silent goodbye to the multitude of morons and flitted around what he believed was the outpatient building-whatever an outpatient building was.
His shit-eating grin slipped as he spied someone walking hurriedly away from him. This person was hunched over as if he were trying to disappear beneath his coat and not so much as limping as dragging one of his legs behind him. There was something very odd about this guy. With a split second decision, Taisuke took off after him.
oOo
As Detective Misawa stepped through the swinging doors, he noticed a man in a black trench coat several yards down the hallway talking on the phone. The man was on the short side with yellow blond hair and a severe expression on his face.
"Seguchi-san," he called out to the man.
Without missing a step, Seguchi Tohma held up a hand.
Misawa pulled his badge out as he strode down the hall towards the man.
"Yes, Mika," Tohma was saying, "I'll call when I have news…Yes…I love you, too." Tohma pulled his cellphone away from his ear and flipped it closed, effectively ending the call. He turned towards Misawa. "May I help you?" he asked as he slid his phone into an inside pocket of his coat.
Misawa held up his badge. "Detective Misawa Ren. We spoke on the phone earlier."
"Ah! Yes, Detective. Hello."
The men shook hands.
"My condolences Seguchi-san."
"Thank you."
"I heard that the two littlest ones-?"
"Keitaro and Kane," Tohma supplied.
Misawa inclined his head in gratitude. "Yes, Keitaro and Kane-kun. I heard that they-"
"Just have some minor cuts and bruises. Yes."
"That's good."
"They were lucky."
"Has there been any news on Kitazawa-kun?"
Tohma shook his head. "Not as of yet."
Misawa nodded sadly. The lack of news about their son must be driving both Yuki-san and Shindou-san insane.
"My source tells me, Detective," Tohma said, "that a Rinjin Karin is your main suspect?"
"Yes," Misawa nodded. "We tracked her to the Home Lodge Hotel just outside of the city, but by the time we arrived, she was already gone, but we suspect that she is still in the city and most likely on her way here."
Tohma had suspected as much. "You believe that she is after Shindou-kun?"
"Yes. If our information is correct and she is indeed sister to Rinjin Yasashii then it is possible that she blames Shindou-san for the death of her brother."
"That's ridiculous. His death was an accident. The railing was loose. Besides he killed two of my best guards, kidnapped Shindou-kun and would have killed him."
Misawa nodded. "Be that as it may-" He had read up on the case. "-apparently, that is not what Rinjin-san believes."
"Then she is a fool."
"Yes, but a very dangerous fool." Misawa glanced down at the smudge of his right shoe as he gathered his thoughts. "Seguchi-san I want to apologize."
"For what, Detective?"
"For giving you such tragic news over the phone."
Tohma inclined his head, but said nothing.
"As Primary, I wanted to be the one to inform you of the accident, but I didn't want to leave the scene. I wanted to make sure that nothing was overlooked, but the trip to Nara would have taken half an hour and by then the media would have splashed the news of what happened all over TV. I did not want you to find out that way."
Even though they tried for a media blackout or at least a semi-media blackout, just as he feared would happen happened. Leaks had the news spreading like wildfire. If he had even attempted the drive to Nara or requested an officer from Nara be sent out to inform the family of the boys about the accident, the police officer would have arrived too late. By the time he arrived, Yuki-san and Shindou-san would have already found out when they turned on either the television or the radio.
Tohma nodded. "I understand. Thank you Detective."
"Seguchi-san, would it be alright if I had a few words with Yuki-san and Shindou-san? I'd also like to speak with the children."
"Of course. I believe Eiri may have some things he has to speak to us about as well, Detective."
Misawa thanked the man as he walked passed him.
He watched as Tohma strode confidently across the Recovery Room towards a set of drawn curtains in the far corner that was ringed by sextuplets in black suits that looked like they cost more than his annual income. He assumed they were bodyguards that Seguchi Tohma hired to protect his family.
He himself had gone to his superiors and requested that additional officers be sent out to patrol the streets, especially around the hospital. If this Rinjin Karin was indeed after Shindou, then that was the likeliest place she would show up next.
Tohma pulled aside the curtains and vanished inside the tent but not before Misawa caught a glimpse of Yuki-san and Shindou-san cuddling with their peacefully sleeping twins on the narrow hospital bed.
