Chapter Ten: Memory
Hisoka slams the kitchen door open. A surprised-looking tourist stares at us, but otherwise there's no one in the room. A faint smell of greasy chicken hangs in the air. Morino runs to check behind the rusting sink and cupboard - he even opens the microwave and peeks in - but Hisoka leaves after taking a quick look. He's got my hand in a strong grip, which kind of means I'm going with him. It feels a bit uncomfortable to be dragged along, but I don't mind. My heart does a funny little jump each time Hisoka tightens his hold.
Back in the corridor, Hisoka runs to the next door, and opens it before even knocking.
"Hisoka!" I warn, but fortunately, the room is empty.
Or unfortunately. This leaves only two rooms the ghost could possibly be hiding in, and I don't look forward to neither meeting her nor finding that she's simply beamed herself out of the building and could be *anywhere* right now.
I had no idea Western ghosts had such powers. I sure don't envy the Western department! No wonder they seem so uptight, or just plain weird.
Hisoka opens the closet, just to make sure. I try to shake my hand free - gently, you understand - because it obviously is hampering his search, but he gives me a stern glance that is only a short step away from a growl. Ookay.
Exiting the room, we run into both the excited-looking Morino and Allendorf, who's just closed the door to the room next to ours.
"Did you find anything, sensei?" I ask Allendorf, who is putting away his leather-bound book. As usual, his face is too scary to hold any particular expression.
Allendorf shakes his head. "The guests in the room had neither seen or felt anything unusual. Tatsumi-san stayed to ask a few more questions, but I don't think he'll learn anything of importance. Come, let us join the others."
"We'll check one last room and join you then," Hisoka pipes in.
Allendorf gives us a gruffy nod and walks briskly away, towards the entrance hall. I can hear Watari's voice from the direction, but the turn of the corridor prevents me from seeing anything. And then Hisoka is already pulling me towards the last door down the corridor.
Morino runs to walk beside me. "Is this how you usually proceed when you're on a field trip?" he asks.
"This is not a usual field trip," I tell him with a crooked smile.
"Yes, but what I wanted to know was the procedure. You see, I've been thinking of leaving the laboratory work and joining the field investigators this year."
We've reached the door, but Hisoka has to stop because I slow down in order to look at Morino. "Oh, is that why Tatsumi dragged you here with us?"
That sly devil. I look at Morino's bright eyes and unruly hair; that certain eagerness in his body language... All features I know Tatsumi can appreciate.
Morino laughs. "I wouldn't say *dragged*, not really- "
I can't help the grin.
"Investigation is done in pairs," Hisoka suddenly says. I can hear annoyance in his voice. "If there aren't any newcomers who could be assigned as your partner, you're stuck in the lab."
Morino raises his eyebrows. "Aren't you a newcomer, too, Kurosaki-san?"
"They do give the newcomers the most uncalled-for jobs, don't they?" I say with a wink. Morino, very obviously, glances at our entwined hands and then looks quickly away, embarrassed.
"We can chat later!" Hisoka snaps. "Soon, none of us is going to have a j-"
But as soon as he grabs the doorknob to turn it, he lets out a shocked shout and backs away as if it had burned him.
"Hisoka!" I tighten my hold on his hand and pull him to me. He's gasping for breath.
"What? What happened?" Morino inquires.
I rake Hisoka's hair away from his eyes. "What did you feel? Is she there?"
Hisoka shakes his head, frowning. "No, I... I don't know. She could be. What I sensed... It was..."
I look up at the hesitating Morino. "Go get the others!"
He nods several times and runs off.
Hisoka is regaining his composure. "Tsuzuki... I sensed the presence of Professor Harvey."
"Harvey's here too?" I stare at Hisoka, unbelieving. "But how could he - I thought he was under surveillance?"
As Hisoka is about to answer, a door on the opposite side of the corridor opens and Tatsumi dashes out, heading straight to Hisoka.
"Oh, Tatsumi! I think we've found something," I say, but he doesn't listen to me.
