Almost half-term! I am really looking forward to a break from school. But exams are getting nearer...it's kind of scary :/ There's only about 8 teaching weeks left and I am not ready for it...
The research in this chapter was horrendous. I had to try and incorporate loads of things, and it was hard to research. Thank goodness Wolfstadt was able to give me an insight (she is going on to study psychology at university) about some of the things in this chapter. Her psychology-ness can be very useful when it comes to writing. It crops up a lot more than I originally thought it would.
Last chapter was so hard, because I've never really been good at thinking of spy and secret agent kind of things, or rather the gadgets or whatever. It took me so long to think of that ring. The whole spike on a ring thing isn't actually very uncommon - looking back now, I realise loads of people have those spikes on rings and stuff (although they're not sharp or have poison on them) and apparently in Medieval times, people used to have rings with little compartments to carry around poison in just in case they needed to slip it into someone's food. As you do.
A show that I've been really getting back into is Pushing Daisies. I'm not sure how popular it was in any other countries, but it was pretty popular in the UK. I mean, Lee Pace (I really like him) and pies and murder. I'm kind of sad that there were only two seasons, I think it would have been a good thing to carry on. I want to rewatch season two, but I have no time :( I have so much I want to do after exams, like watching Attack on Titan (my cousin recommended it to me), reading No. 6 manga (I haven't actually read the manga) and doing lots of writing and drawing. *sigh*
Ok, review answer time!
To Li CLark: I share your concern about there not being enough John central fics on here. John is my favourite character, so I find it annoying when there aren't that many.
To 14AmyChan: Yeah, hopefully he will ;)
To Good Anonymous: Thank you :) and I know what you mean, which is why I tried to bring it a little into the story. I felt really bad for John though...
To WhisperToTheWolves: No don't worry I hate colleague-san passionately, so go ahead. But yeah, I can't even imagine having to do what Aron Ralston had to do. That must have been so awful. And thank you :D
To morganallisan: Hehehehe love is in the aiiiir! :)
To CatMaz: I think this story was in dire need of a happy point :) Yeah, Mai is safe and only the colleague has to be dealt with :D
To Raven's Shadow: Thanks :) who is your favourite character on Criminal Minds? I really like it (although it can be a little scary sometimes)
To Lizzy: Sorry! I felt bad for John...
To NaginiFay: Yeah, Saburou being out of the picture is one progress point, although I'm afraid it's not quite over for John yet!
To erpastiche: Your welcome, and thank you for your wonderful and kind compliments! :) And yeah, I know how you feel about the whole naruxmai thing - they're a cute couple and all, but I feel it's kind of...overwhelming...personally, I like romance to be a lot slower (Shakespeare infuriates me with the whole 'love at first sight' thing sometimes) I'm very impressed you could stay up until 5:30, as I would have fallen asleep long before! Thank you again!
Thank you for reading, favouriting, following, and reviewing this story! Sorry about the long wait! And thank you for your kind words!
Chapter 37 is here (finally!)
By the time we arrived back at SPR, Mai looked less in shock, and her face had regained some colour. During the car journey, she had explained to me about what had happened.
"I was walking between the school buildings, and he came at me from nowhere." She told me. "He had a gun. He said if I screamed or made a noise…" She trailed off, and her hands began to tremble. I quickly asked,
"I saw he was pretty scratched up. Was that you?"
She nodded glumly. "Not like it made any difference."
"Osaki-san can't feel pain. That's why. Either way, you did well."
She smiled weakly. "Thanks."
"He didn't…hurt you, did he?"
"No." I saw her hiding her wrists, where some large bruises were forming. "What about you?"
I hid my arm. "No, I'm fine."
She had already seen it. "What happened to your arm?"
"I cut it."
She looked at me suspiciously, but said nothing on the matter. Instead, she just said, "Thanks for coming for me."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you put yourself in danger doing that. I know that he wanted to…"
"Mai-kun, of course I was going to try and help you. I wouldn't just abandon you. We were all really worried about you."
She looked at me hopefully. "Even Naru-kun?"
"Yeah. Especially Kazuya-san." To this, she smiled, pleased.
At the SPR office, she was bombarded with joyful hugs and exasperated reprimands.
"Mai! Thank goodness you're alright!" Ayako looked over her anxiously. "Why didn't you tell anyone about the open festival?"
"Sorry…" Mai muttered. "Just…with everything that went on, it just completely slipped my mind."
