Later that night Kaoru decided that she wasn't going to go to school that
day, deciding that she would take a "mental health" day. Life had been
wearing her down for a while now and she felt that she needed at least one
night of rest.
At first Kaoru couldn't think of anything to do with herself. She always kept herself so busy that she never really had any time to think about things, sort through memories, deal with the traumas of her life. Now that she had given her mind a minute's worth of rest the dams were opened and all the memories and emotions came rushing to her mind. It was overwhelming. She tried to push them into the back of her mind where they had been but the refused to be budged. Kaoru finally decided that it would probably be easier to just deal with them instead of trying to get rid of them like always.
In her room in a box under her bed she kept a journal and some other important papers. She hadn't actually written in the journal since the day her father died. For some reason she just couldn't find it in herself to pull it out and write in it. But she decided to pull it out now, not to write but to read.
She started reading at the beginning ('A very good place to start,' she thought, half smiling at her little allusion joke). The earliest entries were from when she was very young. She grimaced at her atrocious spelling and grammar but she had to smile at the things her younger self had deemed important enough to be recorded. Silly little things that people begin to take for granted as they get older, leaving only young children to truly appreciate them.
As she read further Kaoru could see the subtle changes that she had gone through. They were all very gradual until about the time she was in ninth grade. Her journal entries became increasingly more about her Father and her worries about him. He suddenly started acting strange, he didn't sleep as much. When he did sleep, it was restless and he would constantly mutter things. Most of it was unintelligible but she managed to catch a few words and phrases: "Drug smuggling ring" "Something's not right" and "Kanryu Takeda." Her eyes widened as she read that part. She hadn't understood what her father's words could possibly mean when she had heard him say them, but she did now.
'Kanryu Takeda has something to do with a drug smuggling ring? That still doesn't help me! Is Mr. B. Kanryu Takeda? For some reason I doubt it. Mr. B. doesn't seem like that kind of guy.' When she realized what she had just thought she scolded herself thinking, 'How do you know that, Kaoru? You don't know *anything* about that guy!'
That was unacceptable. 'That's gonna hafta change!' she thought resolutely. 'I'm going to learn everything I can about this mysterious man. I don't care what I have to do!' She slammed her journal shut with finality. As she turned to put it back in the box it was kept in she noticed a manila folder.
There didn't seem to be anything special about the folder at first glance. There certainly weren't any markings on it that would designate it as being something important. But looks can be deceiving.
~@~
Kaoru's brows furrowed as she carefully opened the folder. She had no idea what it could possibly be and no clue how it got there in the first place. When she pulled out the papers inside, she no longer wondered.
In her hand she held a note to her written in her father's elegant hand.
~
'My Dear Kaoru,
If you are reading this I probably wasn't careful enough in doing my job. I hope that my death hasn't caused you too much grief, I wouldn't ever want to be a source of pain for you.
Kaoru, I was never completely honest with you about my job. I couldn't bring myself to tell you what I truly did because it would put you in danger. It wasn't a lie that I worked for the police force, but my duties weren't that of a normal police officer. I was part of a special unit designed to work on cases involving crime lords, drugs, smuggling rings, etc. That is the reason why I'm writing this for you and leaving you a copy of the work that I have done so far.
I have felt my horizon darkening for a while now and I'm afraid that I won't be around much longer. Sadly, I don't trust my coworkers to continue this case after my demise. I can't bear the thought that my work might be ignored even though it could save many lives. Kanryu Takeda is already responsible for the deaths of many people. Probably mine, too, if you are reading this.
In this folder are copies of all the important documents I have on this case. I have no doubt that the office will come and seize the originals pretty quickly after my death. What the people at the office don't know about is that I made these copies or about the tools that I hid under the floorboards in my room. I know you, my sweet Kaoru, and I know that once you find out the true nature of my death that you will dive headlong into this case. Even though it goes against my better judgment I have decided that since I know you're going to do it, I might as well provide you with all the information I know and all the help I can. In my room underneath the floorboards where my dresser is are my tools. They may be a little outdated but they do their job. My heart aches for doing this, but I know you're going take this case on no matter what. I wish you luck my dear Kaoru.