He leans down worriedly and looks Hisoka straight in the eyes. "I heard you. What happened?"
"I grabbed the knob and... images of Professor Harvey just flooded me." Hisoka glances at the door. "I've not felt such strong emotions for a long time. And so many different kinds, all at the same time..."
"Anything else?" Tatsumi asks.
Hisoka shakes his head. "I'm not sure. I'm sorry, it was too sudden."
Just then Watari runs towards us from behind the turn of the corridor. At his heels are Allendorf and Morino. Hexley follows them, walking briskly.
"Where is she?" Allendorf asks, looking like a boxer ready to take on his opponent. He's already opened his book and has it firmly in his hand.
Tatsumi straightens his back. "We're not sure of anything yet, but it's worth checking out. Over there."
He gestures for me and Hisoka to get out of the way. When Morino moves forward excitedly, Tatsumi raises his hand, stopping him on his heels. Allendorf and Hexley prepare to counter the ghost as Tatsumi turns the knob.
The door opens silently. So far, it looks quiet. Allendorf peeks in, nods at Hexley and they open the door wide and enter the room. None of us in the corridor dare to say a word. I can hear Watari breathing heavily. Hisoka is taut and apprehensive next to me.
Allendorf starts dictating something in incomprehensible murmur, and Hexley gazes around her, her head moving like a bird's. Allendorf leafs his book again as he checks the corners and smells the air. Everything the two of them do seems rehearsed, like they're afraid of messing up old rituals and procedures. They manage to make the atmosphere anything but relaxed.
I take a step forward, to see a little bit better as they walk in further.
"Tsuzuki, no!" Hisoka yanks at my arm, alarmed.
Watari jumps. Tatsumi spins around to stare strictly at us. Morino gives a little shout of surprise.
"There's nothing here!" Allendorf's booming voice seems to fill the room and the corridor. "False alarm."
We all breathe out at last. Then the worry kicks in. This is the second and worse option; that the ghost could be anywhere but here.
"What a relief!" Morino says aloud, putting his hand over his heart for effect. "I could've sworn that she -"
"This is no reason to be relieved," Hexley snaps irritatedly as he marches to the corridor. "Allendorf, check the room next door. If she's not there, she's most likely already out of this building."
Allendorf eyes her in an unfriendly way, but opens the next door and peeks in. "No one here. Dammit all to hell."
Hexley moves nervously. "I'd rather not, thank you. This means we have to be extra attentive. She might return to strike us when we least expect it. I've known ghosts to use even more primitive means to lead their pursuers astray."
Tatsumi takes the lead again. "Let's get out of the corridor. If she decides to appear, I'd rather it happened away from mortals' eyes."
We start retreating back to the room.
"But if Rachel Clifford was after us, she could've just entered the room with you earlier," I point out, shaking my head. "I don't think she's trying to trick us. She's working for her own ends."
"I think so, too", Watari comes to my aid. "According to the information I received from the Western department, killers' ghosts are not prone to draw attention to themselves. Aren't they most often lingering here because of their feelings of guilt?"
"Which often leads them to search for someone to confine to, to ease their burden," Hexley says, and turns to Allendorf. "Like a priest, for example."
Allendorf raises both his hands. "I've told you, I am not a priest!"
Hexley walks into the room, shrugging. "You have fooled dead people before."
Tatsumi interrupts before Allendorf can answer her. "I think the question is, why did she follow us here? Shouldn't it be much more logical that she should pursue her lover, Professor Harvey, who killed her?"
Morino shudders as he stops next to Tatsumi. "Yeah, what is she doing here, anyway? I thought Western ghosts were all in old castles and churches and such."
"I'm afraid it's not that simple," Tatsumi says with a sigh, and gives Morino a reassuring smile.
"In any case," Watari says as he pushes his way into the room past Morino, "I'm going to inform the people we assigned to guard Professor Harvey, and the shinigami in the vicinity."
I'm just about to follow Watari, when Hisoka suddenly takes his hand from mine.