"Hey, all that matters now is that you're safe." Houshou patted her head. "But be more careful next time, ok? There's only so much we can take of all this, you know."
As they talked, I quietly slipped away to Sinead. "How's Saburou?"
"Fine. He'll live. We haven't questioned him yet, though, if that's what you're wondering."
I exhaled. "Do you think we'll manage to find out about the colleague? So that I don't have to try and remember?"
"It's hard to say. I'm not sure how much he knows about the colleague's whereabouts, but he might know his name. Either way, we can put off the cognitive interview for a little while longer."
Despite myself, I smiled in relief. "That's good." The very thought of having to dredge up memories of…that place…filled me with dread.
"Excuse me." We turned around, to see Kazuya standing nearby.
"Ah, Oliver. We got Saburou, if that's what you wanted to know." Sinead told him.
"Has he said anything?"
"Not much. He's been screaming a lot of death threats to any officer who approaches him, but nothing important."
Kazuya contemplated this. "…Right. Thank you for bringing back Mai."
Sinead gave a sly grin. "Why are you thanking us? Go over and talk to her."
"There was something I wanted to talk to you about."
"That can wait. Go on." She encouraged him, and he gave her a glare before walking away.
"Heh. He's not exactly the life of the party, is he?" She mused.
"I guess."
"Hey, you should head over there, too." She nudged me.
"Um, maybe I should…"
"No, go on." She whispered in my ear. "I want to know how Olly acts. I want to see how he acts in front of Mai Taniyama. If I go over, he'll act differently. But he's more at ease with you."
"…Ok."
"Are you alright?" He was asking Mai as I walked over, and although he looked uncomfortable, his tone was sincere.
Mai smiled. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me."
His mouth twitched. It may have been a smile. "I'm glad to hear that."
Mai looked down, abashed. "Thanks."
For a moment, Kazuya stared at her, and something in his expression changed. Then, a look of confusion overcame him, before he shrugged it off and resumed his nonchalant demeanour.
"Right." He coughed. "So," he turned to Ayako, suddenly eager to interrupt the moment, "did you manage to cleanse the spirits at the Ward?"
Ayako smiled and tossed her hair behind her shoulder. "Naturally."
"Poor souls." Masako looked concerned. "How awful it must have been for them, trapped there…"
Kazuya frowned. "Wait…so, a small majority of the victims from the Ward came back to the site, which is understandable. But why the abandoned house? Normally, spirits will haunt either a personal place or locations associated with their demise. So what connection does the abandoned house have with Mattaku Psychiatric Ward?"
"I'm not sure…" I agreed.
"Maybe a place to get rid of the bodies?" Yasuhara suggested.
"Maybe. But I thought that Shiroku's grave yard would have been a more sensible choice." Houshou pointed out.
"How so?"
"We found Itsuke Watanabe's grave there." Lin spoke out. "Moreover, there's an incinerator there."
"So it would be a lot easier to get rid of the bodies without detection." Houshou finished. The thought unnerved me. All those people I had known from Mattaku, including Kazuki…were their bodies just ashes now?
"So what connection does the abandoned house have?" Kazuya asked again.
"Nobody there seems to know, either." I mentioned, remembering Kazuki's words.
"And they weren't responsive in the séance." Masako added. "So it would be hard to communicate with them, anyway."
"Well, we know one thing." Kazuya remarked. "The house was where that transaction took place. Correct?" Houshou, Mai, Yasuhara and I all nodded. "Also, whatever is there, colleague-san was desperate to hide it. He set up triggers and alarms."
"But what did he need to hide with so many precautions like that?" Houshou asked.
"…Well…the only way we'll find out is when we get Osaki-san talking." He glanced at me. "Or…if someone else tells us." He concluded.
"Huh? Who?" Yasuhara asked, unaware.
Kazuya said nothing, and simply walked away. Next to me, I felt Houshou twitch with irritation. We both knew what Kazuya was talking about, and neither of us wanted to bring up the topic. So, instead, Houshou simply answered, "Who knows?"
It was decided that I would stay with Houshou, under guard from Sinead and Conor. Mai was going to stay with Masako, accompanied by Andy. For everyone else, arrangements stayed the same, just with the presence of an officer. At Houshou's apartment, I saw that the place had remained almost untouched – all my belongings were as I had left them – and the only different things were a few empty beer bottles that were left out, which Houshou hastily kicked to one side. Other than that, nothing had changed.
