EDITED: OCT 9, 2018. The ending has been changed quite a bit so I recommend rereading that.
Happy New Year everyone! Here's to hoping it'll be a good one!
We've finally moved on to the next part of the story. A bit more development and world building in this one so I hope you all enjoy!
Review responses to guest reviewers:
Wolfy: Happy to hear you're enjoying it so far and I hope you continue to!
Guest: Glad to hear you're enjoying it!
Guest: Here's your update! As for your questions...well this chapter should answer one of them.
Also, quick shout out to LadyHawke361. I followed your advice and it really helped clear my head and get this story back on track.
Chapter 14: A Proposition
"I still can't believe they're not releasing what that old man did!"
"The statute of limitations attached to the crime has already passed," Naru explained without looking at the fuming priestess, "They can't legally accuse him of anything without the chance of being sued for slander or libel."
"Plus," added Takigawa, standing in his own corner of the waiting room, "do you honestly expect the police to drag their own name through the mud if they don't have to?"
"Damn politics," Ayako mumbled, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms, "I bet Mai probably kicked up a fuss when she heard."
Tilting his head in thought from his seat next to the priestess, Yasu tapped his right index finger to his chin."I don't know, Ayako. Depending on how long she's been working here, Mai's probably used to how things are done."
"Still seems wrong to just let the bastard off scott free." She grumbled while accepting the college student's point. "Anyway, exactly how long are they going to have us sitting here waiting for them?"
Quite a few of the SPR members snuck glances out their room's glass window and into the busy bullpen of the Homicide Division. They had been called into the Tokyo Police Department headquarters so they could provide their statements concerning the Mizushima Resort case they'd finished two days ago. It had already been almost twenty minutes since they'd arrived and the group was starting to get antsy.
"I'm sure it'll only take a little while longer, they are rather busy after all," John reassured Ayako with a smile.
"Hopefully not too long," Masako said, kimono sleeve covering the lower half of her face, "I have filming scheduled for today and I can't be late."
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure a police investigation trumps your reality show, Masako." Takigawa countered with a deadpan voice.
The celebrity just huffed and chose to remain silent.
It was another five minutes of silence before the door to their room finally opened and a burly officer with dreadlocks walked in holding a manila folder. "Hello everyone, we apologize for the delay. Thanks for agreeing to come in today."
"Ah! Officer Tanaka, right?" Yasu greeted the familiar man.
"Got it in one, nice to see ya again kid," Masaru replied with a friendly smile.
"Guys, this is Officer Masaru Tanaka," Yasu explained to the rest of the group that didn't have the chance to meet the cheerful officer previously, "He was part of the team that was looking through the files during that case we took at the Atsuko Factory."
Greetings were exchanged between everyone as they were all introduced or, in Ayako's case, reintroduced, to the officer. Once this was done, Naru didn't waste any time in getting down to business. "Are you ready to begin the interviews?"
"Sure, we're all set up but, before we begin, our department has a…proposition for Shibuya Psychic Research." Masaru held out the file he was carrying towards Naru who accepted it with a curious countenance.
"Proposition?" The young CEO asked as he opened the file and began skimming the contents inside.
"The Homicide Department of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department would like to form an official relationship with your company." The officer formally declared to the room, and silently enjoyed the shocked faces of some of its occupants.
Naru remained silent while continuing to look through the documents, handing the ones he'd already read to Lin for the man to assess. The rest of his team, however, were practically bursting with questions.
"You want us to work with you?" An amazed Takigawa inquired, breaking the silence.
"Sweet!" Yasu was practically bouncing with enthusiasm as he grinned at the officer.
Masaru let a small, amused smile grace his lips as he replied. "Believe it or not, we come across quite a number of cases where a team such as yourselves would be a big help."
"This is a huge honor Officer Takara," John humbly stated, "If I may though…why us?"
This grabbed everyone's attention, even Naru and Lin's. Expecting such a question, Masaru didn't hesitate with his reply. "Based on what we've seen from our interactions with you guys so far, you approach your cases in a logical and scientific manner. It's something we ourselves do during an investigation. Your track record also speaks for itself. Plus," he added with a mischievous grin, "You're the only spiritualists that our dear Kenshin hasn't ruthlessly shot down after five seconds of meeting them."
"How many companies like ours have you actually met?" Said Ayako in bewilderment.
