PART V

Flickering Memories, Meetings, and an Investigation

"Where do you want me to drop you off when we arrive at St. Ives?"

Kagura started. That was a question she wasn't prepared for. However, if she was visiting St. Ives, wouldn't that mean she was there as a tourist? If that wasn't the case, what would she be doing there? She didn't know. Thinking about it, Kagura can only come up with one answer, "I haven't been to St. Ives before. This is my first time."

The woman looked at her curiously, "Didn't you plan ahead before deciding to visit St. Ives?"

Kagura lowered her head and said, "I think I may have but I don't remember. I only know that I was heading there."

The woman stared, "How can you not remember? Don't you have some sort of itinerary?"

Kagura shook her head.

A suspicion slowly came to the woman, "Then let me ask you this, do you know your name and where you come from?"

Kagura nodded, "My name is Kagura and I'm from London."

The woman was relieved, but she still had her suspicions.

"How did you end up by the highway?"

"Last I remember, I fell off a train and hit my head. When I woke up, I found myself near the highway. That's how I ended up there."

The woman looked at the girl in disbelief, "You fell off a train and hit your head?! How are you still alive?!"

Kagura gave a weak smile, "Luck, I guess."

The woman shook her head, "You have the lives of a cat. So you fell off a train and hit your head then ended up by the highway. The good thing is that you remembered that, but I have a couple of other questions."

Kagura nodded.

"Do you remember who your friends and family are? Or anything that happened before you got on the train?"

Kagura shook her head, "I don't."

That clinched the woman's suspicions.

She looked at the girl seriously, "Miss, I hate to tell you this, but you have amnesia."

Kagura nodded, "I think I've suspected that ever since I hit my head. I didn't know what some of my belongings were or how I even got them nor did I know what had happened to me before I fell and hit my head. I also didn't know what I was doing in Cornwall except maybe visiting since my train ticket showed me that I was heading toward St. Ives."

The woman looked at her, "I can't help you regain your memories. Only you can do that on your own. However, I can take you to St. Ives. I suggest that when you get there, find a place to stay for the time being then go to the visitor's center to grab a guide. The places in and around St. Ives may give you some hints as to what you're doing there."

Kagura nodded, "Thank you for your advice."

The woman smiled, "It was my pleasure. For now, just relax. We'll be arriving shortly."

It wasn't long before Kagura arrived in St. Ives. After thanking the woman, she grabbed her bags then went to find a place to stay. After some looking around, she found one. It was a beautiful Edwardian Bed and Breakfast that was within easy walking distance to the town center. For some reason, the place was familiar to her. As if she'd stayed in it before, a long time ago. As she entered the Bed and Breakfast, she was greeted by a tall man sitting by the counter who smiled at her in recognition. He had dark hair with hints of gray in it. There was something familiar about him but Kagura couldn't place it. He quickly stood up and walked toward Kagura. In the next second, he was giving her a warm, fatherly hug before stepping back. She looked at him. Who was he? How did he know her?

"Kagura, this is an unexpected surprise. What are you doing in St. Ives?"

"I'm sorry, sir, but who are you? How do you know me?"

The man went still as he stared at Kagura, "You don't remember me?"

Kagura felt horrible. The man was kind and she felt a special kind of kinship with him but she just couldn't remember.

"I'm sorry, sir. I don't. I have no memories of you."

A suspicion came to him and it left him shocked. His niece did not recognize him. That meant Kagura has amnesia. How was he going to tell her father about this? Not to mention her mother. They would be heartbroken.

He looked at Kagura and said, "I'm your uncle. When you were little, you would often come here with your parents and I would spoil you rotten much to your parents' dismay. You are my dear niece. I would often call you 'Princess'. That was my nickname for you because your actions and behavior were so princess-like."

Kagura looked at him, no recognition whatsoever in her eyes that tore at his heart. The next thing she asked very nearly broke his heart in two.

"You're my uncle? I have an uncle? Does that mean you know who my parents are?"

The man drew in a sharp breath, "You don't remember your parents either?"

Kagura shook her head, "I don't."

The man asked her, "What can you remember?"

"Nothing much except that I fell off a train to St. Ives and hit my head. Later, I ended up by the highway then got a ride to St. Ives. The driver, a woman, told me that I have amnesia. She also told me that when I arrive, I should find hints to why I'm here."

The man had gone pale when he heard that, "You fell off a train and hit your head?!You're lucky to be alive."

Kagura smiled ruefully, "The woman said the same thing."