Coming across Kazuki's gloves once more as I sorted through my belongings, I thought back to my conversation with Saburou. Kazuki hadn't betrayed me, as far as I was concerned. Such a heavy secret, having to work at the place…how had he managed to keep it hidden? Every thought of him wrenched me with grief and regret, yet I wanted to hold every memory of him close and dear to me.
I missed him.
I don't know exactly how long I've been here now. Almost two weeks. It feels like longer.
Every day, I feel a grip on my sanity slip. Every day, Saburou finds me and bruises me up a bit. Every day, I wonder what is happening outside the Ward.
One day, the footsteps I often hear stopped outside our door. It opened, and Saburou was there.
"Forcit." He simply said, who got up and left.
"I won't be long." He whispered to me, giving me a reassuring smile.
He didn't come back. Not once. The next day, I asked where he was. I was told he had gone for a walk.
I think, for the first time since I arrived, I cried that night. Not just out of grief, but of terror. Who was next? When was it my turn to leave? When would the door open, and I be called out?
Now, I sleep in the corner. It doesn't feel safe otherwise. Every time I hear the footsteps down the corridor, I'm seized by dread.
Today, I am washing the floors alone. The other patient left almost as soon as he arrived. Who knows what happened to him?
When the doors open, I assume it's Saburou, here to torment me, and I don't dare lift my gaze from the floor.
"John."
It's not Saburou; it's Kazuki.
"Yes?" I reply, nonchalantly.
"I…heard about Forcit. I'm sorry."
Rather than answer, I continue cleaning. And to my silence, he continues speaking.
"Please. Just…be careful. I know what they do here. So be careful."
"It's too late for that now." I speak up. "Saburou likes to punish me."
Now he falls silent, so I ask, "Why don't you just leave this place? Leave the country? Go back to America. Surely they wouldn't find you there."
"…Honestly, I've always been too scared that they would follow me and find me. I mean, look at the number of different nationalities here. This place operates in more countries than just Japan, that's clear. And besides, I can't leave now."
"Why not?"
"Just be careful, like I said. I've almost got it."
Got what? I am about to ask, but he simply pats my shoulder and walks away, leaving me wondering what he meant.
As I am walking, being escorted back to my cell – it might as well be a cell – the orderly pauses. Another orderly is calling to him.
"We've got a problem." She calls. "The block has caught fire again."
"Again?!" Without another word, the orderly runs after her, forgetting completely about me.
For a moment, I stand still, not knowing what to do. Can I escape? Can I run and leave this awful place? But how? I don't know where to go, how to exit and enter, since I was brought here unconscious. But I can't just go back into my cell, imprisoning myself…
Well, standing here isn't going to do anything. I need to get out of the way, or else I'll get caught and punished for being out of my cell unsupervised.
And what about this fire? If there is a fire, why aren't alarms going off? Why aren't there more orderlies around? I can't see any smoke or flames…maybe it isn't a big fire?
Sounds from down the corridor catch my attention. People are coming. I need to go. Quickly, I begin to hurry away from the mass of panicked voices. A trip to solitary isolation is the last thing I want.
As I turn the corner, I can hear someone walking down the corridor behind me, and I quicken my pace. I need to hide somewhere…
My eye falls on a door in the wall that has been opened and left slightly ajar. I hurry over to it, noticing the heavy lock that has been abandoned hastily. Perhaps because of the fire? Regardless, I walk in, closing the door gently behind me.
The sound of footsteps thud past the door, not pausing by the threshold, and continue down the corridor.
Breathing a sigh of relief, I look around me, taking in my surroundings. It's…an office…?
When I woke up, the light was streaming in through the window. For a moment, I just appreciated that single ray of light that had cast itself across me, warming me gently. It took me a minute to remember the situation, reminding me of the night at Itsuke Watanabe's grave; waking up and forgetting everything in that blissful time.
It took another moment to realise Houshou was next to me again. I didn't remember him coming to sleep next to me. The light from the window caught in his hair, and the strands turned golden where it reflected the ray. Each time he breathed in or out, the rays quivered and shook, causing the amber shadows to be scattered temporarily before settling once more, only to be disturbed again when he took another breath.