"Well, there was this one company… Miyami… Minami something research. That was certainly an interesting experience," Masaru recalled with a chuckle, "I don't think I've ever seen Kenshin so annoyed since I've met him. Their owner seemed like a real piece of work too."
The SPR regulars all glanced at each other, recognizing the familiar name. It was when they all tried to imagine the interaction between the detective and the arrogant CEO of the phony company that they began to chuckle.
A few of them tried to hide their amusement but Yasu had no reservations with showing his mirth. "Ha! I would've paid to see that!"
"The building that we were in did have cameras now that I think about it," The officer thought aloud in an overly exaggerated gesture, "I'm sure I could find the tape somewhere…for a price of course."
Yasu's smile turned positively unholy at the news. "You know, Masaru, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."
Before the two could begin discussing further acts of blackmail, Naru finally looked up as he handed the rest of the file to Lin. "I need to discuss with my team whether or not they all agree to the terms before we accept anything."
"Of course," Masaru agreed, nodding his head, "I'll give you time to talk things over and be back for your answer. We'll get your interviews started then too." He then left with a wave of his hand, allowing the room to fall into an expectant silence as all eyes turned to their boss.
Naru waited until the door fully closed before addressing his employees. "First, you should all be aware that before we can be accepted in any official capacity, we will each need to be vetted. That means background checks, interviews, and polygraph tests."
"Aren't the polygraph tests a little excessive?" questioned Ayako.
"Not if what he said about the other spiritualists is true." Takigawa rebutted in a calm tone. "If I were them, I'd use all my resources to make sure we weren't possibly screwing them over too."
"If anyone here has a problem with the requirements you are more than welcome to decline," Naru informed the contemplative group. "The contract is for the company so any that do not wish to participate will be left out of any cases involving the police in an official capacity."
"May I have a look at the contract, Naru?" Masako piped up, gracefully rising from her seated position. "I want to make sure nothing could possibly interfere with my show."
Naru inclined his head and gestured for Lin to hand the medium the stack of papers he'd already read. "You may as well pass it around once you're finished. I want everyone to look it over before coming to any decisions."
It's kinda scary the amount of information they can dig up on us, isn't it?" Yasu chuckled nervously.
"Tell me about it," Takigawa whined with his head resting on the table, "Some of those questions were way too specific."
"I'm just happy it's finally over," Ayako grumbled from her seat on the couch, "The whole thing was nerve-wracking, I'm exhausted!"
"I don't see what the problem was, it was a fairly easy process considering I had nothing to hide." Masako smugly stated.
"Are you trying to imply something you little brat?" The priestess glared at the medium.
"Now, now," John interjected before the two women could verbally maul each other, "It's been a long day for everyone, I'm sure we'll all feel better once we're dismissed."
Right as Ayako opened her mouth the waiting room door opened and their last two members entered. "Finally! Are we done now?"
Naru and Lin ignored the priestess, the former shooting the woman a glare that had her shrinking into her seat, in favor of focusing on the third person that entered behind them wearing a warm smile. "Thank you for your patience everyone. I'm Takeshi Yamauchi, Chief of this department, and I'd like to personally welcome you to our team."
A few of them blinked in shock, Ayako flushing in embarrassment at her earlier outburst, before they all stood and bowed while introducing themselves. Chief Yamauchi just smiled through it all then motioned for them to take a seat. "I would also like to personally thank everyone here for your help in Hinohara. We couldn't have closed the case without you."
"We were just doing our job, sir," Naru stated, giving a single nod of acknowledgment.
"Of course." The chief agreed with a knowing smile. "Anyway, I'm here to go over the more important details of the contract with you all before you leave." Yamauchi lost his jovial atmosphere and took on a more professional air. "As you've read, if any of you are convicted of a crime during your time of employment with us, your contract will immediately be terminated. The company will be paid the standard consulting fee but only when we bring you in on a case. We will be assigning a liaison to you for easy communication between us. They will be your only point of contact between us and they will also provide you a certain level of access to our own files. However," Yamauchi continued with a sharp look at Yasu's hopeful face, "the liaison will be the only person allowed to access our records."
The pout Yasu directed at the chief almost caused a couple of the SPR member to chuckle aloud.
