It was a small office, file cabinets lining the walls, bookshelves in-between them and in the center of the room, a large oak desk with a placard. He sat in the leather chair in front of the desk for what seemed like hours, studying the pictures and certificates on the walls before in walked Ken Ichijouji.
"Hello Tai, long time no see." Said Ken walking around the back of the desk past Tai and sitting down in a black leather computer chair.
"Yeah, too bad it wasn't on better circumstances." Said Tai with a slight look of desperation in his eyes.
"Unfortunately I have to ask you some questions, I know it's not the best time to ask you things regarding Matt but I have to, you understand right?" asked Ken leaning back and opening a plain manila folder in his hands.
"Yeah I know, trust me I want answers as much as you do." Said Tai, a slight quiver in his voice near the end.
Ken wrote something down on a paper inside the folder and continued, "You've known Matt for awhile now, does he seem like the type to just leave so abruptly?"
"No, not Matt. He would never leave people without saying goodbye at the very least, even if it were important. You know that."
"I can't use anything I know, I have to be objective and ask questions even if I do know the answers Tai, it's my job."
"Sorry, I am just...yeah...I fear for him, it's been two weeks and nothing at all." Said Tai, his eyes pleading and begging to be filled with answers.
"Tai, off the record, can I ask you something?" asked Ken leaning forward and placing his pen and folder on the desk.
"Sure, if you think it will help you find him."
"Have you two...umm...are you two...seeing each other?" Ken stammered slightly.
"Off the record?"
"Off the record."
"Yes, we've been seeing each other for a long time now, it's been over ten years." Said Tai with a feeling of regret afterwards.
"Did anyone else know? I mean like did he have any enemies or people who didn't like him for that fact?" asked Ken.
Tai thought for a moment, of course no one knew that he knew of, he was always looking out for that, the only people who knew and have known for a long time were Kari and TK. "Not to my knowledge, the only people who knew about us were Kari and Takeru and now you, yourself. Enemies though, he's in the music business of course he probably had enemies but the only thing that I can recall is every so often he'd get a letter."
"A letter you say?" asked Ken, picking up his pen and preparing to write notes in the file.
"Well he'd get these weird letters, sometimes threatening and sometimes apologetic but always from the same person. He never paid attention to them, accepted it as part of his status in the music field. I though, I took it seriously and tried to look into it."
Ken jotted some notes in the file and asked, "How did you try to look into it?"
"Once while Matt was on tour in the United States I found that we were near the address the letters were coming from. I borrowed one of the stage manager's car and drove to find that address to confront the person."
"Were you armed? Did anyone go with you?" asked Ken writing a few lines.
"Of course I was armed, I've heard about the United States so I carried Matt's handgun with me. No one but me went though, which made it slightly harder because I had to always ask for directions from townspeople."
Ken cleared his throat and said, "Continue please."
"Okay." Tai said repositioning himself in the chair, "After about like the fourth person of directions I finally found the place where the letters were coming from. It was in the country a good 130 or 140 kilometers out of town so it was a ways out. Once I came across the house I pulled in the drive and got out in front of the house."
Ken ferociously jotted down details as Tai continued, "I stood on the porch and looked at the place, didn't look like it was used in a long time. Pretty shabby condition too, like that old Himuro Mansion, remember when we went there?"
"Yeah I remember, pretty bad. Please, continue." Said Ken looking intent upon writing his notes.
"Well when I knocked on the door, no one answered it so I decided to look in the window. I couldn't see anything inside, the window was so dirty and dusty, in fact the house itself looked to be abandoned. I figured it was a hoax and fake address so I just left without giving it a second thought."
"Do you remember the address or have any of the letters?" asked Ken after a few moments.
"No, I burned the letters, I felt that he didn't need to keep them anymore and it's been at least two years since that tour." Said Tai feeling slightly bad for burning what may have helped Ken.
"So I see, so is there anything else you can tell me?" asked Ken.
"Well other than he was on tour at the time of his disappearance not really but Ken can I ask you a favor?" Tai asked, worry in his eyes and voice.
"Sure, shoot."
"Will you do everything you can to find my Yama? I mean everything, if you need money or anything you come ask me and I will get you what you need, as long as you promise to find him for me." Tai pleaded, tears welling in his eyes.
Ken got up and walked over to Tai placing his arm around his shoulders, "I promise Tai, I will do everything and I mean everything in my power to find him, I promise."
Slowly Tai got up, tears still in his eyes, "Thank you Ken, thank you so much!" he yelled hugging the younger man tightly.
Ken returned the hug after taking a few seconds to recover from the sudden affection directed at him. After a few moments they let go of one another, Tai wiping his eyes and Ken putting his arm around his shoulders as they stood there in the middle of the room.
"Tai if you think of anything else please get a hold of me as soon as possible, anytime okay? Day or night."
"I will Ken, thank you again...please if you find anything call me as soon as you can okay?" Tai asked starting to walk towards the door.
"I promise that I will do, so let's see I haven't seen you in almost four months and already you've gotten me to make two promises. Have I grown weak or what?" smirked Ken following Tai.
"Ken, any man who can take on the things I've seen you take on or do the things you've done is not weak by any means, as for the promises I think it means you know how important he is to me." Said Tai pausing at the doorway and facing the private investigator.
"Well when you're right, you're right. Now do yourself a favor and swing by the bathroom, splash some cool water on your face and go home to bed, you need it." Said Ken crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe.
"Well if you need to call you have my number now from Kari right?"
"Right, and if anything comes up I will call you, like I promised."
"Thanks Ken, for everything you've done and you're doing."
"You're welcome now get home and get some rest, I've got a lot of work to do so I can reunite you with Matt."
"Okay but first I have to stop in the restroom like you said, I don't think I want to let people see my red face." Said Tai forcing a slight smile towards Ken.
"Yeah you do that, see you later." Said Ken walking back into his office.
"Later Ken." Said Tai as he headed down towards the restrooms.
Ken closed the door and picked up the file with the notes he had written about the house and Tai's story, "Something is not right here, something doesn't fit..."