Carefully, so as to not wake him, I got up slowly and walked to the kitchen, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. I wondered if Sinead was up…
"Morning." She was sitting next to Conor, drinking tea, and searching through some files absent-mindedly. Conor was drinking coffee, and peering at the files every now and again uninterestedly. "How did you sleep?"
"Well, thanks."
"Did you…remember anything?" Conor spoke with caution. "I heard you remember things when you're asleep, sometimes."
"Yeah…" I scratched my arm, uncomfortable.
"What did you remember?"
I didn't look at them. "Matthew Forcit. He's dead."
They stared at me in shock. After a moment of silence, Sinead spoke up. "…How did he…?"
"I don't know. I was just told that he had 'gone for a walk'. That he was dead."
Sinead pursed her lips. Conor coughed, and continued.
"…Was there…anything else you remembered?" He asked, trying to rid the grim atmosphere.
"Yeah. I remembered going into an office."
This caught Sinead's attention. "Office?"
I nodded. "There was a fire…but I don't think it was a big one. From what the orderlies said, it sounded like there were fires regularly at that place. And while the orderlies left to go and sort that out, I hid in a room before I was found and punished for being by myself out of my cell. And, I was in an office."
"…I see…" Sinead frowned as she considered this. "And after that?"
"Nothing. I couldn't remember anything else."
Conor nodded, not speaking any further. He looked uncertain, on what to say or how to act, almost afraid of diverting the conversation from the dark subject on hand. In contrast, Sinead spoke freely.
"We've got a lot to do today." She started. Her shock on Matthew's death had not dissolved, but she kept a steady face nonetheless. "Your friend, the monk, he needs a quick trip to hospital. He messed up his ribs pretty badly after falling from that cliff, so he'll need an x-ray and some crutches."
I glanced over to the spare room, where Houshou was still sleeping. He must have been in a lot of pain over the past few days, and yet he had brushed it off, I realised guiltily.
Before I could soliloquise any further, Sinead continued, "After that, I think we should try the cognitive interview, if that's alright with you."
"A what?" We turned our heads, to see that Houshou was leaning against the door, unable to stand unsupported, and struggling to understand our English conversation. Even at this slight movement, he seemed pained.
"Just a cognitive interview." Sinead replied, switching to Japanese, and taking a sip from her tea, not taking much interest in him. I hurried over to him, and helped him limp to the table. As he sat down, he winced, but did not cry out. His arm was still in a sling from being dislocated, and I could see the bandages on his arm from the gunshot wound.
"What's a cognitive interview?" He asked. His face was still ashen.
"An interview that the police use to try and get as much information - accurate information," she added, "from witnesses as possible. Would you like some tea?"
"Uh…sure." He looked confused at the way Sinead was making the tea - in Japan, tea leaves were more commonly used than tea bags. "Anyway, isn't it the same as a hypnotic suggestion?"
"No." Sinead answered bluntly. "It's not as risky. Is Earl Grey alright?"
"Yeah…how do you know it's not risky?"
"I've done it many times before. Do you take sugar?"
"No. But you've never done it on an amnesiac?"
"True, I haven't. And if the memories don't come, then we won't force it. Simple as."
"Why don't you just interview Osaki-san?" Houshou asked.
"Well," Sinead poured out the tea from a battered tea pot, which I had no idea where she had obtained it from, "unfortunately, he is undergoing treatment right now, and the doctors won't let us interview him. It seems that he damaged his wrist somehow, and since he can't feel pain, he didn't even realise. As a result, I think his blood has been poisoned or something similar. I'm not too sure of the details. I think Eliot knows."
"How did he break his wrist?" Conor wondered.
"Yeah. I wonder how…" Houshou and I glanced at each other, but didn't say anything.
"Anyway, the point is, we can't interview him this second." Sinead finished. "A cognitive interview will keep Oliver happy for the time being, and who knows? It might prove to be productive."
Houshou nodded slowly. "Yeah…I guess you're right…but what if it doesn't work?"
"We still have Saburou."
But they were missing out something. The colleague was still on the prowl. And what if he attacked before they could interview Saburou? And even if they did, it didn't guarantee they would get answers straight away. How long would it take before the colleague was found? Would he have time to hurt people in that time, like Saburou had done?
"…Anyway, Conor will take you to the hospital. I'll do the interview with John." I realised that everyone had been speaking while I zoned out.
"Why do I need to go to the hospital?" Houshou asked, indignantly.
Sinead gave him a look.