"Last, and I cannot stress this point enough," the chief stated in a no-nonsense tone, "none of you can advertise that you are working with us in an official capacity. Any breach of this clause will immediately terminate the entire company's contract with us and we will deny all claims of our association."
When everyone had initially read the contract, this was the point that confused most of them. Takigawa was the one that decided to ask what they were all thinking. "Everyone here agrees with those terms but, why do we have to hide our association while Mai is openly acknowledged as a consultant?"
Everyone was curious as to how the man would respond. They watched as Chief Yamauchi's expression twisted in quiet amusement. "Well, that's because Mai's abilities aren't actually common knowledge here."
The chief silently enjoyed the puzzled and confused expressions his answer earned him. It wasn't long before one of them finally spoke up. "But we've seen her use them in front of other cops!" Ayako exclaimed. "How can everyone not know?"
"So that's why you had them all clear-out," Naru softly stated with a calculating look, "and considering what happened, it was a smart move."
"I assume you're speaking of Mai's initial reunion with you all." The chief responded. "Yes, it's been known to happen on occasion so we make sure those not in the know are otherwise occupied when we call her in."
"The medical examiner and the detective. Anyone else?" Naru inquired, lifting one dark brow.
"Officer Tanaka and one more, so a total of five in our department." He replied with a nod.
"Really?" John, along with the others, was surprised at the small number. "If I may, how exactly does that work? How do you explain her conclusions?"
The chief relaxed his stance a little, placing both hands in his pockets, and appeared to be thinking of the best way to explain. "Any of you familiar with American TV shows?"
They all nodded in agreement before he continued. "Ever heard of a show called The Mentalist?"
Naru, John, Yasu, and Lin all nodded, understanding starting to seep into their expressions, while the other three looked confused. Yamauchi took this as a sign to start explaining. "The show centers around an independent police consultant who identifies as a mentalist: a person with exceptional skills in observation and reading body language. The main character initially used these skills to con people into believing he was a psychic since most of his conclusions seem to come from nowhere." He summarized with an upward tilt of his lips. "We thought it would be an appropriate cover for her."
"Forget the bulletproof vest with 'Psychic' on it, a Red John t-shirt would be a much better gift!" Yasu gleefully announced to the room. John laughed nervously at the college student's suggestion while everyone else strategically chose to ignore the boy.
It was Masako that finally brought them back to the topic at hand. "Forgive me, but I still fail to see how Mai's abilities would benefit you. If I'm understanding this correctly, her supposed 'observations' would not count as evidence in court."
It was a valid point, and also got them curious about exactly what it was their friend did for the police. They all watched as the chief had an internal debate with himself before seeming to come to a conclusion. Abruptly turning on his heels and pushing the door open, he looked back at the ghost hunters. "Follow me."
Seeing no other option, they exited the holding room and trailed behind the chief as he guided them through the busy department and to one of the doors at the back of the building. Stopping in front of it, Yamauchi motioned for them to be silent before ushering them in.
Upon entering, they found themselves in a small room containing only a tiny wall table and a window looking into another room. Masaru briefly glanced back at them from his position by the window before silently returning his attention to the scene in the other room. They quickly realized they were looking at an interrogation room as Kenshin's voice came through the speakers.
"Mr. Goto, we have you on camera at the bar leaving with the victim. We also have CCTV footage of your vehicle driving in the direction she lived and later leaving the area, which just so happens to be a little after the time our M.E. estimates she was murdered." They watched as Kenshin pushed a few black and white photographs across the metal table towards Mr. Goto who only glanced at them but kept an indifferent expression. "We found your DNA on the victim and you were the last person to see her alive."
The suspect's body language screamed defensive. Brown eyes glaring out from under his stringy black bangs and arms crossed against his skinny chest. "So I was invited over to her place for a little fun. Is that a crime now?"
"No," Kenshin acknowledged, "but bashing her skull in with a metal figurine most certainly is."
"I've told you people a thousand times, it wasn't me!" Mr. Goto growled in agitation, thin handcuffed hands gripping the table. "Ever think that maybe someone killed her after I left?"
"You were the only person we found evidence of being in the house with her. Are you trying to tell me someone appeared, killed her, and left without a single trace of their presence?" Kenshin asked, sarcasm lacing his voice.
"Lack of evidence doesn't mean it didn't happen!" Mr. Gato emphasized by leaning over the table.