He wondered if it would not be more prudent for them to have a private hospital room.
Not more than a second later, Tohma reappeared. The curtains swung together again as he passed through, but they were not lying perfectly straight, which left a gap through which Misawa caught a glimpse of the writer as he untangled himself and bent over Shindou-san. He whispered something in his ear then kissed him chastely on the lips before rounding the bed and exiting the curtained off section behind Tohma.
As the curtains were drawn back together, Misawa caught a glimpse of violet eyes staring at him in confusion, before they vanished.
"Detective."
Misawa swung his gaze back around.
"This is my brother-in-law." Tohma indicated the taller, blond haired man walking up behind him.
"Yuki-san," Misawa greeted as they shook hands. "Or do you prefer Uesugi-san?"
"The latter," Eiri confessed.
Misawa nodded once. "Uesugi-san-"
"Why don't we take this somewhere a little more private?" Tohma suggested as he glanced about the busy ER.
"Yes, that is a good idea," Misawa agreed. He looked around. "Excuse me," he called out to a passing doctor.
"Yes?"
He presented his badge. "Do you have somewhere private where we can go?"
"Of course, Detective," the woman said. "Just this way."
With her file tucked under her arm, she led them back through the recovery room and down the hall Eiri and Shuichi had been escorted through earlier. She stopped at the first door. Twisting the handle, she swung open the door. Sticking her head into the room, she groped the wall besides the door and turned on the lights in the office. "Here you go," she said with a smile as she pulled her head out and stepped back.
"Thank you."
She inclined her head and vanished back down the hall.
"Gentlemen," Misawa said, turning towards him.
Tohma and Eiri stepped into the room and took the visitor chairs in front of the desk.
Misawa entered the office and shut the door behind him. As he crossed the office towards them, he reached into his jacket and pulled out a photograph. "Do either of you know this woman?" he asked them. He watched them closely.
Tohma leaned forward and taking the photograph, studied the woman staring back at him. The blond hair piled haphazardly atop her head was obviously fake, as was the high-sculpted cheeks, aquiline nose and full, pouty lips. What he could see of her suit appeared just as expensive as any of his wife's suits. Whoever she was, he did not know her, but she was beautiful in an artificial way. "She doesn't look familiar." He handed the photo to Eiri.
Like Tohma, Eiri found her attractive, but could not say either way if he ever met her, but there was something vaguely familiar about her. As he studied the woman in the photograph, the deeper the sense of familiarity became.
"You know her," Misawa assumed.
"Four months ago, we went to Tokyo for Shuichi's grandfather's funeral," Eiri said quietly. He turned towards Tohma. "Remember when I told you about the paparazzo Shuichi saw?"
"I remember," Tohma replied.
"Apparently, it wasn't a paparazzo."
Tohma drew his brows in confusion. "What do you mean?"
Eiri held up the photograph. "It was her." He guessed it was time to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help him God.
How could you tell someone that this accident could have been avoided if he had only come forward sooner? That was exactly what Eiri was thinking as he relayed his tale to both the detective and his brother-in-law.
Back in August, Shuichi noticed what he believed to be a paparazzo outside the Ozaki Funeral Home in Tokyo. At the time, they brushed it off and thought nothing more about it until a couple days later when Eiri found a manila envelope lying on the welcome mat outside the Shindou household. Shuichi's name was written on it. Otherwise, it was unmarked.
"What do you mean 'unmarked'?" Detective Misawa interrupted.
From the appearance of the envelope, it was obvious someone other then the postman had delivered it. There was no return address or postage present.
Detective Misawa was thinking that if the events of earlier today had not happened, he would have been shocked by the forwardness of this woman. She just walked right up to the front door without any qualms or hesitation. What if someone saw her? Then again, knowing what they knew now, it was a safe bet to say that was exactly what Rinjin had been hoping.
Eiri had opened the envelope. Inside had been a photograph of Shuichi holding a slumbering Kane in his arms as he stood in the parking lot of the Ozaki Funeral Home speaking with his younger sister Maiko on the second day of their grandfather's Wake.
"And this was when?"
"August."
"Uesugi-san," Detective Misawa sighed.