"O-Ok…but how long will it take? I mean, aren't some of colleague-san's associates in the hospital?"
"True. But they're not going to act. Colleague-san's operation at Mattaku Psychiatric Ward has all but failed. He's not going to be contacting any of his associates for a long time."
"…Fine…" He agreed. "When should I go?"
"As soon as you're ready."
Conor and Houshou left at around midday, leaving Sinead and me alone.
"Excellent." Sinead muttered as they left. "I think now would be a good time to start the cognitive interview."
"Now?" I asked, with growing uneasiness. "Why?"
"One of the important aspects of cognitive interviews is that it should not be interrupted. If interruption is absolutely necessary, only the interviewer should do it. I don't know if Takigawa would interrupt or not, and I don't want to risk it. Same applies with Oliver."
Nodding, I sighed. "And you've done this a lot of times before?"
Picking up on my nervousness, Sinead reassured me, "If I wasn't confident with this, I would have gotten someone else to do it."
Biting my lip, almost drawing blood in my apprehension, I asked,
"…Remind me how this works again, please?"
Sinead nodded. "Of course. You'll close your eyes and recount what you remember, and I'll ask some questions after a while. I will ask for a detailed mental picture of the scene you are in, including temperature, smell, and sounds. You should try and describe even the smallest things, and you should try and describe what you were feeling at the time as well." She was stating the 'retrieval rules', I think. "I may even ask you to start from a different order of events, or from a different perspective. But don't stress out about it all. It's nothing to worry about."
I nodded, and exhaled. "…Ok."
"Good." She made her tone reassuring. "Lean back and relax." I did this. "Close your eyes."
Reluctantly, I shut them. Already, I could feel my pulse speed up.
"Remember back to Mattaku Psychiatric Ward. Can you do that?"
"Mmhm."
"Can you describe the scene in which you are being escorted from the hall?"
I am standing in the hall way once more, as the orderly hurries away from me.
"…It's a corridor. The walls are blank, and there are no cells around. The cells are up ahead." There isn't really much to describe. "…The floor is smooth, like a hospital floor. And the lights are bars. They're…" I notice something that I hadn't before. "…flickering. Some of them are flickering. It's…mild. It's not normally. It's normally quite cold." I just speak out my thoughts, not bothering to interpret them or wonder what they could mean. "And it's not quiet. I can hear people from down the corridor, and they sound panicked."
Finally, Sinead intervenes. "Could you perhaps describe the layout?"
I nod. "There's a long, straight section of the corridor, with a corner at the end. That goes on for a little while longer, before you see the cells on either side of the corridor."
"How do you feel?"
"Confused. Kazuki said something to me, and I don't understand what he meant. He said that I needed to be careful. But…something about it…I think he's planning something."
"Go back to when you were talking with Kazuki."
I force myself to change the scene. Kazuki is just about to walk away.
"Can you describe him?"
"…He looks like he's in a hurry."
"What do you think he's going to do?"
"I don't know…he keeps on looking around anxiously. Maybe he's scared of Saburou. He hasn't been here today." I add. "He usually hangs around here. He likes to bully the other patients."
"Is there any reason why Saburou wouldn't be here?"
"I don't know."
Sinead senses that this isn't really going anywhere. "Ok…let's go back to when you were being escorted back to your…cell."
"Ok." The scene changes once more. "Another orderly is coming. She's calling to this one. About a fire. 'A block has caught fire again'. They look worried, but not overly terrified."
"What can you smell?" She asks.
"…Disinfectant."
"Anything else? Think carefully. Take your time."
I take a deep breath. "…Smoke, I think…"
"Smoke?"
"Yeah…faint…far away."
"Ok. Carry on."
"I need to find somewhere to hide. If I'm caught, I'll be punished for staying outside my cell." I look around myself nervously as I walk, almost expecting an orderly to burst around the corner. "I can hear orderlies, but they're quite far away. They sound panicked. I think it's because of the fire."
"What's happening now?"
I pause and listen. Footsteps echo somewhere, the noise getting slowly louder. "Someone's coming. I'd better find a hiding place."
"Ok. Where will you hide?"
"There's a door…" I can see it there, open ajar.
"Can you describe it?"
"It's in the wall. It's made of steel. There's a heavy lock, but it's open."
"Can you describe the lock?"
"It's…it's a big padlock on a chain." The footsteps get louder.