"Hold on a second. Watari-san, did you talk with the owner yet?"
Watari turns around. His owl lets out a questioning "hoo?". "No, why?"
"Kurosaki-san, you don't really expect the owner to know anything about Rachel Clifford?" Morino asks doubtfully.
"I don't know yet. It might be good to ask." Hisoka looks at him calmly; his green eyes are as unbetraying as usual. Now I almost think of them as *cold* - now that I've seen how much warmth can be found in them...
No, better not go there. I have a suspicion that Tatsumi sees right through me; no reason to add to it all by gawking at my partner. And now Tatsumi really is looking at me, as if he has read my mind. I try to pay attention to what he's saying.
"All right, then. I'm coming with you. Watari-san, please contact Maekawa at Professor Harvey's apartment, and others in the area. Allendorf will stay here to make sure you're safe. Hexley will come with us." Tatsumi points his finger at Morino. "And you, Morino-kun, you stay here, too. Tsuzuki-san, Kurosaki-kun, let's go."
Hisoka is already heading towards the counter. Now that he's ahead of me, I get a chance to admire the view. Damn, so much for concentrating on work. He just looks too delicious wearing one of my shirts.
The owner, a skinny, balding man in his forties, eyes us suspiciously. "Yes, how can I help you?"
Hisoka leans on the counter, the look on his face determined. "This may sound like a weird question, but did you ever have a regular client in this motel called Harvey?"
The owner shakes his head, looking annoyed. "Not that I can remember."
Morino comes to Hisoka's aid, apparently catching on to what he's thinking. I'm not quite sure what he's going after, yet. "Please try to think back. He's a foreigner, tall, mostly bald and dresses in expensive suits? Does any of this ring a bill?"
The owner looks at him, then at Hisoka. If anything, he seems even more suspicious now. "Who are you? Private detectives?"
"If you like," I put in, smiling my best smile.
"I see. Well, if you were sent by his wife, you're late." The owner snorts. "He has stopped using this motel. Haven't seen him in weeks."
"So he did come here regularly?" Hisoka presses on.
"Every weekend, sometimes during the week. He had a young lady with him; I guess you know more about that than I care to know."
Tatsumi nods. "We certainly do. Thank you very much; you've been most helpful."
"One more question, if that's all right," Hisoka says. "Did Professor Harvey have any particular room he preferred?"
The owner shrugs. "I can't really remember small details like that. I can tell you that he tended to ask for the smaller rooms at the back - most of the guests of his type do, if you know what I mean."
I recall the dark, cramped rooms he's talking about; no one would want to stay in those for long. Shady rooms for shady business. The owner's holier-than-thou attitude vexes me a little. It's obvious he gets most of his wages from the guests of Harvey's "type".
"Yes, thank you." Tatsumi nods to us and we move to the other side of the room to talk in peace. He looks at Hisoka appreciatively. "So, now we know why she might be haunting this place. How did you figure out the connection, Kurosaki-kun?"
Hisoka shrugs, a bit sheepish. "Mostly I just guessed. But this is the closest motel to Professor Harvey's house that is small enough for Harvey's purposes. Many people know him from the university; checking into the bigger hotels in the area would've drawn too much attention."
"But what would be reason enough for her to return here even after death?" I pipe in.
"Not all Western ghosts need a specific reason," Tatsumi explains. "Sometimes they leave such a strong impression into the place they used to visit often - a psychic memory, as it's called - that it pulls them back even after death."
"Oh," I say, feeling stupid. Maybe I should've done more background research.
Tatsumi winks kindly at me. "I heard it from Allendorf-san earlier."
I'm about to wink back when I notice Hisoka looking rather sourly at us and decide to skip it for now. "You were right, Hisoka. But what are we going to do next?"
"Alert Allendorf-san and Hexley-san, of course," Tatsumi says, raising his eyebrows. "Now that we know the exact place Miss Clifford is haunting, it should be easy for them to ambush her and send her back to where she belongs."
"What about us?" Hisoka asks.