After a pause, she continued, "Since you seem to know me, I was wondering if you could help me remember my family and help me find out what I'm doing here in St. Ives."

The man nodded, "I intend to do just that. First, let's get you situated in your old room."

Kagura looked at him, "I have my own room?"

The man nodded, "The room had always been yours."

He led Kagura to her room. As she stepped in, a sudden memory flickered in her mind, a little girl dressed in a blue ruffled dress holding a teddy bear and eating chocolates. She was listening to a man encased in shadow reading a fascinating mystery while sitting on his lap. His arms around her as she cuddled close. So warm, so loved. Kagura's eyes flew open in shock. She recognized that girl, it was her. So she loved mysteries ever since she was a little girl, but who was that man encased in shadow?

"Kagura, are you okay?"

She looked at the man who had told her he was his uncle and said, "I'm fine. I think I saw a flicker of memory as I stepped into the room."

He went still, are her memories slowly coming back to her, in spurts? If that's true then there was hope.

"What did you see?"

"I saw myself as a little girl sitting on someone's lap eating chocolates, but I don't know who he is. His form was encased in shadow. He was reading a fascinating mystery to me. Does that mean I've always loved mysteries?"

Kagura's uncle nodded, "Yes, Kagura. That was a memory from your childhood. Ever since you were little, you've loved mysteries and would often have either me or your father read them to you. Your love for mysteries was inherited from your father."

"Then do you know who was reading the mystery to me?"

Her uncle smiled, "That would be me. I sneaked in some chocolates to you during that time and you ordered me to read a mystery to you just like a princess."

Kagura looked at him, "Then you're really my uncle?"

"Yes."

She nodded then said, "That flicker of memory showed me that I was close to you but it would take me time to feel close to you again."

"That's okay Kagura. Until you fully get your memories back, I can wait. Now, why don't you get unpacked then get yourself situated before coming down for lunch. You'll be staying for how many days?"

Kagura thought about it, "I think one day is enough."

"All right then, I'll see you at lunch." Her uncle said.

Kagura nodded and her uncle returned to the lobby.

After Kagura's uncle left, she started unpacking her things. When she finished, she washed up then went down to the lobby and found her uncle in the kitchen. He was finishing up the sandwiches then placed them on the kitchen booth. Lunch was soon ready. They sat down then ate their lunch in companionable silence. After lunch, Kagura asked, "Can you tell me more about my parents?"

Kagura's uncle nodded, "Your father is my brother. We've been close since we were kids, but we had different goals. I wanted to open a Bed and Breakfast while your father wanted to become a crime consultant. We respected each others wishes so we went our separate ways. He and I call each other often and are still close. Your father now works as a crime consultant for Scotland Yard and he is good at what he does. My business has also been doing well. This Bed and Breakfast was remodeled from an Edwardian home built with granite. I chose this place to be my Bed and Breakfast because I had always dreamed about owning a place like this. Of course an added benefit would be the amazing view and how it's close to the town center."

Kagura smiled and said, "It's beautiful. You must have put a lot of work into remodeling it and caring for it."

Her uncle smiled, "Yes I have. It's also one of the most popular Bed and Breakfasts here in St. Ives."

Kagura smiled and said, "I'm sure. The view is fantastic. Returning to my parents, what about my mother?"

"I'm not the only one who knows her well. Everyone knows her. She is a well known pianist and has gone on many Tours. When your father isn't doing his consulting work, he would go with her. Your mother is currently doing a Tour in Wales, but your father had to return to London because Commissioner Monro of Scotland Yard had called on him to aid him in a baffling case that is even more baffling than the Jack the Ripper case that happened centuries ago."

Kagura leaned closer, instinctively looking fascinated, "It's even more baffling than the Jack the Ripper case? In what way is it more baffling? I'm curious."

Her uncle laughed at Kagura's expression before turning serious again, "Oh no you don't young lady, don't even think about it. You're not here for any mysteries. You're here to regain your memories."

A look of disappointment crossed Kagura's face but she knew her uncle was right.

"Okay, no mysteries. So what's the next step for me to regain my memories?"

Kagura's uncle looked at her, "First, find any information from the visitor's center on any clues to why you're here then go to the family's summer retreat. It's in Lands End."

"There's a summer retreat?" Kagura asked.

"Yes, you've also been there when you were a little girl. It was one of your favorite places. The love for the wild cliffs and the ocean was inherited from your mother. Her home used to be by the wild cliffs and oceans of Cornwall before she met your father. They fell in love with each other while on a stroll by the ocean."