Your father
PS I have a few hints for you. Not all people can be accurately judged by appearance or by things they have done in the past. What makes them who they are is what they're doing now and what they intend to do in the future. Also, for your sake, let your heart be open to others. The world can be lonely sometimes, but it can also be a paradise.'
~
She indulged herself in a watery smile when she read the last part. Her father always taught her the most important lessons by starting her in the right direction and letting her figure them out herself. The things he said to her didn't always make sense, just like the PS in his letter. That was just her father for you.
Kaoru smirked when she thought about her father saying that he knew her well enough to know she'd take on the case. He was right. Was it possible that even after all that had happened that she was still the same Kaoru that her father predicted she was going to be? She really hoped so, her father was a very good man.
After allowing herself a few minutes to sit and digest everything in the note, she got up and walked to her father's room. She carefully opened the door, almost as if any sudden movement might awaken ghosts in the room. It definitely looked like the kind of place a ghost would like to hang around. Sheets covered most of the furniture, dust was everywhere. Kaoru hadn't gone in the room again after the police had dragged her out kicking and screaming the night her father had died. It felt a little strange to be there now.
She walked over to the dresser and started trying to push it to the side. It was heavy, which wasn't surprising since it was solid oak. 'It figures that father would pick the heaviest piece of furniture in the room to hide something underneath!' she thought in an almost sarcastic way. Since the dresser was pretty close to a corner of the room, she propped her back against the wall that ran perpendicular to the wall the dresser was against, giving her a solid anchor to push from. She carefully placed her feet against the side of the dresser and pushed with all her might. Even though it took a while she was finally able to move it far enough that she could probably reach where the tools were hidden. She looked at the floor and noticed a knot hole in one of the boards. The board seemed unusually short, too. She gingerly stuck a finger in the knot hole and pulled up. The board gave a little resistance at first, but eventually complied with her will. Sure enough there were some tools underneath where the board had been. Most of the things Kaoru didn't recognize and she had the feeling that she'd probably have no need for them. She pulled out what looked like a marker. It kinda reminded her of the one she had at the dry cleaning store that you use to check if a bill is counterfeit. She read the side of the marker.
"Drug Indicator Pen, when ink comes in contact with certain drugs the ink will change to certain colors."
Underneath it had a chart of drugs and colors. The colors all seemed normal enough except for one. It was a strange golden amber color. It was the color that indicated opium. Something about it reminded Kaoru of something but she couldn't think of what. 'I doubt the answer is in my journal this time,' she thought with a smirk.
Yawning Kaoru realized that not only was it getting late but that she was completely bushed. She stood, pocketing the indicator pen as she left her father's room. Then she groggily brushed her teeth and changed into her pajamas. Climbing into her bed she couldn't help but think of how welcoming it felt. Within seconds she had fallen into a deep slumber.
~@~
Saturday found Kaoru sitting anxiously in the back of the dry cleaning store. She chewed at her fingernails nervously, a habit that she hadn't indulged in for years. Every time someone came in and the chime went off she would jump. She had good reason to be nervous. Today she was going to do a little investigation on Mr. B.
AN: I know it's not the longest, but hey, at least I updated, right? Anyway, there's a lot of stuff in this story that's made up. If it sounds weird, chances are that I came up with it just for this story. Oh yeah, I only wanted to write out my disclaimer once, it still applies to the rest of the fic, though.
StratusNight: Here you go Little Miss Bossy! Geez, you're so pushy. I'm just kidding. Here, I updated just for you. Don't you feel special? I should *hope* it sounds familiar. I did a good jorb? Yay!