"It also doesn't mean that it did." The detective calmly countered.
"You know what? If you actually had anything on me you'd have already arrested me." The man pointed out, leaning back in his seat. "I don't have to say another damn word, I want a lawyer."
Everyone in the observation room watched Kenshin's frustration seep into his features. He roughly pushed his chair back and exited the small room while shutting the door harder than necessary. Most of SPR's members seemed shocked at the detective's abrupt switch in demeanor but were more surprised when said detective calmly entered their room, body relaxed and lacking the tension it had displayed only moments ago.
"She ready?" Masaru asked, looking over his shoulder at the room's newest occupant.
"Already on her way," Kenshin answered, making his way to the front of the room. His only acknowledgment of their visitors being a quick glance before he turned his attention back towards the window in front of him.
Ayako opened her mouth in preparation to ask what the heck was going on when Takigawa placed a hand on her shoulder, shaking his head in the negative. She deflated at the non-verbal warning, letting out a frustrated sigh, but composed herself none the less. Takigawa patted her shoulder twice in a show of thanks.
Naru watched all this out of the corner of his eye, thankful that the monk had intervened before the priestess could cause a scene. He, along with Lin who also noticed the potential problem, soon switched their attention back to the interrogation room just in time to watch the door open and see a very familiar figure enter.
The ghost hunters were surprised and…almost disturbed to see how uncertain and meek the girl looked. Mai seemed to be trying to make as little noise as possible and would only hold the other man's gaze for a few seconds before looking away. She hesitantly walked up to the man and held up the cup she was carrying with both hands. Her smile was nervous but kind. "Would you like some water?"
Everyone watched as the man went from irritated to predatory at the sight of Mai. It was safe to assume that most of them felt uncomfortable with the looks the man was shooting their friend.
They watched as Mr. Goto's smile turned sly and flirtatious. "Thank you. Do you mind handing it to me? I'd grab it but…" Here he lifted his cuffed hands in a helpless gesture.
Mai's eyes widened in understanding. "Oh, yes, sorry!" Leaning down a little, she held out the cup.
The man slowly reached up and grasped it, letting his hands linger longer than necessary on her bare fingers. "Thanks, sweetheart."
"Why that little-"
"Monk." Naru sternly warned in a low voice, glaring the older man into silence. Takigawa grumbled under his breath but complied none the less. Their attention was brought back to the interrogation room as Mai sat in the chair opposite the suspect.
"Wait," Mr. Goto's amused voice came through the speakers, "you're going to interrogate me?"
Mai still appeared nervous to be in the man's presence but tried to keep up a semi-confident façade. "N-no, no I'm just here to keep an eye on you."
The man only grinned wider at Mai stumbling over her words. "Well, I won't argue with that. It's always nice to have the company of a beautiful woman."
"Sly bastard." Ayako let slip out as she glared at the man through the window.
Mai hesitantly smiled and leaned further back in her seat, hands tightly folded in her lap. "I bet you've used that line on tons of women before. Probably even the one you're being interrogated about."
He shrugged and leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. "Only the pretty ones and I'd never reuse a line so soon. Gotta stay somewhat fresh."
"Then what did you do," she asked, shuffling in her seat and leaning back a little further, "give your name then tell her you'll be buying her drinks until she finds you attractive?"
The stunned look that crossed the suspect's face was missed by no one and all of SPR's members became hyper-focused on the unfolding conversation. Mai seemed to have hit the nail on the head, and they all had ideas as to how.
Mr. Gato himself faltered in his flirty persona but quickly pulled it back together, though his confusion still bled through. "Yeah, actually, I did. That's a pretty good guess."
"Well, it's one that's been used on me before." She replied with a meek shrug. "It probably made her laugh though, maybe teasingly order water too."
"Okay, you spoke with the bartender, didn't you?" The occupants of the observation room watched as Mr. Gato became more unnerved with Mai's, apparently, spot on assumptions. His attempts to shake it off by joking only made it more obvious.
"You must have been so excited," Mai continued without acknowledging the question, "having a beautiful woman like her respond positively to your advances. Doesn't happen often, does it?" She ended the question with a glance at his skinny build.
"Excuse me?" Anger at the implied insult was quick to overshadow the man's previous confusion and his grip tightened dangerously on his cup.