Kagura's eyes widened, "That sounds romantic. I may not remember who they are yet, but I'm glad they met each other and fell in love."

Her uncle nodded, "That's okay. You'll remember them slowly but you're right, it was definitely romantic. Your father proposed to her right by that ocean. Both families were happy for them and had wished them well."

Kagura sighed as she pictured the scene. Maybe one day, she will fall in love and be proposed to right by the ocean as well. Shaking her romantic thoughts away, she turned to her uncle and said, "You said the summer retreat is located in Lands End. Where's that?"

Her uncle replied, "It's a 36 min drive from here. You can go there after you've taken care of things here. I wish I could drive you but I can't leave the Bed and Breakfast unattended."

"It's okay, I can take the taxi."

Kagura's uncle nodded, "That would work too. By taxi, it takes about 30 minutes to get there. Let's clean up now. After we clean up, you can go to the visitor's center. Do you know where it is?"

Kagura shook her head, "I don't but I can ask for directions when I'm in town."

"Okay and good luck."

When Kagura reached the town center, she asked for directions to the visitor's center. It wasn't far and she soon reached it. She stepped through the sliding doors and went to the racks of brochures lining the lobby. She looked through the brochures and took out the one for St. Ives. She flipped through the brochure to find any information on why she was here, but nothing drew her until she saw the information on Lands End and Tintagel. Lands End was where her family's summer retreat was, but she wasn't familiar with Tintagel, so why were her eyes drawn to that information as well? She didn't know. Looking up from her St. Ives brochure, her eyes wandered to the other brochures to find any on Tintagel, deciding to follow up on her thoughts. There were quite a few. She took at least three different brochures on Tintagel before leaving the visitor's center, returning to her uncle's Bed and Breakfast.

Back in her room, she first read about Lands End. The information was fascinating. Lands End used to be called Belerion, "the shining land" or "the place of the sun" by the Ancient Greeks. There were also myths and legends about the area. Kagura read that one of the myths was that the land used to be shared by giants, pixies, and fairies. Another one was it used to be part of the legendary King Arthur's realm where the mythical Lost Land of Lyonesse is said to be. According to the brochure, the Lost Land of Lyonesse lies beneath the waves between Lands End and another place, the Isles of Scilly. She had always loved the stories of King Arthur's Court…Wait, how did she know that? Kagura closed her eyes when suddenly another memory flickered in her mind. She saw a room with silver and blue highlights, a woman encased in shadow with a scent of jasmines was tucking her in.

"So what story would you like to hear today?"

"I want to hear the story of the beautiful and noble Lady Guinevere."

The woman laughed gently and told her the story.

Kagura's eyes flew open. The woman with the scent of jasmines was familiar to her. She had felt the woman's love for her as she tucked her in. Who was she? She didn't know. With a sigh, she put away the brochure of Lands End then started reading one of the brochures on Tintagel before her uncle called her down to dinner.

At dinner, her uncle asked her if she had found any information to why she was in St. Ives and Kagura had shaken her head. However, she told her uncle that another memory had come to her while she was reading the brochure on Lands End.

"That's good. Can you tell me what the memory was?"

Kagura said, "The memory I had showed me a room with silver and blue highlights. A woman smelling of jasmines tucked me in while she told me the story of Lady Guinevere. I also sensed a lot of love coming from her as she tucked me in. Who was she?"

Her uncle looked at her, "Your mother. She would often tell you stories about King Arthur's Court before bedtime because just like you, she loved them too. When she was a little girl, her parents would tell her the same stories. The room you were in was your bedroom in the family's summer retreat."

"Then does that mean, most of my memories will return when I go there?"

Her uncle nodded then asked, "You are leaving tomorrow?"

Kagura nodded.

"Then you need your rest. I'll take care of the dishes. Good night, Kagura."

The next morning after breakfast, Kagura's uncle gave her a photo of the summer retreat. It was a white, two storied Victorian house situated on a cliff top that overlooked a sandy beach. As she looked at the photo, a sense of familiarity and nostalgia came to her. After thanking her uncle for the picture, she said her goodbyes and promised to visit him again once her memories were back. He had nodded and had wished her good luck. Now, at the edge of town, she hailed a taxi then made her way to Lands End. 30 minutes later, she arrived.

