Hey all! This is the next chapter! I am trying to update more frequently, and I hope this is a good time for you all.
Really quick! Big thanks to the reviewers in the last chapter! I am doing better and staying as safe as I can! Thank's for your concern! Please let me know how you all are faring in this day and age!
At dinner, Mai could hardly focus on anything other than the ordeal she had dealt with down at the station. Not only was concentrating on how to solve this current issue in her life difficult to focus on, but her food also did not look appetizing in the slightest. Which was saying something. Luella's cooking was some of the best meals she had ever had the pleasure of indulging in, next to Ayako's occasional cooking, and of course Monk's 'famous' macaroni and cheese.
Sighing, Mai succumbed to her flat affect and set her silverware down. Her food was barely touched and most of the movement was from her pushing it around on her plate.
"Hey, you've hardly eaten," Monk leaned over to her and quietly whispered to her. He was the closest, and Ayako was next to him. Not that she didn't love Ayako, she could just be a tad overbearing when it came to Mai's health. Monk was an easier parental figure to deal with.
"I'm just tired," Mai said smiling tiredly at Monk. "I guess it's just been a long day."
Monk turned back to watch the others who were conversing at the table but spoke directly to Mai.
"I hear ya, Kiddo," He chuckled a little. "You're lucky I love you so much, you're extremely troublesome."
Mai huffed out a laugh.
"Pot," She gestured to herself. "Meet kettle." And then pointed at Monk.
He threw his head back a little and let out a short laugh. After a few minutes to collect himself, he turned back to Mai.
"Why don't you head to bed?"
"What about Ayako?" Mai asked looking to the redhead who was thoroughly engaged in a conversation with Luella about boutiques around London that they wanted to take a trip to. "If I get up, she'll be the first to start asking questions."
Monk waved away her worry. "You leave her to me, go."
Mai looked at him gratefully. "Night, Monk!"
When her head hit the pillow, she was out but was soon quickly awakened by her phone on her nightstand ringing. Coming out of her hazy sleep state, Mai squinted to see who was calling only to snap awake when seeing Masako's name and a funny picture she had taken of her one night on an investigation flash onto the screen.
"Masako," She looked at her alarm clock and a red-hued 7 at night illuminated her face. She had only been asleep for a few hours. With a quick calculation, she continued. "It's three in the morning over there, is everything okay?"
"Hey Mai, hope I didn't wake you!" Her soft voice was not enough to make Mai forget her question.
"No, what's going on?" The worried tone in her voice was enough to make Masako try to ease the tension.
"I see Naru wasted no time rubbing off on you."
"Masako."
"Which reminds me," There was a brief pause. Mai's eye twitched in irritation. "I sure hope you two have made up and are going to be getting hitched,"
"Masako!" Beat red, Mai couldn't help the growl. "To what do I owe the pleasure of speaking with you this late?"
"Ah, yes, that," In the background she could hear flipping of papers. "Well you see, a recent prospective client visited the office and basically got down on her knees and begged us to help her daughter who had been acting strange recently," Not wanting to wake anyone with a discussion, Mai got out of bed and started out of her room and down towards an office that she had noticed when looking around the house. Entering the office, turning a light on, and sitting curled up on a lounge chair, Mai continued to listen to her teammate. "Well after researching the property, I couldn't find anything wrong with the house itself, but I think I know what the problem is." She concluded.
Mai rolled her eyes.
"And what would that be?"
"I am almost fairly certain her daughter has a malevolent attachment, the only problem is, I'm in no way qualified to address this issue," She sighed. "I know John and Yasu are over in England with you guys, but I think there's something seriously affecting this girl."
Standing and pacing around the room, Mai didn't hear the door to the office open.
"Have you been over to meet with the client and the daughter?" Turning back around to face the door, Mai noticed that Naru was now sitting in the spot that she had occupied until moments ago, and he had a book in hand and was reading. She rolled her eyes at the irritatingly fitting behavior, and then further cursed him for making something so boring, look so good.
'Dumb narcissist.'
"Yeah, I saw the girl yesterday."
"What do you think about her?"
At this moment, Naru looked up from his book to watch Mai pace back and forth.
"I could feel something, but it was unclear," Masako sighed again and Mai heard more shuffling of papers. "The issue here is that the daughter has a history with depressive episodes, so we cannot rule that out entirely. However, the mother claims that this s not the same, that she is literally not herself. Unfortunately, that is not all. Between you and me, the mother has been acting strange as well."
