(standard disclaimers apply ^____________^)
The Tiger who Knew too Much
The autumn wind had a bite to it, carrying the scent of fresh grass and the countryside over the familiar smog and car exaughst of the city. I huddled deeper into my coat, wishing I had remembered to grab enough spare change for a taxi. Things were really bad if I couldn't even afford one. I stuck to the street, even though it would have been much quicker if I took a few shortcuts through the back alleys. I wasn't stupid.
It was a very good thing that my destination was only about a half-hour's walk from my office. I was chilled to the bone by the time I stepped through the double doors.
The blast of light and sound blinded my senses for a brief moment before I got used to them. The slightly smoky atmosphere swirled around me in a whirl of music and chatter. A few heads turned my way, but then they went back to their own conversations. There were also a few curious glances directed at me. This was a very classy club, and I felt definitely underdressed. My simple white blouse and sky-blue skirt were perfectly adequate in an office, but at a night club…well, I was slightly out of place.
But I didn't have time to worry about that. I crossed over to the bar and took a seat on one of the stools. A tall man with shoulder length red hair and green eyes leaned over to smile at me.
"It's been a while Mia." He said cheerfully. "Where have you been hiding yourself?"
I sighed and gave him a tired smile. "It's been a hectic coupla months 'Nubis." I replied. "Things have been off the wall at the office."
"I heard about your last case." He began to say, wiping down the aged mahogany of the bar. "Sounds like a pretty big deal."
"No kidding." I chuckled. "Unfortunately, the young lady couldn't afford to pay me much, so I'm on another case."
"I'll bet anything that Kayla doesn't like that very much." He chuckled.
"Actually, she rather angry with me at the moment." I confessed. "I suppose I am working a little too hard."
"Then why take this case at all?" Anubis asked.
"We need the money." I sighed. "But I don't know if this new case is going to bring in all that much cash anyway."
"I repeat, why take it at all?"
"He had these eyes…" I said dreamily.
Anubis snorted at me. "You are such a sucker." He shook his head. "You'll never make ends meet if you keep this up."
I stuck my tongue out at him, and we both started to giggle.
"Seriously though." He sobered up first. "What brings you here?"
"Oh come on 'Nubis." I grinned. "You know you hear everything first. That's part of your business, and I need some information."
"What can I help you with?" He asked nonchalantly.
"Have you heard anything about a missing tiger?" I asked in a hushed voice.
"Tiger?" Both his eyebrows went up. "Are you sure you aren't being played for a sap here Mia? Why would anyone kidnap a tiger?"
"That's what I said." I nodded. "But apparently this tiger used to belong to Kaosu Shakujo."
Anubis looked thoughtful. "I'd heard about that." He said. "Supposedly the tiger was the only one who had any knowledge about the whereabouts of those missing jewels…" A light went on behind his eyes. "OH! I see. Someone kidnapped the tiger to find the jewels, am I right?"
I grinned. "I think you may have missed your calling. You should have been a PI."
"Not my forte, I assure you." He waved me off. "I'm sorry to say though, that I haven't heard anything about any missing tigers."
"Shit." I muttered. Anubis always heard everything before anyone else. If he didn't know anything, then it was very unlikely that anyone else did.
"Why would someone snatch a cat though?" He looked puzzled. "It's not like the thing can talk, it can't lead them anywhere."
"Supposedly this tiger is exceptionally smart." I shrugged. "But I don't have any concrete evidence of that."
Before he could reply, the lights in the room dimmed and the fluorescent lights over the stage flared brightly. A young woman about my age stood there, bathed in the glow, eyes shut. She wore a sleeveless dress of midnight blue that fell to the ground in graceful folds. Elbow-length gloves of the same hue were pulled over her forearms, and she held a cordless mike in her hand. Hair slightly darker that her dress fell behind her knees, though wisps of it still floated into her face.
Her eyes remained closed as the small band struck up a slow dance tune. The girl smiled and opened her mouth. A heartbreakingly crystal clear sound poured forth as she began to croon the lyrics to an old love song.
One would have to be a very thick skulled person to miss the slight glaze over Anubis' eyes. I couldn't help but grin.
