Would you Kill for Love?
A week had passed and it was finally time to speak to the young woman. Doctor's orders were not to disturb her for an entire week. Hannya and myself had been the main officers guarding the girl's room. The other officers had families to return home too where as Hannya's family was falling apart and I didn't have one.
"Detective Shinomori is it?" One of the doctors spoke looking up at me. I nodded my head affirmatively and followed him into the room.
"Now remember Detective, the young woman has been through a terrible ordeal. You must be patient and not scare her." I nodded my head silently at him once more watching as he walked over towards the dozing young woman and spoke softly waking her.
"Miss Makimachi a detective is here to speak with you, do you wish to talk with him?" I watched as ocean blue eyes cast a small glance my way and then she rolled over, speaking once and falling back to sleep.
"I'll be checking out tomorrow…I'll make sure I come to the police station to make a statement." The doctor turned to stare at me and then I moved out of the room following his quiet instructions to do so.
"I apologise Detective Shinomori, but I can't let you see her without her permission first."
"Could you give this card to her before she leaves?" I watched the doctor nod his head taking my card and I turned around nodding silently goodbye to Hannya whom was sitting down reading a magazine.
* * * *
(Midnight Cat Club)
I pulled up on the opposite side of the road to the club. I jogged across the road signalling I small nod to the bouncer at the front who let me in without blinking an eye. There was a line up of about twenty people waiting to get inside but having connections in a place like this was quite handy.
The club was rather dark; the only lights were a small stream across the long bar and black lights shining on the woman dancing on stage or in cages. I walked swiftly passed the bar grabbing the girls attention by slapping my hand on the hard wood twice.
"The usual Okon." I spoke before moving further into the dark club and heading for the lone figure sitting in the far back corner away from the large crowd, but facing them to check all of them out. He wore dark clothes blending into the shadows of the night. He only spoke if necessary, but the information he provided was always helpful and accurate. I sat down in the vacant chair with my back to the crowd; he liking it to be that way and so I obliged with his wishes.
"What have you got for me?" I spoke while taking one of the cigarettes he silently offered me and lit it with his zippo.
"Where is the money?" I watched as he leaned back in his chair lighting up another cigarette, the flame showing me his narrowed brown eyes. I pulled out an envelope and placed it on the table sliding it across to him. I watched a yellow envelope flop onto the table as he spoke after Okon delivered my double scotch and coke while placing the envelope in his jacket pocket.
"This was all the information I could get for you so far. Her name is Misao and she is the only child in the family, the proper family."
"Proper?" I questioned the young man in front of me as I pulled out a picture of 'Misao' as he put it. She was wearing tight pair of black trousers with a deep green tank top and black jacket wrapped around her waist.
"Her mother died about five years ago but her father has remarried since then and now has a step son and daughter both aged 22. The Makimachi's are one of the richest in all of Japan, owning many businesses around the place. Hikari, Mr Makimachi's wife does not work, not needing to work and neither do the children because they think "hubby" and "daddy" will provide for their every need."
"And the youngest?" I asked, my eyes glancing over at the man to see him take a another drink of his beer and place it down while talking once more, his own eyes fixed on the dancing girls on stage behind me.
"She's like any regular 17 year old girl. She walks to school or catches the bus, never taking the limousine or any of the other cars the family owns. She hangs out with her friends, going to the movies, to the park or going to sleepovers. She acts like a normal teenager even though she knows she is one of the rich kids in Japan. She's kind and generous, helping out at the retirement village a couple of blocks away from her home every week and buying her friends many gifts. She visits her grandparents every week, from both sides of the family, as well as visiting her mother's grave often. She has two part time jobs, one at a video store and the other at a small café restaurant called Akabeko. It seems she wants to make her own money by herself. She has impeccable grades at school, not failing any subjects since she arrived there and has never missed a single day either. I must say she's very good looking, but has no boyfriend…she has exceptional legs by the way."
"Thanks for that…" I spoke dryly as I listened to the last of it. I placed the paperwork and photos back into the envelope and drank my drink fast. I was ready to leave when he spoke once more.