As she stepped out of the taxi, she noticed a familiar village harbor nearby. Kagura closed her eyes as another flicker of memory came to her. She was on a white boat with silver highlights and was going to her favorite place. On the side of the boat was a name, the Land n' Sea. She stood on the deck and looked out at the vast ocean before her. A sense of excitement rushed through her. She would return to that beautiful, white, two storied Victorian home again. Kagura's eyes flew open as she remembered. The Victorian house was her family's retreat, and to get there, she needed to take the boat called the Land n' Sea. As she arrived at the harbor, she looked for the Land n' Sea and found it, remembering the white boat with silver highlights from her memory. She stepped onto the boat and saw the pilot gazing out to the vast blueness of the ocean.

"Hello?" Kagura said.

With a start, the pilot turned around and smiled.

"Kagura, it's good to see you again. You're going to the villa?"

Kagura nodded, "Do you mind bringing me there?"

"It would be my pleasure."

It wasn't long before Kagura arrived. After thanking the pilot, she made her way up the cliff trail to the villa. It was exactly like what she saw in her memory. This was where she could regain all her memories of her childhood and her family but her memories before the train ride and what had happened before she fell and hit her head was still a blank. That can come later. Right now, remembering her childhood and family takes top priority. Reaching the doors, Kagura instinctively reached for the key under the welcome mat before entering. She closed the door behind her and looked around. The master living room she was standing in had a long beige sofa with matching pillows, a glass coffee table stood in front of it. Kagura was finally here, finally at the villa where she could slowly regain her memories of her childhood and family.

Kagura put her bags down on the sofa and went to air out the rooms before continuing her exploration of the place. The place had a big marble kitchen equipped with a kitchen booth. To the right of the kitchen lay the dining room. From the kitchen she made her way to the rooms, hoping to find her bedroom. Kagura soon found it and remembered the memory she had of her mother telling her the story of Lady Guinevere. The room was highlighted in soothing blues and silvers. She explored the other rooms from top to bottom, but no other flickers of memory came to her until she reached the Master Bedroom. As she stepped in the room, the scent of jasmines and cinnamon came to her followed by another childhood memory. She saw herself lying between two people feeling their warmth and love as they told her stories of King Arthur and his Court. Stories of Merlin, King Arthur, Lady Guinevere, and the chivalrous knight Lancelot and about the noble deeds they did. The stories were like a lullaby to her, magic to her ears, and she soon fell asleep. A sense of completeness, belonging, warmth, protection, and love radiated from the two as they watched her sleep before the shadows finally cleared. She saw who they were. A man and a woman with dark hair, gentle eyes of silvery gray and loving eyes of emerald. They lovingly watched her as she slept, dreaming of a time long ago when King Arthur and his Court had brought their Legends to life. Kagura slowly opened her eyes and finally remembered who the man and woman were. Father, Mother, I finally remember you.

Satan appeared in a blinding light at Hell's Gate Tavern, one of the Gateways between the Human Realm and the Devildom. It was the same as before. Glass bottles were still on the shelves, the place smelling like a brewery, musty stairs, and the dilapidated sign, To Unearthly Visitors, Please Knock. He climbed the stairs, hoping he wouldn't see Mammon's debt collectors again, and was lucky. There were no sign of them as he exited the Tavern, stepping onto the cobbled streets of London. Kagura had also gone through the Gateway when she had arrived in London so the next thing to do was to trace her steps. Satan took out his D.D.D and searched for the last message Kagura had sent him. When he found it, he tracked the location of where the message was sent from and saw that it was from her home. Smiling, he searched for the address and found it via one of the apps on his phone.

Kagura lived in a nice, quiet area of Covent Garden not too far from the coffee houses around Bow Street and Russell Street. Satan made his way to the area and found many houses there. Next, he asked the locals where Kagura lived. Everyone knew who Kagura was and told him where she lived, at the same time, wondering how he knew Kagura. Satan had calmly told them that he was a friend from school, which was pretty much the truth before discreetly erasing their memories of ever meeting him. After erasing their memories, Satan made his way to Kagura's house. It was a beautiful blue, trimmed with white traditional Victorian house with three floors and beautiful columns sitting elegantly amongst the other Victorian houses in the area. Satan climbed the stairs to her porch and rang the doorbell, hoping she was in. She was not. Sighing, Satan thought, where could she have gone? Wait, didn't Kagura tell him that in one of her dreams, she was in a coffee house? Kagura went to the human world to discover the meaning behind her dreams/nightmares, hoping to prevent them from coming true so the next step would be to find the coffee house Kagura spoke of. Satan nodded. That was the next logical step.

