II
Mrs. Tomoe Soichi was not really Mrs. Tomoe Soichi. That was the name of her late husband and she took it because tradition said so. Her real name was Kaiou Michiru, a virtuoso at the age of four. She had composed concertos for the violin, painted surreal portraits and earned fame and fortune. Any bum on the streets, myself included knew her family. You couldn't drive down the street without seeing something dedicated to them or by them. The Kaiou Children's Museum, The Kaiou Gallery, and Kaiou Construction, just to name a few. Together her parents had built her a vast empire of wealth but when she turned sixteen they decided that their daughter should pursue her life as an artist and gave it to her first cousin Akira. Akira would manage and she would rake in the cash. However by the age of eighteen she had become a millionaire on her own and at twenty-two she would never have to work a day in this life or the next. But when your business is to know everyone else's business this was just the tip of the icing.
"Have a seat, Tomoe-san." Setsuna was always more than gracious to her clientele
"Kaiou, if you please." Her voice was like music.
Ms. Kaiou sat down in the red leather chair at the end of Setsuna's desk. Setsuna liked to have people at eye level. Those who did not play along were reprimanded and if then they did not their business was and never would be ours. I liked it when she played hardball. She claimed she could see into a person's soul and retrieve their innocence or condemn them with their guilt.
In my opinion Ms. Kaiou had done nothing wrong, she was incapable of it. Just one look into those deep blue eyes and you were swimming. To me it was like seeing a sea nymph come to life. Her sea-green hair twisted up and around, leaving tendrils to frame her face. Her long legs were crossed precisely at the knee flaunting her white creamy skin. In her wool gray skirt and jacket with leather pumps she was a knock out. Her purse, which was large, sat on her lap.
"I seem to have a bit of a problem," she explained calmly. "I picked something up from my front steps and I don't know what to do with it."
Being elusive always attracted Setsuna's attention. The more the better. "What is it that you found, Kaiou-san?"
The enchantress smiled. "A baby in a bassinet with this note attached." She reached into her purse and supplied the note. "The note says that 'a child should live in her father's house.' I have no doubt that Soichi knew women throughout the city or that he spent nights with them while I was on tour."
Setsuna took the note. She did not bother to look up when she said, "Haruka, I hope you are taking notes."
I being the teachers pet that I was, smiled. "Of course I am Meiou-sama. I even have the part about the twenty-seventh of September. Should I read it back?"
Garnet eyes narrowed. If she wanted to make me look like a fool then I could just as easily done the same. She did not make further mention of my taking notes after that. Ms. Kaiou smiled at me rather shyly but returned her attention to Setsuna, who was speaking.
"Around what time was the child dropped off?"
"Around eight o'clock in the morning. I had been practicing for an upcoming concert on my violin when I heard a car turn away. I came out to see who it was when I saw the baby."
"Did you get a good look at the driver?"
"No. My drive is covered with trees. I will tell my gardener to trim them. It is not safe for them to be so high."
Setsuna nodded. "And you want me to tell you what to do with the child?"
"No, not yet. That I will decide on my own. In fact it will be determined by what you can do for me. I want you to find the mother."
Now this was new. Baby left on doorstep, the receiver wants to find the owner but seems to have a liking for the kid. Not only that but Ms. Kaiou was willing to spend a great deal of money on finding someone who most certainly did not want to be found.
"Find the mother?" Even Setsuna found it a little far fetched and she had done some tricky maneuvering. I think it was the fact that she knew a lot of work would be involved.
"Yes, find the mother."
Setsuna and I exchanged looks over our desks. "You realize that finding the mother will not be easy. It may take a great deal of time."
Ms. Kaiou shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I want to know who the mother is and I want you to find her." She reached into her purse and pulled out her checkbook. "What should I give you for a retainer?"
My heart swelled.
"A dollar, a thousand, ten thousand. It doesn't matter. You are asking me to do the impossible and it is a challenge. I like that. Did your husband have any confidants? People who knew of his affairs?"
I felt sorry for Ms. Kaiou. To have to give such personal information to someone she didn't even know but that's what Setsuna and I was for. If you didn't want the police to go meddling in your affairs then you had no choice but to go to Meiou Setsuna. If you wanted someone else because she was difficult and eccentric then the job may not get done at all. But I had to give Ms. Kaiou credit. She went on ahead.
"I know several of my husband's friends. You'd probably want Oozua Kakeru…" She would have gone on if Setsuna had not cut her off with a wave of her hand.
"That will do, Ms. Kaiou. Do you have the baby's clothes? The clothes that they were brought in?"
"Yes. I still have them why?"
Setsuna was already up. It was then that I looked at the clock. It was almost one. At one Makoto made lunch and though Setsuna kept a slim figure she never missed one of Makoto's lunches.
"I am going to send Haruka out to get a list of names from you as well as the baby's clothing-tomorrow at eight. Then we shall start on uncovering the baby's mother. If you'll excuse me I have other business." Setsuna bowed and might as well have teleported out of the room.
Alone with the sea goddess I put my notebook into my jacket and made fit to set up an appointment as to when to stop by and retrieve the information. I was stopped dead in my tracks when Ms. Kaiou looked up at me and smiled. Don't count me on it but I'm sure the world stopped or at least came down to a small crawl.
"Your boss is rather hurried," she said.
"Yes, well Setsuna has a schedule that she adheres to religiously. Not even a client as prestigious as yourself will detain her from it." I flashed her a smile. "I will see you tomorrow when I come to pick up the lambkin's things."