"Your job here is done. You may return to the headquarters."
Hisoka protests immediately. "Before our case is closed? Tatsumi-san, that goes against the regul-- "
"I see no reason why I should keep any more of our people here when it's still risky. Your job is to investigate; now is the exorcists' turn. You will leave with Morino-kun. Watari-san and I will handle the rest."
"Yes, but..." Hisoka trails off and looks at the floor, frowning.
"After all you've gone through, I was under the impression that you'd be glad to get out of this case."
I look at Hisoka questioningly; Tatsumi is pretty much voicing my thoughts. It's very rare for him to cut us any slack, so why is Hisoka not taking the opportunity?
Hisoka is still frowning. He swallows hard. "I thought so myself. But I - I can't let it end like this. I want to see this ghost exorcised. I just can't find any rest otherwise."
"I see." Tatsumi looks at me now, thoughtfully. "Tsuzuki-san?"
"If Hisoka's staying, so am I," I tell him, but he knows it already.
Tatsumi thinks for a moment. Hisoka looks at him hopefully. "Very well," he finally says. "I can't say I like it, but this case was assigned to you in the first place, so you have every right to stay. You are to guard the place along with the Western Department - and remember, they're in charge, so no funny business. If you see even a glimpse of the ghost, call them immediately." A brief smile touches his lips as he straightens his glasses and adds, "Remember now... no funny business on work time."
"Aw, Tatsumi!" I pout and nudge him, but he just shakes his head amusedly and leaves to tell Allendorf and Hexley.
Hisoka looks after him and asks me in a low voice, "What the hell? Tatsumi knows?"
"He knows me," I tell him, smiling.
He looks at me like I'm the biggest pervert on the face of the earth for a second, then sighs and takes my hand again.
I cock my head. "Why did you go and volunteer, Hisoka? The real reason?"
"You know I hate to leave a job unfinished. And I want to make sure the ghost is never going to come after you again." He makes it sound so simple, and yet my heart leaps.
"Come on," I say softly. "Let's go ghost-busting."
Hisoka slams the kitchen door open. A surprised-looking tourist stares at us, but otherwise there's no one in the room. A faint smell of greasy chicken hangs in the air. Morino runs to check behind the rusting sink and cupboard - he even opens the microwave and peeks in - but Hisoka leaves after taking a quick look. He's got my hand in a strong grip, which kind of means I'm going with him. It feels a bit uncomfortable to be dragged along, but I don't mind. My heart does a funny little jump each time Hisoka tightens his hold.
Back in the corridor, Hisoka runs to the next door, and opens it before even knocking.
"Hisoka!" I warn, but fortunately, the room is empty.
Or unfortunately. This leaves only two rooms the ghost could possibly be hiding in, and I don't look forward to neither meeting her nor finding that she's simply beamed herself out of the building and could be *anywhere* right now.
I had no idea Western ghosts had such powers. I sure don't envy the Western department! No wonder they seem so uptight, or just plain weird.
Hisoka opens the closet, just to make sure. I try to shake my hand free - gently, you understand - because it obviously is hampering his search, but he gives me a stern glance that is only a short step away from a growl. Ookay.
Exiting the room, we run into both the excited-looking Morino and Allendorf, who's just closed the door to the room next to ours.
"Did you find anything, sensei?" I ask Allendorf, who is putting away his leather-bound book. As usual, his face is too scary to hold any particular expression.
Allendorf shakes his head. "The guests in the room had neither seen or felt anything unusual. Tatsumi-san stayed to ask a few more questions, but I don't think he'll learn anything of importance. Come, let us join the others."
"We'll check one last room and join you then," Hisoka pipes in.
Allendorf gives us a gruffy nod and walks briskly away, towards the entrance hall. I can hear Watari's voice from the direction, but the turn of the corridor prevents me from seeing anything. And then Hisoka is already pulling me towards the last door down the corridor.
Morino runs to walk beside me. "Is this how you usually proceed when you're on a field trip?" he asks.