"Kayura's pretty good, isn't she?" I murmured. He gave me a slightly embarrassed smile.
"Can I get you anything?" He asked quickly, far too quickly.
"Ummmm, Coke please." I replied, my focus on the stage.
"Sure you don't want something stronger?" He inquired teasingly.
"I think I'll stay sober for now." The glass clinked down next to my elbow. I wrapped my fingers around the moisture beaded cup and took a sip. A small idea was beginning to form in my mind.
Kayura had quite a past. She'd only been working at the club for a few months, but before that, she'd been a mobster's 'doll'. Her' boyfriend' had been a fairly prominent gangster. He'd been knocked off, and his new replacement had claimed Kayura as spoils of war, so to speak. She'd been passed around like a toy, and had managed to escape someway. She never told anyone how, but her experience had left her battered inside and out.
So maybe, just maybe, Kayura would have some information that Anubis didn't. If I could just get her to talk, I might get a good lead.
By the end of the performance, I'd tried to take a sip and come up with ice. I hadn't realized that I'd been downing that thing at such a rate.
"Refill?"
"No thanks, Kayla thinks I'm getting too much caffeine."
"I'd have to agree with her."
I shot him a dirty look. "Watch it there."
Anubis just smirked. "Let me guess, you want to talk with Kayura."
I didn't even ask how he knew that, just nodded. "Right. She might just know something you don't, I'm pretty sure she's still got some connections to the Mob, at least, it wouldn't surprise me if she did."
He just frowned. "But I thought she's in hiding from them."
"Maybe," I shrugged. "But she still might know someone who can give me some kind of tip."
So when the young singer's second song had drawn to a close, Anubis motioned for her to come over to the bar. She caught my eye and both her eyebrows went up. She knew who I was, if by reputation only.
Kayura turned and signaled to the musicians behind her to take five. She slipped off the stage and over to where I was seated, ignoring the catcalls from the male contingent of the crowd. She'd had a lot of practice at that.
"You wanted something?" She asked in a hushed voice as she settled herself down on the barstool next to me, arranging her skirt around her.
"Ky, this is my friend Mia." Anubis introduced me. "I believe I've mentioned her before."
"Yes, I think you have." She replied, her gaze switching to me. "You haven't been around here for a few months though."
"Things have been busy." I shrugged.
"Can I help you with anything?"
"Actually, yes, I think you can." I leaned forward and lowered my voice. The last thing I needed was to bring trouble down on this place if someone overheard this conversation. "I need to know if you've heard anything, anything at all, about an abducted tiger."
"Y-you mean from the Mob, don't you?" Kayura swallowed hard, her eyes darting around the room, apparently she had the same thoughts I did.
"Exactly. This tiger may know something about a certain set of missing jewels…"
"The Shakujo?" The other girl asked, eyes going wide.
"Right." I nodded. "Can you tell me anything?"
Kayura shook her head. "I'm afraid I've been out of circuit for too long. There were rumors that someone among the Mob (I'm not sure who) was going to attempt a heist involving those jewels but I was out of there before any action was ever taken." Her voice took on a slightly acidic tone. "And besides, I've been distancing myself from them for a reason you know."
"I realize that." I said sympathetically. "I know your story. Can you at least direct me to someone who might me able to tell me something?"
She chewed at her lip for a moment. Anubis had moved down the bar to serve another customer fleeing the autumn weather. Apparently without the presence of someone she felt she could trust, Kayura lost her confidence.
"I promise you that anything you say will be kept in confidence." I reassured her. "Who would I tell? As far as I'm concerned this conversation never took place."
She shot me a look of gratitude and lowered her voice down to barely above a whisper. "Do you have something I could write with?"
I tugged a pen free from the left pocket of my jacket, along with a small spiral note pad. I passed them to her and watched as she bent over them, scribbling away behind the curtain of her hair.
"These people were friends of mind, men who wanted to escape the Mob just as I did. If anyone can help you," She said quietly. "They can."
"Thank you Kayura." I replied. "I'll cover this conversation as much as possible. Your name will never come up."
She nodded slowly, but I noticed the anxiety in her eyes. Anubis crossed back over to us and leaned over the bar.