Kagura lived close to many coffee houses but which coffee house was it? During the Meeting, Lord Diavolo had mentioned that in a coffee house in the human world, a blackout had occurred. This was shown in one of Kagura's dreams so that means her dream had come true, but it didn't tell him which coffee house it was. Thinking about that, he noticed a newspaper box nearby. He walked toward it and froze as he read the front page article, "A series of unexplained blackouts have occurred in and around the coffee houses within the Covent Garden area. The most recent blackout occurred at Will's Coffee House. The blackout occurred several weeks ago leaving seven people missing and the remaining ones with no memories of what had occurred during the blackout. Investigators from Scotland Yard are currently investigating this but have no answers as of yet."

Satan frowned, Will's Coffee House. That must be where Kagura went next. He left the newspaper box then looked for the coffee house in the area. It wasn't long before he found it. The coffee house was a cozy, quaint, two storied building that gave a fantastic view of London. Stepping inside the coffee house, he was met by a jolly-faced human welcoming him.

"Welcome to Will's Coffee House. My name is Will, the owner. What a surprise to see a new face. Are you new in town?"

Satan wasn't surprised to hear such an exuberant greeting from a human. Humans tend to get overly excited when they meet someone new. He was here for information about Kagura so what better way to find information than through this human.

Satan nodded, "Yes, I'm new here. I came to visit an old friend of mine. You may know her. Her name's Kagura. We're close friends. I heard she was in town so I came for a visit."

Will nodded, suddenly looking concerned. "Yes, I know her. She's one of my frequent customers. Kagura is no longer in London. She left for Cornwall several weeks ago but I haven't heard from her since, which isn't normal. Her father and I are old friends."

Satan went still, his own heart panicking. Several weeks ago, which was when the blackout occurred. The concerning news was that the owner hasn't heard from her since then. Forcing calmness he didn't quite feel, he asked, "You said that it wasn't normal for her to not contact you. Does that happen frequently?"

Will shook his head. "Every time she goes somewhere, Kagura would let me know. She told Anna, one of the waitresses, that she'll be in Cornwall then Anna had told me. Cornwall isn't far from London so she should already be there and would have let me know of her arrival but she hasn't. It's been several weeks and I still haven't heard from her. I'm a little concerned and I'm sure you're concerned too since you're a close friend of hers."

Satan was more than concerned. He was in a panic. Calm yourself Satan, he told himself firmly, now was not the time to go into a panic.

"Do you mind bringing the waitress here? I would like to talk with her."

Will nodded, gesturing for Anna.

Anna immediately came. "Yes, Will?"

Will motioned toward Satan, "He's a close friend of Kagura's and is as worried as I am about her. He would like to talk to you."

Anna looked at Satan and felt her cheeks go hot. The man was very good-looking. He was a close friend of Kagura's?! She's so lucky. Recovering herself, she inclined her head.

"It's a pleasure to meet you sir. You're a close friend of Kagura's?"

"Yes."

Anna nodded, "Will said you wanted to talk to me?"

"Yes. The owner told me that Kagura had not contacted him since she left for Cornwall. Do you know what happened to her?"

Anna shook her head. "I don't know, but before she left for Cornwall, she ran into Detective Inspector Shirley McPhee of Scotland Yard. They were chatting with each other before we had the blackout."

Satan nodded, "I read about the blackout. Do you remember anything from it?"

Anna shook her head, "Just like the other coffee houses that had the blackout, everyone had no memories of what happened. They only remember that seven people had gone missing. After the lights returned, Kagura and Inspector McPhee came downstairs to ask us questions, but we couldn't answer them. A few minutes later, the Inspector returned to Scotland Yard and Kagura went home. Before Kagura left, I noticed that she had a troubled expression on her face but I didn't ask why. For some reason, I knew whatever it was Kagura had to take care of it herself."

Satan nodded, "You're right about that. Kagura is like that. Any problems that come her way, she likes to handle it on her own."

He then nodded to both the owner and Anna and said, "Thank you for all your help."

Turning to Anna, "Do you know the address of the Inspector? I need to talk to her next."

Anna shook her head, "I don't but you can go to Scotland Yard to ask after her. I'm sure they could help."

Satan smiled and nodded his thanks, "Thank you miss."

Anna felt herself turning into liquid mush when he smiled at her. He had a gorgeous smile too. Kagura, when I see you again, you better tell me how you two met.

Anna nodded and said, "My pleasure. I hope you find her. I'm as worried about her as Will."

"I intend too," Satan replied.

Anna hid a smile as she recognized that tone of voice. He has feelings for Kagura. It clearly shows in his tone.

Satan inclined his head respectfully to the two then left the coffee house for Scotland Yard.