"Is this why you came to me last month about upgrading your security?" Tohma asked the author.
Eiri nodded.
"Why have you waited until now to say something, Uesugi-san?" Detective Misawa asked.
Why had he not gone to the police before this? For a variety of reasons. Eiri had not known what to believe when he found that first photograph. As one by one, the photographs showing intimate moments of his family kept arriving, he still had not known what to think. Looking back, Eiri realized he might not have taken the situation as seriously as he should have. Maybe because he really had not expected anything to happen. He was a fool not to say something, especially after the photograph of Shuichi speaking on the phone with Tohma turned up in their mailbox with "MURDERER" written in dried red paint meant to look like blood last month.
"Wait. Wait," Detective Misawa spoke up. "You received a photo of Shindou-san that accused him of being a murderer?"
"Yes." He might not have known who was responsible at the time, but it was then that Eiri knew what they had was not an overzealous fan as he had been hoping, but a stalker and not just any ordinary stalker at that, but one who was out to destroy Shuichi.
Really, if you look at it, what could the police have done? Nothing had happened. They were only receiving photographs once a week in their mailbox. Even when the photograph accusing Shuichi of being a murderer showed up there was still nothing the police could have done. Up until now, their stalker had kept her distance. Even if she had been harassing them with threatening phone calls, leaving gifts on their doorstep, or like Rinjin Yasashii, showing up "coincidentally" wherever they happened to be, the police could still not do anything. She had done nothing to harm any of them physically. So, Eiri did the only thing he could to protect his family, upgraded his security.
If he had had any doubts as to the motive of their stalker, it was confirmed when the next three photographs arrived.
"What do you mean, Uesugi-san?"
Because of the improved security at the house, their stalker had not been able to sneak onto the grounds as she had in the past, so, she'd had to improvise.
The first of the three new photographs was of him as he was shopping in town with Baby Kira. Two weeks ago, a photograph of the boys as they were walking into school was delivered. Then last week, he found one of Riku. It was a photograph of the boy returning home after being away at school in New York. It was the first time being home since Spring Break.
On top of knowing the police could not have done anything, Eiri said nothing for the same reason he was against accepting Seguchi's Christmas present. This was his family and he could handle it himself. As he thought about Riku even now lying in the operating room and Keitaro and Kane sleeping peacefully in their mother's arms out in the recovery/observation room, he realized how foolish he had been. Whether they could have done anything or not, Eiri realized he should have said something anyway.
"Is Shindou-san aware of…?"
Eiri shook his head. He could answer this one question without hesitation.
He kept all of this from Shuichi, though it appeared as if Shuichi had figured a great deal of it out all on his own. Into the third trimester of his pregnancy and having gained at least forty pounds thus far,-though, if you said that aloud, Shuichi would have your head-Eiri wanted to protect the mother of his children from any unnecessary stress. Miscarriages are not caused by stress, he knew that, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
Tohma said nothing. He was not sure what, if anything, to say. It was a noble move and typical Eiri, but still very foolish.
"How many in total arrived?"
Since that first one in August, a total of sixteen had arrived.
"Uesugi-san, do you still have these photographs?"
Unfortunately, he had been unable to part from them despite the fact that he wanted more than anything to burn them in a giant bonfire.
"What about the envelopes they came in?"
They were in a pile at the bottom underneath the photographs. He could not say why he saved them. The envelopes the photos arrived in were the least important part.
Detective Misawa nodded. "Has anyone else touched them?"
As he was the only one outside of Rinjin and now his brother-in-law and Detective Misawa who even knew these photographs existed, no one other than himself and Rinjin had touched them that he was aware of. Now that Shuichi was, or supposed to be anyway, confined to bed, the master suite had turned into Shuichi's makeshift efficiency, which made it that much easier to keep the expectant singer in the dark about his weekly packages.
"Eiri," Tohma spoke up.
Eiri turned towards him.
"You knew. You knew when I told you about the woman Keene was in contact with here in Japan."
The husband of his older sister was right.