Ms. Kaiou stood, gave me an appreciative look and smiled. "You're very agile. I can tell. I bet you can run like the wind. You don't even break a sweat do you?"
Her intense stare was like looking into the eyes of a cobra. If I moved she would strike, not that I would have minded. "I try not to run very often but there have been occasions where fleet of foot came in handy."
Ms. Kaiou tore out a check and handed it to me. "I hope to see you again soon, Tenoh-san." And she slipped out of the room as if in a dream.
Smiling my head off I looked down at the check. God bless her soul. The check was written out for two hundred dollars. With more bounce in my step I went to the safe and made a deposit slip before going to tell my news to Setsuna.
"She certainly has confidence in you. It must come from your brevity. When someone is rudely brief people often assume that they know what they're doing." I sat down opposite of the large dark dinning table and fixed my napkin on my lap. "You do know what you're doing - I hope."
I was breaking a rule, a rule that normally should not have been broken but I was in a mood to stir things up, especially if it gave me a clue as to what Setsuna was up to.
"Haruka, we do not discuss business at the table. You know that!" Amazing how a voice can whip out like that in such a soft tone.
"I apologize. I am only intrigued, that's all." Makoto laid down a dish laden with succulent meats.
Setsuna was enjoying a bit of glazed duck. "If there is one thing you are intrigued about it is that Kaiou woman. I trust that you will keep your mind on the task at hand."
It would not have been so bad had she not given me 'the look.' I hate that look. She found me out and had forbidden me all at once. Completely unfair of her. I would have to use even more of my annoying charm.
Afterwards we went into the office where we had our evening tea. Makoto had prepared little cookies but I was denied for Setsuna would not have me eating when I should be working. I believe she wanted them for herself or to share with Mizuno upstairs as they did horrible things to rodents.
"Well?"
I was looking over the paper when Setsuna ambushed me. "Well what?"
"Are you working on our case? Are you looking up the history of Tomoe Soichi?"
"I thought I'd read the paper."
Setsuna huffed. "You demand a case and when we get one all you do is sit there and read the paper. No doubt the sport section."
The thing about my boss is that when she perturbed it is imperative that you remain calm. "Yeah, that Ferrari team. They sure do fly around those tracks. Listen to this record-"
"I could care less about records and lapping records, Haruka! You wanted this case, confound it! Get started on it!"
I hopped to me feet and went to the foyer for my hat and coat. I came back only to say, "You look ravishing when you're angry." I ducked just in time as a hardbound edition of physics came flying at my head. "Be back soon." And left.
True, when I left the brownstone I had no idea where I was going to go for information. Then I remembered Umino. Umino works at the local paper and is a good guy to have up your sleeve. I could easily go to him for some information.
"No. Nuh-uh. Not this time, Haruka. I got too much riding the line. And where's my front page story that you promised me?"
Did I forget to mention that he was a short scruffy four-eyed nerd? The visor he had on wasn't helping his appearance.
"Aw, c'mon, Umino. I need this. Setsuna is on my case. All I want is a little information."
"Nothing doing."
If he was going to play it that way so could I. "What about my getting you and Naru together? If not for me the two of you would never have met."
"It was Usagi who got us together, Haruka, not you."
"And you would never have met Usagi if her husband didn't work for Setsuna and you only know Setsuna because of me." He still wouldn't budge. "Do it for a friend?"
His walls cracked and finally he gave in. "Oh, all right but only to shut you up. Lemme see. Tomoe Soichi?" His little hands went through the file drawers. "Ah here it is. Not much though. The guy died six months ago in a lab explosion. Left behind on hell of a wife though. Have you seen her? Used to be one of the Kaiou's. What a looker."
If she had been my girlfriend I would have popped Umino in the jaw and even having met the woman today I felt my fists clench. Instead I perused the file. Tomoe Soichi was a scientist, a mad scientist by the looks of it. He would have gotten along fine with Setsuna. He was an engineer of body parts or something like that. His goal was to make people more efficient, better machines. A lot of diplomas, honors and awards but not a lot of personal history. He was married but we knew that. I would just have to go and speak to Ms. Kaiou myself – something that I was far from dreading.
"All right. Thanks, Umino. Been a lot of help." I handed the file back to him and made for the door.
"You aren't working on a case just yet, are you?"
I did the best thing I could think of right then. I lied. "No, not just yet."
Umino eyed me warily but didn't say anything more. I got into my roadster to report to Setsuna.
"Interesting. Tomoe Soichi was a leader in the field of bioengineering." Setsuna was once again enjoying another cup of green tea in her large chair, reading her book.
"What?"
"Bioengineering. What's more is that he wanted to clash human material with robotics. A truly amazing feat if he could have proved if feasible."
"You knew this guy but still sent me out for information?" Being her footman I was used to running all over the place for her but it was for things she generally needed. That she knew of Tomoe when I left and didn't share… That was just spiteful.
She smiled, a mere upraising of the corner of her lips. "You needed something to do. Something to get your mind off of Kaiou-san."
I growled but stayed where I was. "Anything else you'd like to tell me?"
Setsuna looked up as one finger flipped a page. "Yes. Go to bed. It's late. You have to be up in time to see Kaiou-san and you undoubtedly will want to look your best."
She had me there. I left my desk and went over to hers. I stood there for quite some time before she looked up.
"What is it?"
"I just thought you might want to give me a goodnight kiss."
Her forehead crumpled in a frown. "Go to bed."
"No night time story?"
"Go. To. Bed."
"Not even a glass of –"
"Haruka! Go to bed!"
Having satisfied my need to annoy her before bed, I jaunted up to my room where I had delicious thoughts of a certain violinist.