"This is not a usual field trip," I tell him with a crooked smile.
"Yes, but what I wanted to know was the procedure. You see, I've been thinking of leaving the laboratory work and joining the field investigators this year."
We've reached the door, but Hisoka has to stop because I slow down in order to look at Morino. "Oh, is that why Tatsumi dragged you here with us?"
That sly devil. I look at Morino's bright eyes and unruly hair; that certain eagerness in his body language... All features I know Tatsumi can appreciate.
Morino laughs. "I wouldn't say *dragged*, not really- "
I can't help the grin.
"Investigation is done in pairs," Hisoka suddenly says. I can hear annoyance in his voice. "If there aren't any newcomers who could be assigned as your partner, you're stuck in the lab."
Morino raises his eyebrows. "Aren't you a newcomer, too, Kurosaki-san?"
"They do give the newcomers the most uncalled-for jobs, don't they?" I say with a wink. Morino, very obviously, glances at our entwined hands and then looks quickly away, embarrassed.
"We can chat later!" Hisoka snaps. "Soon, none of us is going to have a j-"
But as soon as he grabs the doorknob to turn it, he lets out a shocked shout and backs away as if it had burned him.
"Hisoka!" I tighten my hold on his hand and pull him to me. He's gasping for breath.
"What? What happened?" Morino inquires.
I rake Hisoka's hair away from his eyes. "What did you feel? Is she there?"
Hisoka shakes his head, frowning. "No, I... I don't know. She could be. What I sensed... It was..."
I look up at the hesitating Morino. "Go get the others!"
He nods several times and runs off.
Hisoka is regaining his composure. "Tsuzuki... I sensed the presence of Professor Harvey."
"Harvey's here too?" I stare at Hisoka, unbelieving. "But how could he - I thought he was under surveillance?"
As Hisoka is about to answer, a door on the opposite side of the corridor opens and Tatsumi dashes out, heading straight to Hisoka.
"Oh, Tatsumi! I think we've found something," I say, but he doesn't listen to me.
He leans down worriedly and looks Hisoka straight in the eyes. "I heard you. What happened?"
"I grabbed the knob and... images of Professor Harvey just flooded me." Hisoka glances at the door. "I've not felt such strong emotions for a long time. And so many different kinds, all at the same time..."
"Anything else?" Tatsumi asks.
Hisoka shakes his head. "I'm not sure. I'm sorry, it was too sudden."
Just then Watari runs towards us from behind the turn of the corridor. At his heels are Allendorf and Morino. Hexley follows them, walking briskly.
"Where is she?" Allendorf asks, looking like a boxer ready to take on his opponent. He's already opened his book and has it firmly in his hand.
Tatsumi straightens his back. "We're not sure of anything yet, but it's worth checking out. Over there."
He gestures for me and Hisoka to get out of the way. When Morino moves forward excitedly, Tatsumi raises his hand, stopping him on his heels. Allendorf and Hexley prepare to counter the ghost as Tatsumi turns the knob.
The door opens silently. So far, it looks quiet. Allendorf peeks in, nods at Hexley and they open the door wide and enter the room. None of us in the corridor dare to say a word. I can hear Watari breathing heavily. Hisoka is taut and apprehensive next to me.
Allendorf starts dictating something in incomprehensible murmur, and Hexley gazes around her, her head moving like a bird's. Allendorf leafs his book again as he checks the corners and smells the air. Everything the two of them do seems rehearsed, like they're afraid of messing up old rituals and procedures. They manage to make the atmosphere anything but relaxed.
I take a step forward, to see a little bit better as they walk in further.
"Tsuzuki, no!" Hisoka yanks at my arm, alarmed.
Watari jumps. Tatsumi spins around to stare strictly at us. Morino gives a little shout of surprise.
"There's nothing here!" Allendorf's booming voice seems to fill the room and the corridor. "False alarm."
We all breathe out at last. Then the worry kicks in. This is the second and worse option; that the ghost could be anywhere but here.