It was a mightily big coincidence that Keene, the man who tried to murder Shuichi, was in touch with someone over here in Japan and not any ordinary someone, but Rinjin Yasashii's sister. Keene was mentally unstable and still believed that Shuichi should be held responsible for the death of his daughter. Sometimes the relatives of those accused of crimes refused to believe a member of their family was guilty no matter what the evidence may say, so it was possible that Rinjin's sister refused to believe the reports of her brother and teamed up with Keene.
Hindsight was twenty-twenty. What's done is and nothing will change the guilt Eiri felt over his too late realization that he should have come forward sooner, but he hadn't and now his son might be paralyzed.
Detective Misawa pondered what he had been told. This confirmed the task force's theory. They had to find her and fast before she did something else.
"Seguchi-san, who is this Keene character you spoke of?"
Eiri growled lightly. He fisted his hands.
Tohma patted the author lightly on the shoulder. "Scott Keene," he explained. Tohma told Detective Misawa what he knew about the attempted murderer.
With his arms crossed over his chest, Detective Misawa turned thoughtful. "Hm." He would have to check up on that. It sounds like there might be something there. "Oh and Uesugi-san, I'm going to have to arrange for those photographs to be picked up."
"Of course," Eiri complied.
"Actually, my wife is at the house right now watching Baby Kira," Tohma spoke up.
They left Kira with their neighbor, Najima Nami, until Mika arrived from Kyoto where the Seguchi's were spending the holiday. Nami has watched the boys on several occasions. She was someone both Eiri and Shuichi trusted.
"Okay. Let me get in touch with my boss so we can make those arrangements and then I would like to speak with Shindou-san and the boys if that is all right."
Eiri shot his brother-in-law a glance, who nodded at his unspoken inquiry. "That will be fine."
Detective Misawa frowned. What had that look been about?
oOo
The days were shorter this time of year. Hours before families usually sat down to have a nice family dinner it was already beginning to become dark as the sun slid slowly behind the horizon.
She stood in the parking lot on the east side of Osaka University Hospital. As her gaze traveled up the building that loomed large and imposing before her, the fur lined hood of her jacket slipped back to reveal damp, shoulder length blond hair secured loosely by a hair tie.
Tugging her hood back up over her head, she dropped her gaze and stuffing her hands into her coat pockets, shuffled across the full lot.
oOo
Half hidden behind a van and drooling, Taisuke kept snapping away. Lowering his camera, he smirked. Reaching for his cellphone, he flipped it open, but he paused and asked himself what he thought he was doing. Yes, she was wanted by the Osaka police in question to the accident that occurred earlier today and he knew he should contact them before she either disappeared into the ethers again or did something else, but on the other hand, he had a duty to his readers. The public had a right to know.
His reporter's curiosity won.
Snapping his phone closed, Taisuke returned it and stepping out from behind the van, jogged across the parking lot towards the double set of doors through which Rinjin Karin had vanished.
Making sure his camera was tucked safely out of view, for it was a dead give away as to his profession, Taisuke gripped the cool metal handles and flung open the heavy door. Glancing quickly over his shoulder, he too slipped inside.
This was going to be good.
Stopping just inside the second set of doors, Taisuke quickly scanned the lobby. There were several people scattered throughout the lobby. Some were watching the television that was tuned to the local news. Others were flipping through magazines, but he did not see Rinjin.
"Excuse me," Taisuke said as he strolled up to the front desk where a volunteer was working quietly. Her nametag read Keiko.
"Yes, Sir?" the older woman asked.
"Hi. I was wondering if you could help me."
"What can I do for you?"
"I'm looking for my wife." The lie came out smoothly. "I was wondering if you've seen her. We came to visit her cousin who was admitted earlier. I dropped her off then went to park the car. She didn't happen to come through here, did she?"
"What did she look like?"
"Uhm, blond hair? Longish tan leather coat with faux fur lining? Has a slight limp?"
"Oh, yes. She dropped off a package then took off down that hallway." She indicated over her left shoulder.
"Aah. She must have already gone up. Thank you very much." He bowed kindly.
Keiko inclined her head in kind. "You're welcome."
His boots squealing against the tiled floor, Taisuke took off down the twisting corridor.
Rinjin dropped off a package? Taisuke could not remember her having anything when she entered the hospital. He wondered what that was all about.
Somehow, Taisuke found himself in front of a bank of elevators near another waiting room and another set of doors that looked out over where his colleagues were huddled together out in the frigid temperatures.