"We need to go in." I slip in, before the approaching person finds me. Closing the door swiftly behind me, I wait and listen as the footsteps fade.
"Where are you now?"
"I'm in the office."
"Can you describe it?"
As I turn to look, a shudder of repulsion ripples through me.
My eyes flew open. "I…I can't…"
"That's ok." Sinead assured me. "Close your eyes, and we'll try again."
I did as she said.
"Where are you?"
"In the office…"
"What can you smell?"
"…Not much…Something sweet…"
"Sweet?"
"Mm. Like a plant. A flower, maybe…"
"What can you hear?"
I strain my ears. The footsteps have gone. "…A beeping sound…like a phone."
"A phone?"
"When it has a message."
"Oh, right." She hesitates. "Can you tell me what it looks like?"
I try to take in my surroundings, but…it's like a film of electricity is barricading me.
"I…I don't think it's a good idea to be here. I need to leave." I decide suddenly.
"Wait, what do you –"
I bolted upright. My head was beginning to hurt
"John?" Sinead spoke softly. "Are you ok?"
Swallowing, I nodded. "Y-Yeah. Sorry. I just…I can't remember. Every time I try…"
"It's fine. Don't push yourself."
Glumly, I nodded. "Sorry."
"Don't apologise." She patted my arm, and stood up. "Come on."
At the SPR office, Kazuya listened intently as Sinead recounted the results of the cognitive interview. I saw a few of her officers lingering around: Chosovi, Eliot, and Andy were standing in the background, on guard but also attentive to the information being given out.
"From the interview, we did not manage to gather information about the colleague, the involvement of R.M, or the use of the abandoned house. However," she went on, before Kazuya could interrupt, "we managed to figure out some aspects that might help us to uncover some information.
"First of all, it seems that the Ward was prone to small-scale but frequent fires. The people operating seemed nervous about the incidents, but not overly worried. This suggests that while the fires could, obviously, get out of hand, they were not too difficult to contain. Yet it seems all the orderlies, and even some doctors, were obliged to stop the fires."
"How do you know that so many orderlies were involved?" Kazuya asked.
"John managed to walk down a corridor and into the office without any trouble, even though there were usually orderlies on patrol. He even managed to get into a heavily padlocked room, which had been left open and not locked. This means that those on staff were all at the 'block' that had set on fire, having to be interrupted from important activities, such as escorting patients back to cells or securing confidential rooms.
"This leads us onto the next point. Wherever the fire started had to be very important. We all know that the office, which was the heavily padlocked room that had been left open, contained extremely important information. Yet it had been left open. Whoever was meant to lock it – and we assume it was Saburou Osaki – had not finished the job. The only reason this would have happened is if something more important had needed his attention. And at this time, we can safely guess it was the fire. So, why exactly was the fire so important? The presence of smoke was barely noticeable, and no flames were seen. It was not a big fire, and several orderlies were already at the scene. It could be easily controlled. Why was Osaki's presence needed? The orderlies were nervous, but not panicked. Whatever was in this 'block', whatever had caught on fire, we need to know what it was.
"We know there was an anechoic chamber at the Ward, but they only pose a fire hazard if in use for radio frequency, which was not the case at the Ward. We can rule out electrical equipment, since the fires were frequent, and equipment would either have been destroyed by the flames or replaced if they were not. The same applies to wires. So, right now one of the most obvious causes would be flammable liquids. But what kind of flammable liquids would be at the Ward, and why?"
She turned to Chosovi. "What were the results of your investigation?"
Chosovi held a file in her hands. "Although nothing was directly sent to the Ward, several deliveries were made to Shiroku. They were all addressed to a person called 'Hiroto Sato', which happens to be a mixture of the most common names in Japan. The deliveries consisted of ethanol, scopolamine, and benzodiazepines."
"That's very specific." Kazuya commented. "What do they make?"
"They're all used in truth serums." Chosovi concluded. "Particularly benzodiazepines. Also, ethanol is very flammable."
"So, you think they were making truth serums?" Kazuya asked. "But why?"
"That, I can't say. But there's one more thing." Chosovi added. "Benzodiazepines are usually used as drugs for things like stress and anxiety, but play a major part in drug abuse."
"…Do you think they were harvesting this drug to sell? R.M?" Kazuya concluded.