Mai ignored him once again, body language relaxing from its previously tense posture. "You also weren't at her house very long, probably less than ten minutes, right? That's pretty short for what you seemed to have planned."
"And what would a brat like you know about that, huh?" They could all see that the man was trying to get a reaction out of Mai. He was still leaning onto the table but instead of it being flirty, he now appeared to be trying to intimidate her.
"Unless," Mai continued, tilting her head to the left in consideration, "you didn't make it that far."
"Shut up!" Mr. Gato screamed, smashing the cup onto the table, drenching it in water, and abruptly standing from his seat. "What do you know, you bitch!"
All of SPR tensed, ready to sprint from the observation room and get Mai away from the man.
"Stay put."
The single command from the chief, who didn't even bother to look away from the one-way mirror, halted all movement. Fists were clenched and glares were thrown but they all reluctantly obeyed. The ghost hunters trusted the officers but they also knew the kind of danger Mai attracted. Running to her when her safety was being threatened still seemed to be an ingrained reflex for them, even after two years.
"I-I'm sorry!" She all but squeaked and shrunk into her seat. "I didn't mean to insult you. My mouth just, sometimes there's no filter between it and my brain."
"Yeah, well maybe you should watch that." He angrily told Mai, pacing slightly on his side of the table. "You women are all the same, running your mouth when you shouldn't."
"Did, did the woman from the bar insult you?"
Eyes that had previously closed in an effort to calm down shot open and stared at Mai. "What?"
"Well, I mean, you just seem…angry." Mai's eyes only held contact with Mr. Gato's for a brief moment before looking away. "She must have done something to you."
"She- why am I talking to you?" He cut himself off before he could say anything further. "What is this, good cop bad cop?"
"No, of course not!" Mai denied, flustered and hands waving back-and-forth.
"Then how do you know all this stuff, huh?" He questioned, leaning on the table with his hands in an imposing manner.
"I don't!" She insisted as he hovered above her. "I swear I'm only curious!"
"Then how'd you know about the bar, and-!" They watched as Mr. Gato attempted to rein in his temper. "How?!"
Mai's body language screamed intimidated. All of SPR hated watching this but they continued to comply with the earlier request from the chief.
"She pissed you off!" Mai's response showed the fire that they were used to seeing from the petite brunette but was tinged with a hint of anxiety. "You're angry! She had to have said or done something, and it had to have happened while you were at her house!"
"Just shut up." He growled, glaring at her.
"Maybe she said something while drunk-,"
"Shut up!"
"made fun of your performance-,"
"Shut up!"
"called you impotent-"
"Shut up!" He screamed, slamming his hands on the table. "Bitch deserved it! I did the world a favor!"
The silence that descended over the room was only interrupted by the heavy breathing of Mr. Gato.
"So, you killed her because you couldn't get it up."
It only took a few seconds for the skinny man to actually process what he'd just admitted. The sudden paling and wide-eyed expression said all that it needed to.
He'd screwed up.
Mai, on the other hand, had lost all traces of nerves and intimidation. She stared at the man, her usual confidence in place and eyes narrowed in contempt.
"No one, you bastard, deserves this." They watched as she punctuated the statement by tossing a photo she'd pulled from the file on the table at him, before rising from her seat and exiting the room.
The members of SPR could only look on in surprise. Mai had just made getting a confession out of a murderer look effortless. And since when was she such a good actor?
"Got him." Kenshin's soft but pleased announcement seemed to signal the end of the silence. The detective swiftly left the room while the ghost hunters immediately began discussing amongst themselves.
"Did jou-chan just use her abilities to interrogate someone?"
"Where'd she even get the idea for that?"
"I'll admit it was fairly impressive."
"Mai's certainly grown up a lot, huh?"
"Tell you what though," Yasu added with a nervous laugh, eyes never leaving the distressed form of the murderer, "I'd never want to get on her bad side now."
Naru and Lin stayed quiet throughout the discussion, only observing as Mr. Gato was swiftly escorted out of the interrogation room. They were soon joined by the chief who had silently made his way around the talkative group and over to the duo. With hands clasped behind his back, he spoke loud enough so only they could hear. "Easier to understand now?"
Slipping his hands into his pockets, Naru turned slightly to face the man. "Very. Her hands?"
A look of sympathy graced the chief's face. "Yes…the gloves help keep everything out, but for this, she needs to be…exposed."