Where did she go?
"Are you lost?" asked a deep, male voice from behind him.
Taisuke turned around and came face to face with a security officer. His nametag said Takeda. "Yeah," he laughed. "This's my first time here. I'm trying to find the cafeteria."
"The cafeteria? Okay. You just turn right down this hall here," Officer Takeda pointed over his shoulder "and then left at the gift shop. It'll be on your right."
"Got it. Thank you very much." Taisuke bowed.
Officer Takeda inclined his head in return.
"I'm supposed to meet my wife there. We're here to see her cousin. You haven't seen her have you? Blond hair? Limping? Tannish coat?"
"Can't say that I have."
Where did she go? She could not have just vanished.
"We can have her paged-?"
"Oh, no," Taisuke said panicking. "That's okay. She'll either be in the cafeteria or up in her cousin's room. She just tends to do things without informing me."
"You sure-?"
"Yes. Yes. Thank you very much." Taisuke bowed several more times, as he quietly slipped away.
Once out of sight of the security officer, Taisuke breathed a heavy sigh of relief, and then cursed himself for losing his target.
oOo
The sound of muffled voices from outside the drawn curtains woke Shuichi from his light slumber. Rubbing his aching eyes, he pushed himself up into a sitting position, being careful not to disturb his sleeping boys cuddled around him. The curtains parted and Marcus appeared. "What's going on? Where's Eiri?" Shuichi asked the man, his voice slurred.
"He's still with Mr. Seguchi, Sir."
Shuichi's face fell. "Oh." He wished Eiri were here. He was worried about Riku. Eiri told him their oldest boy was in surgery, but he refused to say anything more then that. He hoped nothing was seriously wrong. A hand flew to his belly. Though the twins were still sound asleep, it felt as if somebody had woken up.
"But one of the hospital volunteers just dropped this off."
Shuichi raised his head. "Huh?"
With a sharp intake of air, Shuichi's eyes went wide at the Manila envelope.
"Mr. Shindou?"
Marcus's voice snapped Shuichi out of his thoughts. "Huh?"
"Are you all right, Sir?"
"Oh, yes," he smiled weakly. Shuichi reached out with trembling hands and took the offered envelope. "Thank you."
"Sir." Marcus inclined his head.
One end of the envelope had been torn open.
"What is it?" He'd asked because as his bodyguard, Marcus would have checked to make sure the package was safe for him to handle. He would not be a very good bodyguard if he allowed his client to have something that might end up blowing his face off.
"It appears to be a photograph of some kind."
Shuichi frowned.
"You said a nurse dropped this off?"
"A volunteer. She said it was dropped off at the front lobby for you."
"Who dropped it off?" Shuichi did not like this…
"She didn't say."
…Not one bit. "Thanks."
With a tip of his head, Marcus vanished back outside the curtain.
"Oh! Marcus?"
Marcus popped his head back inside. "Sir?"
"Can you see what's taking Eiri so long? And then try to find someone and ask them about that room we requested."
"Yes, Sir."
Once again, his big, burly bodyguard vanished.
Shuichi studied the manila envelope. His name was printed clearly in bold, black, block lettering. Flipping it over, he saw there was nothing else on the envelope, no postage, or return address. "Strange," he mumbled. He reached inside and pulled out what indeed turned out to be a photograph. It was upside down, for which Shuichi was grateful. The photograph, with the logo of the film company scrawled in yellow font color in diagonal lines across the backside, shook in his trembling hands.
Shuichi felt sick to his stomach and it had nothing to do with his pregnancy.
Taking a deep breath, he flipped the photo over. Nothing could prepare him for what he saw.
oOo
Dr. Aiba Madoka raised her hand just as the office door swung open, startling both her and the foreign bodyguard behind her.
"Doctor," Detective Misawa exclaimed. He was immediately on alert when he recognized the woman whom allowed them the use of the office and behind her was one of the guards Seguchi-san assigned to the Uesugi-Shindou family. "What's happened," he demanded.
Marcus stepped forward. "Sir."
Dr. Aiba excused herself.
Fear and panic jolted Eiri's heart into a quickening pulse. He stepped forward. "Is Shuichi all right? Is he-?"