"What a relief!" Morino says aloud, putting his hand over his heart for effect. "I could've sworn that she -"
"This is no reason to be relieved," Hexley snaps irritatedly as he marches to the corridor. "Allendorf, check the room next door. If she's not there, she's most likely already out of this building."
Allendorf eyes her in an unfriendly way, but opens the next door and peeks in. "No one here. Dammit all to hell."
Hexley moves nervously. "I'd rather not, thank you. This means we have to be extra attentive. She might return to strike us when we least expect it. I've known ghosts to use even more primitive means to lead their pursuers astray."
Tatsumi takes the lead again. "Let's get out of the corridor. If she decides to appear, I'd rather it happened away from mortals' eyes."
We start retreating back to the room.
"But if Rachel Clifford was after us, she could've just entered the room with you earlier," I point out, shaking my head. "I don't think she's trying to trick us. She's working for her own ends."
"I think so, too", Watari comes to my aid. "According to the information I received from the Western department, killers' ghosts are not prone to draw attention to themselves. Aren't they most often lingering here because of their feelings of guilt?"
"Which often leads them to search for someone to confine to, to ease their burden," Hexley says, and turns to Allendorf. "Like a priest, for example."
Allendorf raises both his hands. "I've told you, I am not a priest!"
Hexley walks into the room, shrugging. "You have fooled dead people before."
Tatsumi interrupts before Allendorf can answer her. "I think the question is, why did she follow us here? Shouldn't it be much more logical that she should pursue her lover, Professor Harvey, who killed her?"
Morino shudders as he stops next to Tatsumi. "Yeah, what is she doing here, anyway? I thought Western ghosts were all in old castles and churches and such."
"I'm afraid it's not that simple," Tatsumi says with a sigh, and gives Morino a reassuring smile.
"In any case," Watari says as he pushes his way into the room past Morino, "I'm going to inform the people we assigned to guard Professor Harvey, and the shinigami in the vicinity."
I'm just about to follow Watari, when Hisoka suddenly takes his hand from mine.
"Hold on a second. Watari-san, did you talk with the owner yet?"
Watari turns around. His owl lets out a questioning "hoo?". "No, why?"
"Kurosaki-san, you don't really expect the owner to know anything about Rachel Clifford?" Morino asks doubtfully.
"I don't know yet. It might be good to ask." Hisoka looks at him calmly; his green eyes are as unbetraying as usual. Now I almost think of them as *cold* - now that I've seen how much warmth can be found in them...
No, better not go there. I have a suspicion that Tatsumi sees right through me; no reason to add to it all by gawking at my partner. And now Tatsumi really is looking at me, as if he has read my mind. I try to pay attention to what he's saying.
"All right, then. I'm coming with you. Watari-san, please contact Maekawa at Professor Harvey's apartment, and others in the area. Allendorf will stay here to make sure you're safe. Hexley will come with us." Tatsumi points his finger at Morino. "And you, Morino-kun, you stay here, too. Tsuzuki-san, Kurosaki-kun, let's go."
Hisoka is already heading towards the counter. Now that he's ahead of me, I get a chance to admire the view. Damn, so much for concentrating on work. He just looks too delicious wearing one of my shirts.
The owner, a skinny, balding man in his forties, eyes us suspiciously. "Yes, how can I help you?"
Hisoka leans on the counter, the look on his face determined. "This may sound like a weird question, but did you ever have a regular client in this motel called Harvey?"
The owner shakes his head, looking annoyed. "Not that I can remember."
Morino comes to Hisoka's aid, apparently catching on to what he's thinking. I'm not quite sure what he's going after, yet. "Please try to think back. He's a foreigner, tall, mostly bald and dresses in expensive suits? Does any of this ring a bill?"
The owner looks at him, then at Hisoka. If anything, he seems even more suspicious now. "Who are you? Private detectives?"
"If you like," I put in, smiling my best smile.
"I see. Well, if you were sent by his wife, you're late." The owner snorts. "He has stopped using this motel. Haven't seen him in weeks."