With her interest peaked, Mai stopped pacing and stilled.
"Acting strange how?" Naru looked up at Mai, and their gaze hit. Understanding the question in his eyes, Mai placed her phone on the coffee table and put it on speakerphone. "In what ways is the mother acting strange?"
"After our meeting, I made it a point to keep an eye on her," Mai could see her shrugging her shoulders through the phone. "After all, a repeat of our last few cases would not sit well with you. Anyway, she just really shut down, said she was tired and that she had to get ready for the following day of work."
Mai sat back down in the chair across from Naru and rested her head in her hands, her eyes shutting.
"Have you called her at all today?"
"Yes, and she told me the same thing."
"Give her one of Ayako's charms," Mai couldn't believe that this was going on right now. Of course, it is just her luck that these chain of events happen now, right when it seemed like her life was more out of control than ever. "I'll be sending Yasu and John back home to help with this case."
"I would also supply the family with one of John's crucifixes." He said, and Mai's head tilted to the side. She hadn't thought of that, but it is a great idea. She thought it was more surprising that he even bothered to air his opinion.
There was a pause from the other end of the phone, and Mai and Naru watched it waiting for what she had to say. But no word came from the other line.
Waiting a few more seconds, Mai then decided to see if the connection got cut by looking to see if the call was still being timed.
"It's great to hear from you, Oliver," Masako said, steering the conversation away from the case. "Four years and you still don't know how to properly greet a person. Yes, John keeps extra crucifixes here if just such a case arises." Masako began moving about the room he was in. "I'll just look into our closet full of 'emergency case solutions' and grab them."
Mai thought about what she said.
"Wait, are you in the office? It's three in the morning!"
"Mai," Another pause. "I know how to tell time."
'That dumb-'
Her thoughts were cut short.
"Thank you for your help you two!" She said cheerfully. "Don't stay up too late~!"
There was clearly another interpretation to the way Masako had said that, but quite frankly, Mai was too tired to care.
The sound of a dull tone singled the end of the call.
Mai slouched back in her chair, bringing her feet up on the chair with her, she curled into herself.
"Everything going okay back at the office?"
Naru's steely voice brought her out of her hazy stare.
"As well as they can be, I suppose." Mai sighed and rested her head on the back of the chair, her arms wrapped around her knees. "A new case, not too difficult, but it poses a threat to my employees."
Naru nodded, not looking up from his book.
Mai found this comforting, his presence. He always made her feel safe and protected. For a brief moment, Mai felt a love for Naru that was marrow-deep. A strange warmth enveloped her, and a gentle smile broke across her face as she drifted back to sleep.
It was about an hour later that Naru looked up out of his book and noticed Mai had fallen asleep.
Justifying getting a blanket from the linen closet in the hallway as a much-needed break to rest his eyes, he draped a light throw blanket over a pajama-clad Mai.
He watched as she shuffled under the blanket, and succumbed to the extra warmth it offered. Deciding that he wanted to bookmark his spot in the next chapter, Naru continued to read his book but found himself distracted.
The subtle movements and curious facial expressions, that were uniquely Mai, kept his attention. He found himself watching her as she slept.
"You know," Not moving his head in the slightest, Naru tuned in to his father's voice. "I used to do that with your mother," His father strode over from the doors and made his way over to a bookshelf. "I would watch her sleep for the longest time, and I never got bored." Finding the book, he needed, Naru's father made his way back to the doors but paused. "That's how I knew I was in love."
Hearing the echo of his feet down the hallway, Naru contemplated what his father had said.
'Love.' His thoughts took a turn. 'A fickle thing.'
Sighing, he placed his book on the table and stood up debating what he wanted to do. Walking over to Mai, he lifted her into his arms and waited till she settled back into a light slumber to take her back to her room.
Holding her body close to his, Naru made his way down the hallway and eventually to Mai's room. After laying her down on her bed and wrapping her under the covers, Naru sat next to her, again, watching her sleep.
'Love, huh?' Smirking he brushed a piece of her hair behind her ear, sat for another minute, and left, going to his own room and relinquishing his busy mind to sleep.
This is where it ends! Hope to see you in the next chapter!
Stay safe and sane!
~Cheers!