A few minutes later, Satan arrived at Scotland Yard. Scotland Yard was a place he had often visited while in the human world. The place had changed throughout the centuries. Now it was known as New Scotland Yard. He had met all the Commissioners that have ever worked here, sometimes aiding them in cases if asked, sometimes just visiting. The current Commissioner was Commissioner James Monro. He and the Commissioner were old acquaintances. As Satan stepped inside the building, he immediately went to Commissioner Monro's office. He knocked politely on his door.

"Come in."

Satan opened the door and stepped in. The Commissioner was looking at some papers on his desk, a look of seriousness on his face.

"Commissioner, it's very nice to see you again."

The Commissioner looked up and smiled in recognition, "This is a surprise. Are you visiting again? Please, have a seat."

Satan sat and shook his head. "Not this time. I'm looking for someone, a close friend of mine. I haven't heard from her for a while and I'm getting concerned. I was hoping you could help me."

The Commissioner's eyes went serious, "Can you tell me who she is?"

"I think you may know her. She's an acquaintance of the Detective Inspector of Scotland Yard. Her name is Kagura."

Commissioner Monro went still, looking concerned as well. "I do know her. Her father and I are friends. Kagura's father does consulting work for Scotland Yard. We have called on his help on numerous occasions. You're saying she's missing?"

Satan nodded, "She's been missing since the blackout incident that occurred at Will's Coffee House. The owner and one of the waitresses told me that she left London several weeks ago after the incident but they haven't heard from her since. The last person who talked to her was the Detective Inspector of Scotland Yard. Her name is Shirley McPhee. I came to ask if you could tell me where Inspector McPhee lives so I could talk to her on the whereabouts of Kagura."

The Commissioner nodded. "Inspector McPhee was the one who reported the blackout at the coffee house. She told me she ran into Kagura there. Both were in it, but Kagura and Inspector McPhee were not affected by the memory loss. I was surprised to hear that. When I asked Inspector McPhee why they weren't affected, she didn't know."

Satan stared, "Kagura wasn't affected either? That's surprising news to me. Do you think her disappearance may have something to do with it?"

Commissioner Monro shook his head, "I don't know. I wanted to talk to Kagura about it but she had already left for Cornwall, and now she's missing. This is getting concerning. I have to contact her parents about this news. They need to know."

Satan nodded, "I agree."

"Returning to what you asked about earlier, I do have Inspector McPhee's address. Let me write it down for you."

The Commissioner took out a piece of paper than wrote Inspector McPhee's address then gave it to Satan.

"Here it is. I hope you can find Kagura. I'll let her parents know that she's missing."

Satan nodded and pocketed the piece of paper before leaving Scotland Yard.

A few minutes after Satan left, Commissioner Monro picked up his phone and dialed a number.

"James, it's good to hear from you. Did you have more information on the case you asked me to look into?"

"That is not of importance now. There's something else you need to know. I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but your daughter is missing."

On the other end of the line, the dark haired man nearly dropped the phone when he heard the news. In a voice barely above a whisper, "Kagura is missing?"

The Commissioner closed his eyes as he heard the pained voice, "I'm sorry for giving you such painful news. I've just recently found out about it myself. An old acquaintance of mine reported it to me. He came by my office a few minutes ago and told me that he learned of the news from Will. He told my acquaintance that he hasn't heard back from Kagura ever since the blackout they had."

The man on the other end closed his eyes in pain, "Do you have enough manpower to help me find Kagura? I can't tell her mother, not now. She's busy with her Tour."

"I'm sorry I don't. My sources are strained. Half of them are investigating the disappearances from the coffee houses while the other half is with you investigating the missing trains."

The Commissioner heard him sigh, "You're right, James. For now, I have to believe that Kagura's safe."

"I'm sure she is. Kagura is a strong and independent young woman, smart too. She got that from you. Besides, my acquaintance is taking care of that. He's smart too. He has helped me with cases as well. I have a feeling that he would be able to find your daughter."

"I would like to meet that acquaintance of yours some time."

"I'll be glad to introduce him to you."

"Speaking of your investigation, have you found anything yet?"

"No, the case is as baffling as the Jack the Ripper case centuries ago. Every single train that went missing was from the London-Paddington Station. They never reached their destination. The trains always seem to stop somewhere in the wilds of Cornwall before disappearing with everyone on it. We won't know what had happened to the trains unless we figure out what had happened to the passengers and staff on it."