"It's highly possible." Sinead confirmed. "Even if authorities were to go checking at these orders of benzodiazepines, they would eventually realise they were being sent to a 'psychiatric ward', which is natural. It seems that Mattaku Psychiatric Ward had two functions – disposing of witnesses, and a storage system for drugs. The serum would be a handy by product that could be made from the benzodiazepines and the other chemicals. Particularly useful in finding out who knows what about your smuggling ring. Remember, the colleague had to be very careful with who he 'admitted' to the Ward. What if he kidnapped the wrong person? It would be a lot of trouble for no reason. Moreover, there have been Russian accounts of serums that apparently prevented the subject from even remembering they had disclosed the information." She looked at me. "You told me that Mr Brooks was tortured into disclosing information about you. But that wouldn't be enough. The colleague would want to be 100% certain before admitting you. You say that you can't remember anything between being ambushed at your apartment and waking up at the Ward?"
"Yeah…wait, do you think they used a truth serum on me?" I asked.
"It is possible." Sinead sighed. "This is substantial information that could spark several new leads on R.M across the globe, and interrupt a major drug ring. But, unfortunately, it does not get us much further on the colleague's identity."
Kazuya nodded. "So, although we achieved some important information, we were not able to get what we needed."
"Yes. I don't want to push the suppressed memories." She replied, with a hint of threat in her voice.
"But, the colleague could attack at any moment." Kazuya insisted. "The cognitive interview did not work."
"Actually, if I were to guess, this drug ring was probably part of the information John found at the office." Sinead retaliated.
"But it doesn't tell us the colleague's name." He repeated. "That's what we need to know. It's what we can hold against him. We can use it to help connect the dots, his past actions. We can use it to try and locate his whereabouts."
Before Sinead could reply, he continued, "What Saburou did was bad. What the colleague will try to do will be much, much worse. Out of the two, you know who is more dangerous. Mai got kidnapped. What if, next time, the colleague killed someone?"
His words struck me with blunt truth. A terrible thought occurred to me. The colleague enjoyed torturing others. What if he decided a better way to torture me was to hurt my friends? Hurt Sinead? Hurt Houshou?
"We are not doing a hypnotic suggestion." Sinead ended the argument. She gestured to Chosovi. "Chosovi and I have some work we need to do. Eliot and Andy will stay here. Don't do anything stupid."
Houshou returned from the hospital with a pair of crutches, a Judet strip, and a variety of new bandages. The Judet strip had required surgery, and the crutches were awkward and cumbersome to use. The only upside to the visit was that the sling was removed, after the dislocation was confirmed to not have caused any lasting damage.
After a very slow walk up to the office, helped by Conor, Houshou felt relieved to see that John was already there. He wanted to discuss about what had been revealed by the cognitive interview. Naru had retreated into a different room, with Lin following him, saying something about having to make some calls. However, it was not long before the other members of SPR had spilled into the room. Before he had a chance to even speak a word to John, he found himself deep in a conversation with Mai, who had stayed with Masako the night before, with Andy keeping watch for any sign of the colleague.
"So, how was your stay with Masako-kun?" He asked, expecting her to complain. However, Mai just shrugged.
"…She was actually really nice." She admitted in a quiet voice. Masako was not sitting very far away, but was talking to Andy. "I thought that, you know, we'd fight…but we didn't. She was really understanding."
Houshou smiled, pleasantly surprised. It was about time the two began to warm up to each other.
"Hey, Bou-san…" Mai dropped her voice, glancing over at John. He was listening while Yasuhara talked earnestly, but Houshou could tell that he was distracted.
"Why is Naru-kun so keen to do hypnotic suggestion?"
Houshou sighed, and lowered his own voice. "…He's scared. He wants to stop colleague-san, and he thinks the only way to do it is to try and unlock John's memories."
Mai frowned, and Houshou asked, "Why? What do you think?"
"…Gene-kun and I agreed it wasn't a good idea. It's too risky. I know last time, the only reason it went wrong was because of the sabotage. But still…what if, once he starts remembering, he can't stop?"
Ayako broke into the conversation. "Hey, John-kun. I hate to ask, but…what happened to your arm?"
John paled slightly. "Oh, I cut it."
In the corner of his eye, Houshou saw Andy raise an eye brow, but remain silent. Now that he thought about it, John had been very quiet about the hostage situation. What exactly had happened?
"How did you cut yourself?" Yasuhara asked.