Carebear: Thanks for the review and the encouragement. I only hope I can keep the quality of the fic where it is if it doesn't get better. We'll see, only time will tell.
At first Kaoru couldn't think of anything to do with herself. She always kept herself so busy that she never really had any time to think about things, sort through memories, deal with the traumas of her life. Now that she had given her mind a minute's worth of rest the dams were opened and all the memories and emotions came rushing to her mind. It was overwhelming. She tried to push them into the back of her mind where they had been but the refused to be budged. Kaoru finally decided that it would probably be easier to just deal with them instead of trying to get rid of them like always.
In her room in a box under her bed she kept a journal and some other important papers. She hadn't actually written in the journal since the day her father died. For some reason she just couldn't find it in herself to pull it out and write in it. But she decided to pull it out now, not to write but to read.
She started reading at the beginning ('A very good place to start,' she thought, half smiling at her little allusion joke). The earliest entries were from when she was very young. She grimaced at her atrocious spelling and grammar but she had to smile at the things her younger self had deemed important enough to be recorded. Silly little things that people begin to take for granted as they get older, leaving only young children to truly appreciate them.
As she read further Kaoru could see the subtle changes that she had gone through. They were all very gradual until about the time she was in ninth grade. Her journal entries became increasingly more about her Father and her worries about him. He suddenly started acting strange, he didn't sleep as much. When he did sleep, it was restless and he would constantly mutter things. Most of it was unintelligible but she managed to catch a few words and phrases: "Drug smuggling ring" "Something's not right" and "Kanryu Takeda." Her eyes widened as she read that part. She hadn't understood what her father's words could possibly mean when she had heard him say them, but she did now.
'Kanryu Takeda has something to do with a drug smuggling ring? That still doesn't help me! Is Mr. B. Kanryu Takeda? For some reason I doubt it. Mr. B. doesn't seem like that kind of guy.' When she realized what she had just thought she scolded herself thinking, 'How do you know that, Kaoru? You don't know *anything* about that guy!'
That was unacceptable. 'That's gonna hafta change!' she thought resolutely. 'I'm going to learn everything I can about this mysterious man. I don't care what I have to do!' She slammed her journal shut with finality. As she turned to put it back in the box it was kept in she noticed a manila folder.
There didn't seem to be anything special about the folder at first glance. There certainly weren't any markings on it that would designate it as being something important. But looks can be deceiving.
~@~
Kaoru's brows furrowed as she carefully opened the folder. She had no idea what it could possibly be and no clue how it got there in the first place. When she pulled out the papers inside, she no longer wondered.
In her hand she held a note to her written in her father's elegant hand.
~
'My Dear Kaoru,
If you are reading this I probably wasn't careful enough in doing my job. I hope that my death hasn't caused you too much grief, I wouldn't ever want to be a source of pain for you.
Kaoru, I was never completely honest with you about my job. I couldn't bring myself to tell you what I truly did because it would put you in danger. It wasn't a lie that I worked for the police force, but my duties weren't that of a normal police officer. I was part of a special unit designed to work on cases involving crime lords, drugs, smuggling rings, etc. That is the reason why I'm writing this for you and leaving you a copy of the work that I have done so far.
I have felt my horizon darkening for a while now and I'm afraid that I won't be around much longer. Sadly, I don't trust my coworkers to continue this case after my demise. I can't bear the thought that my work might be ignored even though it could save many lives. Kanryu Takeda is already responsible for the deaths of many people. Probably mine, too, if you are reading this.
In this folder are copies of all the important documents I have on this case. I have no doubt that the office will come and seize the originals pretty quickly after my death. What the people at the office don't know about is that I made these copies or about the tools that I hid under the floorboards in my room. I know you, my sweet Kaoru, and I know that once you find out the true nature of my death that you will dive headlong into this case. Even though it goes against my better judgment I have decided that since I know you're going to do it, I might as well provide you with all the information I know and all the help I can. In my room underneath the floorboards where my dresser is are my tools. They may be a little outdated but they do their job. My heart aches for doing this, but I know you're going take this case on no matter what. I wish you luck my dear Kaoru.