"He has been asking for you, Sir."
Eiri breathed a heavy sigh of relief. He swore the baka was going to the death of him yet. "All right. Tell the brat I'll be right there and that Detective Misawa here has some questions he would like to ask him and the boys," he ordered as his heart rate went back to normal.
"Yes, Sir."
"Thank you Marcus," Tohma dismissed. He turned towards the detective and his brother-in-law and swept his hand out the door. "Shall we?"
"Sirs."
Tohma turned back towards the black man. "Didn't I-?"
"Yes, sir, but there is something else you probably should know."
Eiri spun towards his husband's bodyguard. He suddenly had a very bad feeling.
"Well? What is it?" Tohma snapped.
"Just moments ago, one of the hospital volunteers dropped off a manila envelope."
"What?!" shouted three male voices in unison.
With a curse, Eiri pushed passed his brother-in-law, the detective and Marcus. He was vaguely aware of Detective Misawa pulling out his cellphone as he, Tohma and Marcus followed him as he sprinted down the hall towards the observation room. His heart was thumping a fierce beat.
That bitch was here? She had the nerve to show her face after what she did to his family? If he ever got his hands on her, he was going to kill her! Nobody messed with his family and lived.
The bodyguards snapped to attention when they spotted Eiri racing towards them.
"Kitazawa Riku?"
Blinking, Eiri skidded to a halt and turned towards the male voice. Everything else was instantly forgotten at the mention of his son. "Yes?"
An older man in scrubs stepped into the observation room. "I'm Dr. Amada Hirofumi. I worked on your son."
As the two men shook hands, there was a clatter of movement sounded behind the doctor. Eiri glanced over the doctor's shoulder and spotted Marcus, his brother-in-law and Detective Misawa. "Shuichi," he breathed. Eiri strode towards the curtain that shielded his family. As Blade stepped aside and pulled back the curtain, Eiri gasped at the sight that greeted him. "Shuichi!"
Shuichi was as white as the sheets on the bed. His expression was blank, but tears streamed down his face.
Eiri rushed to his husband's side and immediately went pale. "Detective," he called over his shoulder. "You need to take a look at this."
Detective Misawa was pulling the gloves he always kept on him out of his pockets as he stepped forward when he was struck temporarily dumb as he stared down at the singer. Was it just him or-?
"Detective," whispered a low voice in his ear.
Startled, he turned to glance over his shoulder.
Tohma drew him aside. "I trust you will keep this to yourself? If there are any leaks, I will have your job and sue not only your department but the city for everything they have and trust me when I say I will win."
His face having lost its color, Detective Misawa gulped and nodded. "Of course." He looked briefly over his shoulder at the infamous couple. "So, Shindou-san is-?"
"Pregnant with triplets."
Detective Misawa blinked. "Wow," he exclaimed in shock. "When is he due?"
"April. They plan on a C-section."
The detective nodded.
"Detective," Tohma called when the plain cloths detective turned away, "I trust you will remember our little talk?"
"Of course, Seguchi-san."
Tohma nodded his thanks.
Still a little shaky, Detective Misawa strolled up to the bed. "Hello, Shindou-san. I am Detective Misawa. Can I take a look at that?" He gently released the photograph out of the singer's grasp.
Eiri sat on the edge of the mattress and pulled his husband to him as much as Shuichi's massive stomach would allow.
Shuichi clung to him tightly. He buried his face in Eiri's chest and sobbed quietly.
Detective Misawa's grip tightened. His expression hardened. "Mr. Biesinger," he said.
Marcus stepped forward. "Yes, Sir?"
"You said one of the staff volunteers gave this to you for Shindou-san?"
"Yes, sir. She said it was dropped off at the front lobby by a woman."
"Did she say who this woman was? What she looked like?"
"No, sir."
"Thank you."
Marcus inclined his head and returned to his post.
"What is going on, Detective Misawa?" Tohma asked.
Detective Misawa held out the object in question.
Tohma's face remained impassive as he studied what appeared to be a crime scene photo of an accident involving what, at one time, had been a red car of an indistinguishable model, but was nothing more than a ball of metal. But it was what was printed across the photograph in what Tohma assumed was dried red paint that disturbed him the most:
"I WARNED YOU". He locked eyes with the detective.