"Uncontrolled psychometry." Naru's statement held an understanding that had the chief staring at him in consideration.
"How long has this been going on?" Lin questioned, brow furrowed in concern.
Chief Takeuchi flicked his gaze to the Chinese man. "The interviews? Maybe a year." He shrugged nonchalantly. "The whole seeing everyone's and everything's past by touch?" Here, he switched his gaze to the now empty interrogation room. "Not sure."
"Psychometry, especially untrained, is taxing and highly dangerous for the user. It has consequences." Lin's words only caused the chief to stare at him in silence for a moment before responding.
"Well then, it looks like you have an unfinished job to complete. Or was it never even started?" Before either researcher could respond, the chief looked away from them and grabbed the attention of the still debating SPR regulars. "Well, I think our little field trip did its job. You all understand now, correct?"
Masako, along with Ayako, nodded her head, acknowledging the response to her earlier question. The others were more verbal in their agreements.
"Did you guys teach that to her? Can I learn?" Yasu begged, eyes shining with hope.
"Mai seems to be flourishing in your care." John agreed with a soft smile.
"You all must have some pretty great acting courses. Mai used to be a terrible liar." The monk laughed.
"We do our best." Chief Takeuchi replied with a smile. "Now if you'll all follow me, we have a couple things we need to finalize."
Collecting the last of the signed contracts from SPR's members, the chief quickly placed them in a neat pile. "Now that it's official, I'd like to welcome you all to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department."
"We look forward to doing business together." Naru calmly replied with a small bow of his head. The rest of the team followed his example, though their bows were much deeper.
"As do we." The chief responded with a nod of his own, resting his interlaced hands atop his desk. "Now, for your liaison, you will be working with Detective Kenshin Noburo. Which, I'm sure, isn't a surprise considering his role as Mai's handler."
Next, he pushed a piece of paper towards Naru who picked it up and looked at the contents. "Those are all the numbers you can call if you ever need our assistance. I will have your copy of the contracts sent over to your office before the end of the week." The chief noticed that the young CEO's eyes seemed to stop at one of the numbers before he quickly read through the rest.
"If that's all, sir," Naru lifted his gaze and folded the page before placing it in his pocket, "we'll take our leave."
"Of course." The chief watched as they all filed out but stopped Naru before he could leave. "Mr. Davis," Naru whipped his head around at the sound of his real name, "could I recommend a quick visit to our gym? I think you'll find something you'll need there."
Naru remained unmoving for a few seconds before slowly nodding his head and leaving the room.
Once the door had shut and he was alone, the chief finally let his smile of satisfaction show.
After telling Lin that he'd meet him outside in a few minutes, Naru eventually found himself in front of the gym. The muffled sound of grunts and weights clinking escaped through the closed door and only grew louder once he finally opened it.
There were maybe a handful of people currently in the gym. Three were using the equipment, two were sparing on the mats, and one, familiar brunette, was using the punching bag in the left-hand corner close to the door. Ignoring the stares from the officers, Naru calmly made his way over to Mai, whose back was facing him as she kept punching the bag in a steady rhythm.
"I see your coordination has finally improved."
Still deep in her concentration, the unexpected voice caused Mai to react out of reflex, spinning around and throwing a jab with her right hand. Naru was quick to block the strike, grabbing her fist and raising his other hand in case he needed to defend himself once more. "Your awareness of your surroundings could still use some work though."
She flinched at the unexpected contact but quickly recovered. "Naru! Don't do that you jerk, I could have hurt you!"
His raised eyebrow and pointed stare at her captured fist said exactly what he thought of her statement.
Huffing in irritation, Mai yanked her hand back and crossed her arms, glaring at the man who interrupted her workout. "How'd you even get in here?"
Placing his hands back in his trouser pockets, Naru regarded her with his brow still raised. "I'm surprised they didn't tell you."
"Tell me what?" She all but growled.
"SPR will now be working as consultants with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department on certain cases." He replied, a slight smirk on his lips. "Looks like you'll be seeing a lot more of us."
Mai's shoulders slumped slightly. "So that's why they were being so secretive today. Should've known."
Naru ignored the complaint. "Your interrogation earlier with that murderer was rather interesting. How did you come up with some of those ideas?"