The Commissioner didn't like where this was going. A suspicion suddenly came to him. Could the missing people from the coffee houses have some connection to the missing passengers and staff? The trains disappeared right after those incidents at the coffee houses.

"A thought just came to me and it could be a lead to both investigations. I want you to return to Scotland Yard and work with the team involved with the disappearances from the coffee houses. I have a suspicion that maybe those disappearances have some connection to the missing trains and the people on them."

The man on the other end stilled, "I'll return right now with my team. I have a feeling that you may be right."

Following the address on the paper, Satan found Inspector McPhee's home. The home was a stately looking two storied Tudor style home. The exterior was made of rich wooden beams and white bricks. Satan rang the doorbell, hoping she was in. He was in luck, Inspector McPhee was in. She opened the door and looked curiously at the man before her.

"May I help you?"

"I'm sorry for my unexpected visit Inspector McPhee. The Commissioner gave me your address. He's an old acquaintance of mine. I came here to ask you some questions about a missing friend of mine since you were the last person she spoke to before she went missing. I think you're acquainted with her. Her name's Kagura."

Inspector McPhee stilled, "Kagura's missing?"

Satan nodded, "I was hoping you may have some answers. May I come in?"

"Of course, please come in."

"Thank you Inspector," then he stepped in.

"Please, have a seat. I'll make some tea."

Satan nodded his thanks then sat on the beige colored sofa in the living room. A few minutes later, Inspector McPhee returned with a tea tray. She set the tray on the glass table then made a cup of tea for both the visitor and her.

"You said that Kagura's missing, how could that be? I saw her several weeks ago at Will's Coffee House."

Satan nodded, "I know. I went there to ask after her only to learn from the owner that Kagura went missing after she left London for Cornwall. He hasn't heard from her since and that's not normal. The owner and her father are old friends. In addition, I read in the newspaper that a blackout occurred at the coffee house the same week she went missing."

Inspector McPhee looked serious, "Yes, I know about the blackout. Kagura and I were there when it happened."

"Can you tell me what transpired during the blackout?"

Inspector McPhee nodded. "Kagura and I ran into each other there. While we were catching up she noticed the newspaper article I was reading and asked what it was about. I showed her. The article was on the blackouts and disappearances that happened at the other coffee houses in the area. When she read it, she got pale. I didn't think much of it because it was a normal reaction. Later, she told me she was planning to visit Cornwall and I told her it was a good time to be there. However, before we could continue our conversation, the blackout occurred. During the blackout, both Kagura and I heard voices coming from the first floor. A few seconds later, the lights came back on and we returned to the first floor to ask what had happened. No one remembered anything. All they knew was that seven people had gone missing."

Satan was thoughtful for a minute then remembered what Lord Diavolo had told them. Kagura had heard dark chanting coming from the first floor. She had learned that the chant was a potent spell to induce a deep trance that causes humans to go into a comatose state where they become vessels for possession.

"Inspector, when you heard the voices coming from the first floor, was there anything strange about them?"

Inspector McPhee thought for a minute then remembered. She had ignored it because the language was a dead language. No one spoke it today except in Vatican City. She didn't know if it would help him, but if it could she'll gladly share the info.

"I don't know if this would help, but the language they used was strange, almost like Latin. Latin has been a dead language for centuries. Only Vatican City uses it, but mostly in prayers. That's why I ignored it. Does this information help?"

Satan went still. Dark and Demonic Magic uses Latin in their spells. This would confirm both Kagura's and Lord Diavolo's suspicions, that there are Dark Mages hidden in the human world. He needed to report to Lord Diavolo immediately with this information. Returning to the present, Satan nodded.

"More than you know. My other question relates to Kagura's trip to Cornwall."

The Inspector nodded, "Of course."

"How does one get to Cornwall from London?"

"The fastest way is by car but many people take the train. There are several train routes to Cornwall depending on which city they want to go to. If one takes the train, they depart from London-Paddington Station."

Satan nodded, finishing his tea before standing up, "You have been a great help Inspector. Thank you for the tea. I must go now."

The Inspector nodded, "The next step of your investigation would be at the London-Paddington Station, I assume?"

Satan nodded.

"Good luck and I hope you find her."

"Thank you. I intend to." Satan replied.

He inclined his head respectfully then left Inspector McPhee's home, making his way to London-Paddington Station.

London-Paddington Station was close to Inspector McPhee's home so Satan arrived there in no time. The first place he went to was the ticket window. A man was sitting behind a counter typing into his computer. When Satan arrived at the window, the man looked up and with a polite smile asked, "How may I help you, sir?"