"There is two more pieces of information that will not be found in that report I gave you...just in case anyone else gets there hands on it, I want you to remember this information for yourself."
"Oh?" I replied intrigued and sat back down in the chair while tucking the envelope into my inner jacket pocket.
"This is not the first time Miss Makimachi has disappeared. I've done a little research and have found out that in the past five years Miss Makimachi has disappeared six times. I was quite intrigued as to know why the police hadn't been involved and decided to do some investigating for myself. I briefly questioned her friends to see whether they knew of her disappearance. Their response was being told from the stepmother and the father that she had gone on a small trip to compete in some martial arts tournaments. However I checked Japan and China for tournaments and there were none in the days the girl was away for and she had not been booked onto any plane flights during those times either. Also I checked the bank statement for the Makimachi's in the past five years and noticed a considerable amount of money being taken out during the time of Misao's disappearance, but have no idea what for though."
"Interesting… Arigatoo Sagara…" I spoke standing up ready to leave once more but the young man caught my wrist with his hand and spoke softly once more getting my full attention again.
"One more thing you won't find in the report is that she worked as a part time model for Yukishiro Enishi, just like Kaoru had." I sat back down in the chair watching as Sagara did the same and he spoke again.
"I found this in Misao's bedroom, hidden amongst many books when I snooped through it the other day for you. Those two never hung out in the same place with Misao's friends, but they were together everytime they modelled for Enishi. They were very close." I reefed the picture from his fingers staring at the smiling girls one arm around each others shoulders, their heads pressed close together looking more like they were both 21 instead of being 17 year olds. I closed my eyes for a brief moment, a flash of Kaoru's smiling face fluttering through my mind for a brief moment.
"I know…what it is like…to loose someone you love Shinomori." Sagara spoke towards me, his usually gruff voice turning softer then usual.
"I'll call if I need anything more from you." He nodded his head silently and I moved towards the exit, silently waving at Okon and then exited the club, crossing the road and unlocking the door to my deep blue Ute.
"You can come out from the alleyway Hannya." I spoke while turning around leaning against the door watching him walk into the light and towards me.
"Is someone relieving your position at the hospital?" I watched him nod his head affirmatively and I spoke once more while getting into the car.
"What seems to be the problem? Has the department got me under surveillance again?"
"No Shinomori, I came of my own free will just to see what you do after work. You…relax in this club?"
"Not exactly…" I replied absently while starting the car.
"Ah, then this is the place where you meet Sagara is it not?" I glanced my green-grey eyes over at my friend and ushered him to get into the passenger side.
"You don't miss anything do you Hannya."
"That's correct Sir." I heard him reply instantly back as I drove off heading for the nearest bar.
"Tell me, have you spoken to Omasu lately?" The car was silent, Hannya not replying to my question. Obviously the answer was no. He and Omasu had been married since they graduated from high school and had a daughter together. The days were getting tougher on the young woman, never seeing her husband as he worked many hours like myself.
"What of Momo-chan?"
"She'll be 7 next month. I promised her I'd take a couple of weeks off and go on a trip with her. Omasu was also going to come. We are trying to work things out and to be honest I hope Omasu can forgive me for neglecting her and Momo-chan for so long."
"Aa, that is a good idea. I'm sure Momo-chan misses her father very much."
"Not nearly as much as she misses having Uncle Aoshi around." I chuckled lightly as I pulled up at a bar, which was probably about ready to close but Hannya and I could fit in a few drinks before that happened.
* * * *
(The next morning…)
I groaned awake hearing my alarm clock buzz loudly telling me it was 6am and time to get up and get ready for work. Unfortunately I wasn't in the right state of mind for work just yet and hit the alarm clock turning it off and my small but cozzie apartment fell silent once more. I rolled over in my double bed and sat up, but placed my hands on the mattress to balance myself as not to fall unconscious at the dizziness going on inside my head. So a few drinks had turned out to be 20 double scotches and coke…
I stumbled towards my small bathroom completely naked not giving a damn if there was anyone looking into the opened windows…as if anyone knew where this place was anyway. There were only two people that knew this place beside myself.