"Wait, you saw-," her whole body relaxed in shock before tensing up once more, "you know what? You're the genius, you figure it out." She bit out in annoyance.
He let out a sigh, knowing he wouldn't be getting anything out of her on the topic. "I did have a reason for coming to see you."
"Really? I thought it was just to bait me like always." Mai grumbled under her breath.
Pretending like he hadn't heard her, Naru continued. "I'd like to extend a job offer to you with SPR."
He observed as Mai froze up for a few seconds before she turned her back on him and faced the punching bag once more, getting into position to start her work out again. "No thanks. I'd rather not be a secretary/tea maker again."
"If you'd let me continue," he explained in a calm voice as she began hitting the bag, "you would work for me in the same capacity as Ayako and the others."
This caused her to pause her movements and halt the swinging of the punching bag. Ever so slightly, Mai turned her head so he could glance at him from the corner of her eye. "Why?"
Naru knew going in that he would have to convince her. "Based on what I've seen recently, you'd be an asset to the team. Your abilities and connections would certainly make investigations go smoother."
"You seem to have done just fine without me around." She countered with an almost bitter scowl. "Also, as a consultant, you now have the same connections that I do."
"And yet I have a feeling they'd be more willing to help you than me."
She could only snort at the bland comment. "That wouldn't surprise me." She remarked sarcastically.
Naru could feel a familiar sense of frustration creep up on him but pushed down the feeling. "Your resources would make cases go by quicker, and in the process make sure fewer people have to suffer longer than necessary."
Mai brought her gaze back to the bag she still held onto and and let an amused snort pass her lips. "Guilt-tripping me now? Oh how the mighty have fallen."
He once again felt frustration bubble to the surface but knew it would do him no good. Mai was always stubborn and fighting just made her more so. "It's a fact and you know that." He moved a couple steps to the left so he could actually see Mai's face. "It often takes us hours to research certain facts about locations. Sure, I now have the same line of information as you do, but helping a consultant and helping a friend provide two very different results. Not to mention," Naru added as he stared at Mai who refused to make eye contact with him, "Your dreams provide insight into hauntings that we can't get anywhere else."
Walking forward now, Naru positioned himself in front of her, purposely within her line of vision. His efforts were rewarded when Mai reluctantly met his gaze. "I may seem cold to you but I do care about the welfare of people. Anything that can prevent my clients from having to further endure the torment of malicious entities is something valuable to my team. You would be an asset and a boon so I'll ask again, would you be willing to work with SPR on cases once more?"
"...are you done?"
There was a moment of silence between the two that only the sound of the other occupants of the gym filled. Naru closed his eyes and released a faint sigh. "If you decide to take the position, come by the office within the next four days and we can negotiate a contract." Naru replied before turning and making his way back to the exit. He had a hand on the door when he paused and looked over his shoulder at Mai who had not moved from her position facing the sand bag. "And Mai," she turned her head and looked at him, "don't overdo it, you'll pop your stitches."
The gym door swung shut and Mai slowly let out the breath she'd been holding in while leaning her head against the punching bag. Taking a few steadying breathes, she began punching with slightly more force than necessary. "Jerk."
Water splashed against thick rubber soles as a rugged man trudged his way through the dark tunnel, his headlamp the only light source. He was probably another five minutes from his destination and grumbled under his breath, repositioning the heavy equipment he was carrying against his left shoulder. The dripping of water was the only company he had but the familiar sound barely registered with him.
Using his free hand, he wiped the sweat from his brow, uncaring that he was simultaneously adding to the dirt that already covered his weathered face.
Then there were two faint clangs that echoed from up ahead.
The man only had time to freeze in his tracks, eyes wide with fear, before he was greeted by the sound of thunder and his world went black.
And so begins a new case.
New developments and some things were finally explained though I'm thinking those that payed attention to the hints I'd been dropping already had a good idea where I was going with Mai's gloves. It shouldn't surprise you, but I've dropped a few more hints of certain things to come in this chapter so see if you can find them!
As always, thank you so much to those that follwed, favorited, and reviewed and a giant welcome to all the new readers that have joined! I would love to know everyone's thoughts on the story so far, as well as this latest chapter, so leave a review if you feel like sharing. I really enjoy interacting with you guys and I will always respond to as many of the reviews as I can.
Adios everyone!
shayrulz