"If you ladies are quite finished." He began. "You might want to cut this conversation short. You know very well that all sorts of people hang out around here."
I took his warning at face value. The nightclub served all kinds, whether or not they were of shady background. Money was money, and as long as it was good, Anubis' was perfectly willing to serve up food and entertainment. One could never tell who might be listening in.
I crunched down on a partially melted ice cube as Kayura stood and nodded politely to both me and Anubis. She then turned and made her way back towards the stage, where the band was just warming up for their next set. I waved goodbye to my friend and stood to go.
"You sure you have to leave?" Anubis asked. "It's been a while since you've been here."
"Oh dear, if only I could." I shook my head regretfully. "But I left Kayla with a mound of paperwork and I'd really like to follow up on this lead. I'll probably be back soon though, plenty of, uh, shady characters hang out around here."
Anubis just chuckled. "Don't I know it." He waved back to me. "Take care of yourself, and for heaven's sake Ilisten/I to Kay one in a while and go get some rest!"
"I will, I promise." With that I took my leave, a good lead in my pocket and enough caffeine in my system to see me home.
~
I fished through my purse irritably, absolutely positive that my keys were disappearing on purpose. I ground my teeth in frustration at my lack of success. They had to be there somewhere! I didn't remember taking them out. Just when I was about to go to the apartment across the hall and ask if I could call the superintendent, my fingers brushed something hard and angular.
"Ah HAH!" I exclaimed triumphantly, holding the illusive key up to the hall light. It had taken long enough. Now it was just a matter of working the lock. The thing was a little tricky, requiring a little jiggle and twist to force it open. To my surprise, the door swung open on silent hinges, slightly alarming as they usually made a racket.
"Huh?" I stepped in, kicking off my pumps as I paused by the door, noticing a light on in the living room. My stomach gave a lurch and I reached for the little revolver I kept in my purse (much easier to find than the keys). This wasn't the first time I'd had a breaking and entering, and I'd learned from experience that just the sight of a gun was enough to discourage most thieves. It was a good thing that I kept any really valuable jewelry in the false bottom of my dresser drawer.
I crept stealthily down the small hallway, thanking my many lucky stars for that course in the police academy (a rudimentary part of every PI's training).
"Okay, I'm warning you…I've got a gun, I know how to use it, and my neighbor will call the police the second it goes off.
A soft chuckle answered me. "I'm well aware of that."
I nearly dropped my gun. My hands started to shake. I thought I knew that voice, but if it was who I thought it would be….that just wasn't possible.
But though my mind had gone into deer-in-headlights mode, my feet kept moving, almost as if by their own volition. Before I knew it, I was standing in the entrance to my tiny living room; and sprawled languidly on the armchair was someone I never thought I'd see again.
"S-Sage?" I stammered. My brain seemed to have shut off completely, and I was held, frozen in the doorway.
He just smiled slightly and stood. "Yes, it's me."
My mouth worked, but no sound emerged. This couldn't be happening, not unless the rules of the universe had suddenly been changed without my knowledge. What next? Would he turn into some kind of monster? Was I just dreaming? Maybe a pig would go flying by my window. At the moment, that seemed more likely.
I finally managed to get my voice to work properly.
"But…you're dead!"
Well, he Ishould/I have been anyway. It had been all over the newspapers. He was the friend I'd mentioned earlier in the evening to Ryo; the one who'd been killed by the Mob. Last I'd heard before his death, he'd been very close to getting enough evidence to shut away a notorious Mob boss by the name of Arago. That guy had been avoiding arrest for years, just because nobody actually had any concrete evidence that he'd done any of the crimes he'd been accused of. Rumor had it that Sage actually had something on him. He'd become too much of a threat and had been eliminated. Which was why I was so surprised to see him.
"Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated." He said with a wry smile.
"Uh…" I replied intelligently. Confusion just about flooded my mind, wrapping my brain in a fog-like blanket.
"That's hardly the response I was anticipating." He admitted.
My hands balled into fists, and anger burned through the bewilderment.
"You IJERK!!/I" I screeched. "I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!! SO DID EVERYBODY ELSE!! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO ALL OF US??!!"