"Yes, do you know if there are any trains going to Cornwall today?"

The man went still before apologizing, "I'm sorry, sir, but all routes to Cornwall has been cancelled after the recent incidents."

"What recent incidents?"

The man looked at him, "Have you not heard of the recent disappearances of trains going to Cornwall?"

Satan went still and felt himself go into a panic again. Kagura! Could that be the reason why she's missing? He thought. Forcing calmness he didn't feel, "I haven't heard this news yet, but I do know about the coffee house disappearances. Do you mind telling me what happened to the trains?"

The man nodded. "It started several weeks ago. It happened around the same time of the coffee house disappearances. Two days after the incidents at the coffee houses, trains from London-Paddington to Cornwall started to disappear. None of the trains ever reached their destination. They disappeared midway."

Satan listened in stunned silence before recovering quickly, "What of the passengers and staff?"

"I do not know. Rail Security has not heard from any of the drivers or the train firemen before the trains disappeared."

Satan frowned, deep in thought, before saying, "Thank you for telling me. I have another question. Is it possible for you to show me a record of the passengers that had bought tickets to Cornwall?"

"I'm sorry, sir, but that information is confidential. It is for the security of the passengers. The only way to show them to you is if you have security clearance."

Satan nodded, "Will this do?" Satan took out his Scotland Yard identification that was given to him by Commissioner Monro. The ID was given to him when Commissioner Monro had been involved in a baffling case. Satan had decided to aid him even though he was only in the human world visiting Scotland Yard. He had helped solve the case and as thanks, Commissioner Monro gave him the ID. Later, they had become acquaintances. The identification read, "Special Consultant of Scotland Yard" with Commissioner Monro's signature and seal.

The man behind the counter looked at him in surprise. "You have consulted for Scotland Yard?"

Satan nodded. "Yes, the Commissioner and I are old acquaintances. He has asked me to consult on several occasions, but that is not the issue at the moment. Can you show me the records now?"

With a nod, "Come to the staff entrance. I'll unlock it for you then show you the records."

With a nod, Satan made his way to the staff entrance then entered. After pulling up a seat for Satan, the man opened the confidential files of the passengers who had bought tickets to Cornwall.

"Here is the list of all the passengers as well as their IDs who bought tickets to Cornwall before the disappearances occurred. Is there a specific passenger you're searching for? This is a long list."

Satan nodded, "Yes, her name's Kagura."

"Kagura is it? Can you spell her name for me?" He asked as he pulled up a passenger search.

Satan spelled it out, "K-A-G-U-R-A."

"Okay, here she is. The passenger bought a ticket from London-Paddington to St. Ives. The ticket was for a private compartment. According to the departure time, her train departed on time."

"What about the train's arrival time?"

"Let me look."

A few minutes later, the man pulled up the arrival time and went grim.

"The train never arrived."

Satan had gone suddenly still as a chilling thought came to him, "Can you look up the train number next?"

The man nodded. A few minutes later, he froze then turned to Satan.

In a quiet voice, the man said, "I recognize the train number. The train never reached St. Ives. It was one of the trains that disappeared midway, everyone who was on board had also disappeared."

Satan felt himself go pale. That was the train Kagura went on. No wonder she went missing. Then another thought suddenly came to him as he felt his blood turn cold. Kagura had mentioned a train in her dream. She had told him that the dream showed her light gleaming off metal, blood, still forms, and shadowy figures. Could the train in her dream be this train? Satan knew that only Rail Security can give him answers to what had happened to the train, and where it stopped before it disappeared. They also had the tools to trace train routes. The perfect person to ask about this was his Rail Security acquaintance.

"Sir, are you all right? You went pale just now."

Satan shook himself and turned to see the concerned look on the man's face. "I'm all right."

The man looked doubtful but he nodded.

Satan then asked, "Do your superiors also know about what happened to the train?"

The man nodded.

"What about the other authorities? I'm sure they've asked about this too."

The man shook his head, "They never asked about a specific passenger's train or about the passengers and staff on the missing trains. They only asked about which trains had disappeared and we told them that it was the London-Paddington to Cornwall trains and gave them a list of all the train routes that never arrived at their destination."

Satan nodded, "I see. Thank you for your help. Do you mind if I talked with Rail Security? I have some additional questions that I think only they can answer."

"Of course, just follow the signs leading to their office."

"Thank you," said Satan.

"My pleasure," replied the man.

Satan stood up and the man walked him back to the staff entrance. The man opened the door, said his goodbyes then Satan made his way to Rail Security.