"So he did come here regularly?" Hisoka presses on.
"Every weekend, sometimes during the week. He had a young lady with him; I guess you know more about that than I care to know."
Tatsumi nods. "We certainly do. Thank you very much; you've been most helpful."
"One more question, if that's all right," Hisoka says. "Did Professor Harvey have any particular room he preferred?"
The owner shrugs. "I can't really remember small details like that. I can tell you that he tended to ask for the smaller rooms at the back - most of the guests of his type do, if you know what I mean."
I recall the dark, cramped rooms he's talking about; no one would want to stay in those for long. Shady rooms for shady business. The owner's holier-than-thou attitude vexes me a little. It's obvious he gets most of his wages from the guests of Harvey's "type".
"Yes, thank you." Tatsumi nods to us and we move to the other side of the room to talk in peace. He looks at Hisoka appreciatively. "So, now we know why she might be haunting this place. How did you figure out the connection, Kurosaki-kun?"
Hisoka shrugs, a bit sheepish. "Mostly I just guessed. But this is the closest motel to Professor Harvey's house that is small enough for Harvey's purposes. Many people know him from the university; checking into the bigger hotels in the area would've drawn too much attention."
"But what would be reason enough for her to return here even after death?" I pipe in.
"Not all Western ghosts need a specific reason," Tatsumi explains. "Sometimes they leave such a strong impression into the place they used to visit often - a psychic memory, as it's called - that it pulls them back even after death."
"Oh," I say, feeling stupid. Maybe I should've done more background research.
Tatsumi winks kindly at me. "I heard it from Allendorf-san earlier."
I'm about to wink back when I notice Hisoka looking rather sourly at us and decide to skip it for now. "You were right, Hisoka. But what are we going to do next?"
"Alert Allendorf-san and Hexley-san, of course," Tatsumi says, raising his eyebrows. "Now that we know the exact place Miss Clifford is haunting, it should be easy for them to ambush her and send her back to where she belongs."
"What about us?" Hisoka asks.
"Your job here is done. You may return to the headquarters."
Hisoka protests immediately. "Before our case is closed? Tatsumi-san, that goes against the regul-- "
"I see no reason why I should keep any more of our people here when it's still risky. Your job is to investigate; now is the exorcists' turn. You will leave with Morino-kun. Watari-san and I will handle the rest."
"Yes, but..." Hisoka trails off and looks at the floor, frowning.
"After all you've gone through, I was under the impression that you'd be glad to get out of this case."
I look at Hisoka questioningly; Tatsumi is pretty much voicing my thoughts. It's very rare for him to cut us any slack, so why is Hisoka not taking the opportunity?
Hisoka is still frowning. He swallows hard. "I thought so myself. But I - I can't let it end like this. I want to see this ghost exorcised. I just can't find any rest otherwise."
"I see." Tatsumi looks at me now, thoughtfully. "Tsuzuki-san?"
"If Hisoka's staying, so am I," I tell him, but he knows it already.
Tatsumi thinks for a moment. Hisoka looks at him hopefully. "Very well," he finally says. "I can't say I like it, but this case was assigned to you in the first place, so you have every right to stay. You are to guard the place along with the Western Department - and remember, they're in charge, so no funny business. If you see even a glimpse of the ghost, call them immediately." A brief smile touches his lips as he straightens his glasses and adds, "Remember now... no funny business on work time."
"Aw, Tatsumi!" I pout and nudge him, but he just shakes his head amusedly and leaves to tell Allendorf and Hexley.
Hisoka looks after him and asks me in a low voice, "What the hell? Tatsumi knows?"
"He knows me," I tell him, smiling.
He looks at me like I'm the biggest pervert on the face of the earth for a second, then sighs and takes my hand again.
I cock my head. "Why did you go and volunteer, Hisoka? The real reason?"
"You know I hate to leave a job unfinished. And I want to make sure the ghost is never going to come after you again." He makes it sound so simple, and yet my heart leaps.
"Come on," I say softly. "Let's go ghost-busting."