The old man upstairs thumped the butt of his cane noisily against the floor of his apartment (and subsequently, the ceiling of mine), the way he did whenever things got loud in my home.
I stopped shrieking and turned the full force of my worst Dagger Glare of Death™ on him. Stronger men than he had crumpled beneath that gaze and it had the desired effect.
Sage stepped forward and took my hands in his. "Look Mia, I apologize for scaring you, but-"
Too bad I was far too pissed to listen. "But WHAT?" I hissed, right in his face. "How the HELL are you still alive, huh? Can you answer me that? They called me in to identify your Goddamned BODY! That was YOU under that sheet!"
He winced and dropped my hands, and ran one of his own through his hair, pushing that trademark lock out of his face; for about two seconds. It flopped back down, but he was too deep in thought to notice, or care.
"Mia, you didn't let me finish." He said mildly. "I was GOING to say that I didn't have any choice but to do what I did."
I crossed my arms and leaned against the doorframe. "What exactly was that?"
"Fake my death." He answered simply.
"F-fake your..?" I blinked a few times. That certainly explained a lot, but HOW? As I'd recently, uh, told him, I'd been called in by forensics to identify the body they'd found riddled with bullet holes in some cheap alley. They'd discovered my phone number in the address book in his wallet, and since they knew me anyway, (I had occasional contact with the NYPD) I'd been the first one they'd contacted.
I knew I'd never forget the experience. The chief forensic scientist (who I only knew vaguely) had flipped back the white cloth with a practiced movement. I remembered the horrible feeling of anxiety clenching my gut in and iron fist. There was no mistaking the shock of wild blonde hair, or the delicate features. My stomach had plummeted to somewhere around my ankles, and a lump of steel had suddenly developed in my throat. I had stumbled backwards and vaguely heard the other woman asking if I was alright, and did I know the man?
Know him? We'd graduated from College together, I'd known him since my sophomore year in high school. He'd been practically my best friend (contrary to popular rumor, it had never been anything more than that), and she wanted to know if I recognized the body….
I was pulled back to the present by a sharp pain in my palm. I realized I had tightened my fist so hard that my nails dug into the skin, cutting red half-moons into it.
"But…why?" I looked up from studying my hands to shoot him an utterly puzzled look. "What could possibly make you want to do that? All of us, all your friends, we were so…" I trailed off. I wasn't the only person who had been shocked, and utterly grief stricken. Sage had been a rather popular person, though he had few really close friends. Those of us who knew him best just couldn't understand how he'd been stupid enough to get himself killed.
"I'm so sorry." He said, there were layers of sorrow in his voice. I suddenly realized that by doing what he had, and making himself disappear, he'd literally had to start a completely different life, leaving behind all his friends and everything he'd ever known. It couldn't have been easy. My anger melted like a snowflake on one's tongue.
"What could possibly have driven you to-?"
This time, I was the one cut off. A sharp, humorless chuckle came from Sage's direction.
"Exactly what popular rumor thought." He said grimly. "I was too damn close to uncovering something big. A huge drug smuggling ring run by-"
Goodness, there was a lot of interrupting going on. "Arago." I replied, just as bluntly.
He nodded once. "Hit the nail on the head." He slumped back into the armchair. "I was too much of a threat. I was going to be 'eliminated' and I knew it."
"But why?" I was still baffled. Sage had never been one to run from any enemy, not for as long as I'd known him. "If you had some kind of evidence, why not just turn it in and THEN flee the country?"
This time he snorted. "I DID. I gave the pictures, the samples, everything to a source I THOUGHT could be trusted." He shook his head at himself. "What a fool I was. I was sold out before I turned around twice. Only the fact that ANOTHER source tipped me off saved my hide"
I seated myself on the couch, a thoughtful look on my face. "So you faked your own death before they could get to you." I pieced the rest of the story together. "And you hoped that they'd assume some other branch of the same smuggling ring had taken you out first."
"You've still got it." He grinned, a real grin this time.
"Thanks." I replied off hand. "But what I DON'T get is how you pulled it off, and why you're coming back now of all times?"