Your father
PS I have a few hints for you. Not all people can be accurately judged by appearance or by things they have done in the past. What makes them who they are is what they're doing now and what they intend to do in the future. Also, for your sake, let your heart be open to others. The world can be lonely sometimes, but it can also be a paradise.'
~
She indulged herself in a watery smile when she read the last part. Her father always taught her the most important lessons by starting her in the right direction and letting her figure them out herself. The things he said to her didn't always make sense, just like the PS in his letter. That was just her father for you.
Kaoru smirked when she thought about her father saying that he knew her well enough to know she'd take on the case. He was right. Was it possible that even after all that had happened that she was still the same Kaoru that her father predicted she was going to be? She really hoped so, her father was a very good man.
After allowing herself a few minutes to sit and digest everything in the note, she got up and walked to her father's room. She carefully opened the door, almost as if any sudden movement might awaken ghosts in the room. It definitely looked like the kind of place a ghost would like to hang around. Sheets covered most of the furniture, dust was everywhere. Kaoru hadn't gone in the room again after the police had dragged her out kicking and screaming the night her father had died. It felt a little strange to be there now.
She walked over to the dresser and started trying to push it to the side. It was heavy, which wasn't surprising since it was solid oak. 'It figures that father would pick the heaviest piece of furniture in the room to hide something underneath!' she thought in an almost sarcastic way. Since the dresser was pretty close to a corner of the room, she propped her back against the wall that ran perpendicular to the wall the dresser was against, giving her a solid anchor to push from. She carefully placed her feet against the side of the dresser and pushed with all her might. Even though it took a while she was finally able to move it far enough that she could probably reach where the tools were hidden. She looked at the floor and noticed a knot hole in one of the boards. The board seemed unusually short, too. She gingerly stuck a finger in the knot hole and pulled up. The board gave a little resistance at first, but eventually complied with her will. Sure enough there were some tools underneath where the board had been. Most of the things Kaoru didn't recognize and she had the feeling that she'd probably have no need for them. She pulled out what looked like a marker. It kinda reminded her of the one she had at the dry cleaning store that you use to check if a bill is counterfeit. She read the side of the marker.
"Drug Indicator Pen, when ink comes in contact with certain drugs the ink will change to certain colors."
Underneath it had a chart of drugs and colors. The colors all seemed normal enough except for one. It was a strange golden amber color. It was the color that indicated opium. Something about it reminded Kaoru of something but she couldn't think of what. 'I doubt the answer is in my journal this time,' she thought with a smirk.
Yawning Kaoru realized that not only was it getting late but that she was completely bushed. She stood, pocketing the indicator pen as she left her father's room. Then she groggily brushed her teeth and changed into her pajamas. Climbing into her bed she couldn't help but think of how welcoming it felt. Within seconds she had fallen into a deep slumber.
~@~
Saturday found Kaoru sitting anxiously in the back of the dry cleaning store. She chewed at her fingernails nervously, a habit that she hadn't indulged in for years. Every time someone came in and the chime went off she would jump. She had good reason to be nervous. Today she was going to do a little investigation on Mr. B.
AN: I know it's not the longest, but hey, at least I updated, right? Anyway, there's a lot of stuff in this story that's made up. If it sounds weird, chances are that I came up with it just for this story. Oh yeah, I only wanted to write out my disclaimer once, it still applies to the rest of the fic, though.
StratusNight: Here you go Little Miss Bossy! Geez, you're so pushy. I'm just kidding. Here, I updated just for you. Don't you feel special? I should *hope* it sounds familiar. I did a good jorb? Yay!
Carebear: Thanks for the review and the encouragement. I only hope I can keep the quality of the fic where it is if it doesn't get better. We'll see, only time will tell.