"Excuse me," called a new voice.
All eyes turned towards Dr. Amada. "If this is a bad time-?"
"No, no," Eiri said. His voice was thick. He discreetly wiped at stray tears. "Please. Shu-chan," he said turning towards his teary-eyed husband, "this is Dr. Amada Hirofumi. He's Riku's surgeon."
Shuichi turned his watery eyes towards the Dr. Amada as he stepped up to the bed.
Dr. Amada Hirofumi was an older gentleman with a head full of grey hair and steel grey eyes. His face was hard and deeply lined.
"How is my son?" Eiri asked.
"The surgery went just fine."
"What was wrong with him?" Tohma asked. "We were told by Dr. Li that he suffered some spinal injuries?"
"Yes," Dr. Amada confirmed.
Shuichi gave a cry.
Eiri tightened his hold on his already devastated husband.
"More specifically, what he suffered was what we call 'a vertebral compression fracture'."
Shuichi nodded as a surge of relief flooded through him. Dr. Ohtani and he had discussed all this back when he was in the hospital after his fall.
"What is that exactly?" Detective Misawa asked.
"It occurs when the bones of the spine become broken due to trauma. In the case of Kitazawa-kun, it was the accident. Usually the trauma necessary to break the bones of the spine is quite large. In certain circumstances, however, such as in elderly people and in people with cancer, these same bones can break with little or no force. The vertebrae most commonly broken are those in the lower back. We discovered the break on one of his x-rays and performed a CT scan and then an MRI of his spine when Kitazawa-kun told us he could not feel his legs," Dr. Amada continued.
There was a round of gasp and curses.
"He went in for surgery to repair the break, which I said before was successful."
"He'll be able to walk again, right?" Shuichi spoke up for the first time. He turned pleading eyes towards the older man.
Dr. Amada turned towards the violet-eyed singer. He smiled gently. "Yes," he said. "He'll be up and about in no time at all."
There was a round of relieved sighs.
"He may need to wear a back brace just as a precautionary for a little while, gets lots of rest, will have to be confined to bed for several weeks until he heals and has to avoid strenuous and painful activities." the doctor said.
"I don't know if he'll like that," Shuichi giggled. He sniffed and wiped at his tears.
"Or if the boys'll allow it," Eiri added with a soft chuckle. He glanced down at the twins who were snoring softly curled up against their mother.
"Guess this means you won't be switching the rooms around, huh? Or setting up the nursery."
Eiri shrugged. "We still have time. Besides, I'm sure we'll have a contingent of guests that will be glad to volunteer their time."
Shuichi snorted. He knew exactly what Eiri said when he said he would have "volunteers".
"Kitazawa-kun will also," Dr. Amada continued, "need to apply ice to his back for the first week, then heat or ice, whichever feels better, after that. Ice should be placed in a bag, wrap the bag in a towel, and then apply to the back for 15-20 minutes each hour. Do not add heat the first week because it draws more fluid to the area, thereby increasing swelling and pain. I will be prescribing him a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory that he will need to take every day and a muscle relaxant. You will need to take him to see his doctor regularly to ensure that the bones are healing or you can bring him here. I will be happy to see him." He laughed at the expression on Shuichi's face. "Do not worry. I'll write all this down for you."
Shuichi breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank you, Dr. Amada," Tohma told him.
The doctor inclined his head.
"Yes, thank you," Eiri said.
"You are very welcome."
"Can we see him?" Shuichi asked with hope-filled eyes.
"Certainly," Dr. Amada said. "He is being wheeled up to that private room you requested. I'll have Yoshio escort you up there when you are ready."
They thanked the older man once again as he bowed and made his exit.
Detective Misawa turned towards the retired pop star. His expression turned hard. His eyes went serious. "Shindou-san. I am Detective Misawa Ren," he reintroduced himself when Shuichi turned blank eyes towards him. "I am from the Osaka Police Department."
"He's investigating the hit and run," Eiri explained.
Shuichi nodded that he understood.
"That's right. Is it all right if I ask you a couple questions?"
Shuichi drew in a breath.
…To Be Continued…
Preview: "The Tightening Noose & Catching Up"