"Well, I'll take the first question." He stood and started to pace. He always did that when he was trying to make a point. I remembered that he used to do that whenever we had those late-night arguments over large cups of coffee during college study groups. A part of me reminded me that Kayla would be thrilled to know he was still in one piece. I had to pull my attention back to the topic at hand.
"It wasn't easy. It had to be convincing the Mob had to actually have papers confirming an autopsy to be convinced that I was out of their hair for good." He never stopped pacing. "Needless to say, having some hired daredevil impersonating me hurling himself from a bridge wasn't going to do the trick."
"You didn't hire somebody to kill himself, did you?" I asked, utterly mortified by the thought.
Sage shot me a look of pure contempt. "Give me a little more credit, will you Mia? What kind of pitiful excuse for a human being do you take me for?"
"One who dupes his friends into thinking he's been murdered." I replied pleasantly.
He winced. "I had that coming, didn't I?"
"Yes you did." I said, reaching over and catching his hand as he continued to pace. I squeezed it before letting go and settling back against the couch cushions. "But don't take my word for it. Just wait 'til Kayla finds out."
The blood drained from his face.
"I'm so dead." He moaned quietly.
"You will be if you don't finish the story."
"Ah, yes." Sage said weakly. The mere thought of being at the receiving end of Kayla's tongue lashing was enough to have any sane man quaking in his boots, but the same could be said for most female's scorn.
He went back to pacing, to and fro, back and forth. I began to wonder if he would wear a trench in my carpet. No use trying to stop him though. Some of his best ideas came to him when his feet were moving. The others came when he was utterly still. Go figure.
"So what DID you do?"
"Isn't it obvious? I paid off the head of the forensics lab. She was a friend of mine anyway, and after I explained the whole situation, she was glad to help.
"You did? I would never have guessed. Her face was so….deadpan."
"She was the head of her drama club in high school."
"Uh huh." A familiar angry heat overwhelmed me again. "But why drag ME into it? You must have known that they'd find my number on you." My eyes narrowed. "Or did you set THAT up too?"
I could scarcely hear his voice. "I'm really very sorry about that Mia. I needed someone that the officials knew well enough. If you said that the body under the sheet was me, and the autopsy report said the same, then I was home free."
"I could really learn to hate you for that."
He mock growled at me before pacing again. "You don't get it."
"Actually, I was just kidding. I understand, and I forgive you….for crying out loud, sit DOWN! You're going to wear right through into the downstairs neighbor's kitchen!"
Sage took a seat with a sheepish expression on his face.
"You never did answer my second question though. Why come back now, of all times?" If he'd wanted to vanish, it certainly didn't make any sense to reappear after the theft of the Shakujo jewels, did it?
His lavender eyes went steely gray and I was taken aback by the barely concealed rage in his expression. Then he said four words I never EVER thought I'd hear from him.
"They took my wife."
My jaw hit the floor.
"SAY WHAT?!" I just about screeched. The old man above resumed pounding. I was too busy hyperventilating to notice.
"Y-you…you're…I mean…"
He smiled slightly at my astonishment.
"Yeah."
"H-how…when…?"
"Two years ago. I met her in Berlin, that's where I ended up, by the way, Germany. Her name's Michelle." There was this utterly foolish grin on his face, and I couldn't help but smile. Whoever this person was, she had his heart wrapped around her pinky finger. I wondered if she knew that.
I rolled in my jaw before I tried to stand and tripped over it. My head was really starting to ache.
"Oh." I said weakly.
"Jealous?" He poked impishly.
"Idiot." I snapped, regaining my composure. "What do you think? Of COURSE not!"
"Kinda didn't think so." He leaned back into the cushions with a smug look on his face. I resisted the urge to wipe it off.
"But what would they want with her?" I was now thoroughly puzzled.
He shrugged, but there was a tenseness about him that betrayed how very enraged he still was.
"Be damned if I know. She's a vet. I just don't understand."
"A WHAT?" Dear god, it all fell into place.
"You know, an animal doctor?"
"Y-yeah." I replied faintly.
"Why do you look so shocked?"
I groaned and let my head fall into my hands. Why me? What ever possessed me to take that case? Things just kept getting worse and worse.
"Mia?"