"Tripped." John replied briefly. Sensing that John was not open to discussion about it, Mai quickly announced,
"Hey, I'll go make some tea. Who wants some?" Before anyone could really answer, she carried on. "John-kun, could you help me?"
Seeing the opportunity to escape interrogation, John nodded and hastily followed.
The two of them hurried over to the work top, out of hearing range from the others. Now would be a good time to talk, Houshou realised. So, wincing as he stood up, he grabbed the crutches and brought himself over. As he neared, he could hear the two conversing quietly.
"Thanks." John was saying. "I didn't really want to answer their questions."
"That's ok." Mai smiled, and glanced over at the approaching Houshou. "Here. I'll do the rest."
John looked around, and saw Houshou. His face brightened.
"Hey." Houshou greeted him. As Mai took the tea away, he asked, "…Do you wanna talk?"
"Sure. About what?" John asked. Immediately, Houshou glanced at the bandage around John's forearm, but he forced himself to bury the question. "How did the cognitive interview go?"
John pursed his lips, and looked away. "…We didn't find out his name."
Houshou's heart fell with disappointment. "You didn't?"
"No. Sinead managed to figure out a secondary operation at the Ward, to do with drugs. But…"
Houshou patted his shoulder. "Don't worry about it. They can interview Osaki-san, can't they? As soon as he's available for questioning."
John looked uncertain. "But when will that be? Soon? Or in a week? In a month? What if we don't have that time?"
"John. Don't think like that."
John exhaled and, still not looking at Houshou, nodded.
"…John, what happened to your arm?"
Subconsciously, John hid his arm behind his back. Then, realising what he had done, brought it back slowly.
"…Osaki-san tried to cut it off."
At this, Houshou felt sickened. "He what?"
John sighed. "It's fine. It's over. I'm not hurt, and we don't need to worry about it anymore."
"But –"
Before he could launch into his shock and disgust, John put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm fine. He can't hurt us anymore." He smiled.
Exhaling, Houshou nodded. "…You're right." Although he didn't say it, Houshou was still concerned. Since the hostage situation, John had been very quiet. Thoughtful, almost. As if he was making a decision. But what was he considering? And that smile…why was it so sad?
When we returned to the others, I was surprised that everyone was completely silent. Kazuya stood in front of them all, in the middle of explaining something. As we came over, he paused.
"Oh, you two. Sit down." He ordered.
"What's going on?" I asked, already feeling nervous.
"I've just been on the phone to your cousin. While she and Agent Chosovi were out, investigating a lead, there was a shooting incident."
Panic filled me. "What? Is she ok?"
"She's fine." He crossed his arms. "But, unfortunately, some by-standers weren't so lucky."
I felt sick as Kazuya continued. "Two are in hospital. Another is in a coma. And your cousin thinks it was colleague-san."
"W-Why?" I knew the answer before he had said it.
"Orange lily. Left on the scene."
I put my head in my hands as he continued. "No one is dead, but if your cousin and Agent Chosovi hadn't been there as first responders, lives may have been lost."
This was too much. What was I going to do? He had shot people. I knew Sinead could look after herself perfectly fine, and the colleague knew that, too. But he was making a statement. He was showing that he was prepared to open fire on my friends and family. He didn't care who got in the way of his revenge scheme. If anything, the more that got caught in the cross fire, the happier he was. As long as he was in the shadows, nameless, untraceable, he could do whatever he wanted. And he was going to use that to his full advantage. Who was he going to strike next? Houshou? Mai? Ayako? Would it be Yasuhara or Masako? Kazuya or Lin? I had already lost Kazuki. I couldn't lose another person I loved. The uncertainty, the tension, the knowledge of the inevitable, yet the imprecision of it…this was a torture in itself. And I wanted it to stop.
"Kazuya-san." I said quietly. "Can I speak with you? Privately?"
"Of course."
I made to stand up, when Houshou tugged on my sleeve.
"Hey, where are you going?" He asked, concerned.
"I just need to ask Kazuya some questions. About…you know…"
He nodded, and let me go. The lie made me feel guilty. But I didn't know what else to do.
We moved into the next room. Lin shut the door tightly. At once, Kazuya was facing me, watching me expectantly.
"…We need to find the colleague." I spoke quietly.
Kazuya nodded. "Yes. We do." He was almost urging me on, waiting for the answer he wanted.
I steeled myself, strengthening my will power.
"…I'll do it." I took a breath.
"I'll do the hypnotic suggestion."