* * * *
After a short amount of time I forced myself to leave the warmness of the shower and left the bathroom while placing a towel around my narrow waist. I heard a small amount of noise coming from my messy kitchen and mumbled out a small reply before flopping down on one of the stools at the kitchen bench and placing my head on my folded arms.
"Morning Megumi…" She being one of the two people that knew of this place.
"Good morning Aoshi…coffee?" She spoke in her usual cheery voice.
"A big one…with lots of sugar. Clean mugs…actually you might have to wash one for me…" I replied looking over at the dark haired woman.
"I can't believe you live in such a pig sty. At work you are so immaculate." She replied back while placing a hot cup of coffee into my hand for me. I lifted my head for a moment to look up at her through my wet spiky bangs and reasoned with her.
"That's because I always have Captain Saitou up my ass about something, so I have to be a good boy there." Megumi let off her usual laugh and leaned against the kitchen bench looking over at me.
"Well since you are such a good boy, perhaps it is best to have the coffee to go and hurry up and get dressed or else Captain Saitou will be most displeased if you are late for Miss Makimachi's statement."
"Hai, Hai…" I replied while getting off the stool and headed for my bedroom to dress. I found a clean pair of black trousers and placed them on doing up the zip and laced the belt through the loops but didn't do it up just yet. I came back into the small main room and noticed Megumi was sitting on one of the stools now, one creamy leg crossed over the other as she wore those insanely short skirts to work. I moved like a zombie around the lounge room picking up different shirts to see if any looked clean enough. So I wasn't the most house-trained man, who cares!
I grabbed a deep blue-grey button down shirt from off the chair and placed it on while sitting on the coffee table placing on my socks and shoes and tying them up. I knew Megumi was watching me even though she pretended to be reading the magazine but wasn't.
"I still don't know why I stopped seeing you after being together for so long. You still have a VERY nice body." Megumi emphasised as she got off the stool and waltzing over towards me buttoning up my shirt for me. I stared down into her maroon coloured eyes to see them twinkling mischievously up at me.
"I'm a cop that's why." I spoke pulling her hands away from me and began tucking the shirt in and did up the button and the belt on the trousers. I grabbed my holster and gun clasping it to my belt and got my second gun tucking it into my trousers letting it rest at the small of my back. I grabbed my black jacket placing it on, but leaving it open.
"As am I Aoshi, you forget we work at the same place."
"Yes, but I work in the field remember? It would be a lot of responsibility on your behalf to take in someone like me. I'm sloppy and a lousy cook and hardly ever around. Besides how much would it hurt if I were here one day and then the next I've been killed in the line of duty? It's best if I'm a single man. At least that way I won't have to worry about leaving you…or another woman on their own…"
"Still…I can't believe I gave up this…" Megumi spoke softly while raising her hand to my chest and abdomen muscles.
"Because Megumi dear…you fell in love with someone else." I watched as she gasped softly, having been caught off guard like that. Her maroon eyes wide with shock, her cheeks pink in colour as she stared up into my green-grey ones.
"How?" She whispered softly and I placed a croaked smile on my lips speaking softly once more while tapping her nose once and then left my small and very hidden apartment.
"I've known you for years Megumi…do not think me dumb, I can tell…I can see it in your eyes. Are you coming?" I watched as she hurriedly left the apartment and walked quickly down the alleyway heading for her white sedan. I slowly walked behind her knowing I'd completely embarrassed her, something very rare to do to the composed woman. I got in the passenger side and sat quietly as we drove down the busy Tokyo road. I cast my eyes over at Megumi to see her cheeks were just returning to their normal colour.
"Are you going to tell me his name?" I spoke quietly breaking into a conversation.
"Iie…" Megumi replied instantly and I smirked over at her while mumbling once more before placing on my dark sunglasses and closing my eyes for a short nap before reaching the police headquarters.
"Always the sly fox…not telling me anything…"
* * * *
To be continued…
* * * *
