Hajime Saitou P.I.

Case of the Ahou and his Kitty



So the boy and I walk out of my office and out of the building, and into the ungodly pouring rain. How's that saying go? God is crying? Who cares? The only thing I'm concerned with is the kid is walking slightly too fast for my leisurely pace. And he's taking my umbrella with him.

I hurry after him until we're walking at the same pace. I think I remember something about an old Japanese joke about two people and an umbrella. But I can't remember it right. It doesn't matter. The kid just suddenly stops at the corner.

"So by 'the bar downstairs' you meant not in this building and down the street?" He looked at me with a prissy sneer.

"Why should it matter so much to you?" I return the sneer with a sneer of my very own trademark sneers.

"Well, considering how I'll probably die of hypothermia before you even get a chance to start this case," He trailed off, so I pushed him into the street.

Unfortunately, it was a cross walk and it was safe to go. I'll try again later.

"Don't worry, moron, in this heat it'll take you a good long time before you can die of hypothermia."

"HEY! Is that anyway to talk to a client?"

"I don't HAVE to take this case you know." Sure it was a lie, but who cares.

"All right, all right, fine." He quieted slightly as we entered the bar.

It was a nice place. Usually pretty quiet except when the owner Tae was around. She could be pretty rowdy for a dame. And tonight was our lucky night. Both Tae AND her sister were here. They were dragging one really sloshed Aoshi, a regular at this joint, up onto the mini stage insisting that he sing.

I was hanging up my trench coat and hat while the boy was shaking out the umbrella. The room was filled with the drunk man's singing. Slurred words about love lost have never sounded more beautiful, and more painful to my ears. I looked down at the kid who, apparently, wasn't familiar with the concept of an umbrella(Basically, he couldn't get it closed.) He was still drenched. I had mind enough to hang him up next to my wet coat.

Snatching my umbrella back and shutting it, I hung it up on the rack next to my hat and coat and shoved the kid towards the dining area. The drunkard was now sobbing into the microphone about how he's been replaced by a little girl. Whatever was the story, he sounded pretty damn pathetic.

Soon, Sae came and took our order. I, of course, ordered Kake-soba, because that's all I ever order. It's all I ever want really. My life would be fine if I could just sit in the quiet of my office just eating soba all day and reading the paper. Of course, life's a bitch goddess.

Sanosuke, however, decided to order everything on the damn menu. Well, maybe not literally, but it could have been.

When Sae was finished writing down his order she laughed and asked "Would you like the kitchen sink with that, cutie?" Cutie? My, my Sae could your flirting be any more obvious? No, I wasn't jealous. I just like being the center of attention. It's a Capricorn trait. Not that I believe any of that crap.

Before Sae could run off I asked her if she could bring some dry towels out for our soggy little 'rooster'. Now to get down to business.

"Okay, do you have any possible motifs that Kenshin might be using in his kidnaping of your cat."I still can't believe I took this case.

"Of course! I know exactly why. He wants me around because I'm loaded with dough!"

"Explain."

"Well, my adopted father, Souzou Sagara, he ran this huge business. You must have heard of it. The Sekihoutai Corporation. When he died, he left half of the shares of the company to me, and half of the shares to my brother Katsu. Kenshin, being the sly bastard he is, figured that if he could get me to be joined with him legally in some way that would make him accessible to my fortune. So he took me as a lover, brought me into his little crime world, and we got a kitty together. And me being the naive young innocent I was I believed him whole heartedly that he cared for me as a person and not for my money."

At this point the 'naive young innocent' picked up a napkin off the table and began dabbing at his eyes. He was making sniffing noises and glancing up at me, probably to see if I was falling for this little act. And the award goes to...

"Well, you can imagine how shocked I was to find him and his hussy of a woman together in OUR bed. I was outraged! I grabbed little Mew-mew and my personal belongings and left him. Toot sweet. I'm sure Kenshin was so enraged at me leaving, along with my money and our little baby Mew-mew." At this he was now grinning evilly, then he realized he was supposed to be some sort of a victim and he resumed his crying act. Where the hell was Sae with my soba anyway?

"Alright, I think I get the basic gist of your little soap opera. Where is Kenshin hiding out anyway?"

The kid had an attention span of a brick. He put down his napkin and tilted his head.

"Well, I'm not really sure. He has lots of little hide outs. He most likely though will be at his illegal hidden casino, 'Speak Easy', that's down by the docs.

Why is everything down by the docs in situations like this?

"But he also has an apartment uptown. That's where he usually goes to be with his little so and so woman." He was clenching his fist. The kid must have really not seen the other woman coming. Should I call her the other woman? Considering, she was the only WOMAN? Unless, you count Kenshin as one.

Sae finally arrived with our food, how she carried all the plates on that tray with her tiny arms will never cease to amaze me. Ah, but there was my soba. Smiling up at me. The one true mistress in my life. Tokio and I have an understanding about that. Soba will always be first.

"SAITOU!" Apparently the kid had been trying to get my attention since the food was brought.

"What? Do you mind? I'm enjoying my soba."

"Well, I thought you'd might like to know the hide outs considering that's what you asked!" The kid barked at me through mouthfuls of food.

"Fine, fine. You can tell me when I'm finished. It's soba time. No one interrupts" It's true. No one.



TBC

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Saitou-san sure loves his soba, ne? This chapter seemed short....