"Listen Sage, you picked a really BAD time to announce the fact that you're still alive and kickin'." I outlined the job I'd just taken, leaving out no details. As I'd mentioned this evening, Sage was a PI too, and I figured he might be able to snag some detail I'd missed.
"Well that does explain a lot, doesn't it?" He asked in a grim tone that boded no good for anyone involved with either kidnapping.
"Yeah." I nodded. "Whatever they're doing it seems they need a veterinarian to make sure this tiger stays in good health." Something occurred to me "Wait a sec, there's plenty of other doctors in the city, why on earth would they target your wife?"
"It was sheer coincidence that we happened to be back in town." Sage's voice was strangely toneless. "You see, my aunt passed away three days ago and we were attending the funeral. I don't know if they knew WHO Michelle was, or if it was just pure chance that they took her. She'd mentioned to one of the other people at the funeral about her profession. My family had never met her before, you know how they can be."
Did I ever! Wait a sec, something about that story didn't quite check….
"You told you family that you were still alive? But you didn't tell me?!"
He cringed. "No matter what I say, I'm still screwed, aren't I?"
"You'd better believe it."
Silence fell between the two of us for a few moments. I let my eyes fall shut and rubbed at my temples. This had to have been the longest work day I'd had in quite a while. I mentally recapped everything that had occurred, and remembered the slip of paper Kayura had given me. I fumbled with the inside pocket of my coat (I hadn't had the chance to take it off) and pulled out the slip of paper. The little scribbles of names and numbers meant nothing to me. I passed it to Sage.
"Here. Do you recognize any of these?"
He frowned and scanned the text, eyes flickering back and forth across the lines. I watched in mild amusement as his eyebrow (brow? Who could tell?) shot up in surprise at something he saw.
"Who gave you this?"
"A singer at Anubis'." I replied, keeping to my promise not to say anything else.
I guess something in my voice gave me away, for Sage just gave me a knowing look and turned his attention back to the paper.
"Well, what do you think?"
"I'd say whoever gave you this had some extensive connections." He replied somberly, handing me the paper back. "These people were all rather high-up in the ranks, if you catch my drift. But if what I've heard is true, then they cut off all their connections with the Mob. I'll bet they probably stay in touch though. They'd have some food info."
*Hmm, so Kayura really DID give me some legit stuff.* I mused to myself as I stuffed it back into my pocket.
"I'll have to check it out tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?"
"Well it IS late." I pointed out. "And besides, I'll bet all those people on that list are either asleep or busy with something else. Ticking someone off is NOT the best way to get their cooperation you know."
"Yes." He nodded. "We'll start on this tomorrow."
I raised an eyebrow. "We?"
Sage flashed a rather caustic grin. "You don't expect me to just sit back and do NOTHING do you? After all, I've got my own grievances to settle."
I sighed and admitted that he did have a point. I had no right to deny him the chance to find out where his wife may have been taken.
"Okay, but I am NOT splitting the take with you this time." I warned him. We're running on a right enough budgit as it is."
"I'm not interested in the money." He reassured me.
"Good. Then I won't charge you rent for sleeping on my couch."
Okay, so this time HIS eyebrow went up. "Oh I will, will I?"
I snorted. "You don't expect me to just kick you out on the street with THAT poking around do you? Geez, what kind of friend would I be if I did that?"
Though I had been joking, his expression turned sober and he turned to me.
"Mia, I can't apologize enough. I never meant to worry you, or cause you any kind of grief. You know I'd never hurt you or Kay…I just didn't have any other choice. The less you knew, the less of a target you were." Sage said earnestly.
I just smiled. "We both know I've already forgiven you, and that you're just saying that to try to keep Kayla from chewing you out."
All he could do was laugh with me.
"Anyway, I'm going to hit the sack." I said, getting to my feet and stretching. I haven't been getting nearly enough sleep lately."
"No kidding." He stood as well. "You look like shit kiddo."
"I'm older than you." As I stuck my tongue out at him, something occurred to me. Hadn't I said the EXACT same words earlier that day to Ryo? I smiled at the thought of introducing those two. Something told me that I was in for a VERY interesting couple of days.