Intrigue
The house was large, with manicured lawns and high brick fences, cutting off the lights from their neighbors and strongly increasing the home's privacy. Night lay over the neighborhood like a thick woolen blanket, and a tall man in a long brown coat walked slowly up to the front door and knocked.
A dark-haired man opened the door, broad-shouldered and impressive, his hair trimmed and nails done impeccably.
He was ushered in immediately, the older, impeccable man leading the way to a study and closing the doors behind them.
"We have to be quiet -- my wife is a light sleeper." He moved to a mini bar. "Do you drink?"
"Not on the job, sir," the man in the long coat replied, looking around the room. In one sweep, he took in dark mahogany panels and a large, clean, well-organized desk. The man in front of him wore a thick winter sweater and dark slacks and was pouring himself a brandy. His hair was classically silvering and his face was strong and faintly recognizable.
"That's good. It bolsters my faith in your abilities, Inspector Smith. Or should I call you Nephrite?" The older man turned and took a seat, and Nephrite finally recognized him.
Police Chief Harris, the man that had been on TV so often, decrying the Sailor Senshi.
As Nephrite sat across from him, the man frowned. "You wear your hair long, like my son. Is that fashionable these days?"
He twinged a little at the older man's tone. What was wrong with his hair? He liked it long. "Are you going to tell me what you wanted me for, sir, or are we going to talk about hair all night?" He raised an eyebrow, and then regretted his own tone. He was a private investigator and hadn't had a job in months. It wouldn't do for him to push prospective clients away out of vanity and pride.
Chief Harris's eyebrows rose, but he got to business. "I want you to investigate some people for me. They're old and meddling, and I'd like to make sure that they aren't endangering the people of this town. I need you to go and get as much information about them as you can – maybe snap some pictures, or anything else that might help." He gave the young man a thick file.
Nephrite flipped through it and frowned. "Is all this legal, sir?"
"Don't worry about legal. If you get in trouble, I'll get you out of it. Just concentrate on not getting caught. If you do well, I'll double your pay."
"And my expenses?" Nephrite tried not to goggle at the promise. His pay was hefty on its own. Doubled, he wouldn't have to worry about making rent for a very long time.
"I'll take care of them." He stood and Nephrite took it as his cue to leave. "Just get me something on the Sailor Senshi."
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Hino Rei was in Hell.
No, she decided, picking up a greasy napkin with two perfectly manicured fingernails and dropping it on the other side of the table. This was worse than Hell.
This was Waffle House.
She was all smoldering darkness and clean lines – her makeup was perfect, her hair pulled half back, and her clothes casual but well-pressed. She was society's daughter, used to restaurants where the waiter's spoke only French, shiny new cars, and crisp hundred dollar bills straight from daddy. But in her eyes there was another woman – a Rei that had seen the damp alleys of the city, who had crawled through muck and snow with her long, white, smooth legs, and had experienced blood and pain and violence in those places, in the dirty places of the city.
And now this woman was at Waffle House, disdaining everything from the orange color scheme to the metal napkin dispensers.
She looked at her pearl-banded watch and sighed, then glanced up as the door chimed.
There he was. Five feet and nine inches of one freshly washed blonde man.
His hair was curling and still faintly damp from his shower, and he had a snug t-shirt on and some casual jeans.
His eyes, apprehensive, lingered on her for a moment before lighting into the brightest, whitest grin she'd seen in seven years. He was relieved as he sat down, eyes bright and hands clenching and unclenching nervously. "Hi."
She made an effort to smile. "Hi."
"So . . . how was your day?" he asked, eyes shifting nervously. She could read him easily and realized that if she didn't make any more of an effort, there wouldn't be a second date.
Her next smile was more genuine, and she tried to keep his eye. "My day was busy -- so I'm sorry if I seem a little distant. I'm very tired."
"Oh," he looked a little relieved, then concerned. "Are you sure you're up to this, then? I mean, if you're too tired . . ."
She chuckled. "No, I'm fine, really. Let's just . . . have dinner." She kept his eye and forced herself to toy with her hair flirtatiously. She so didn't feel flirtatious right then. Why couldn't Makoto do this again? Oh, right, Minako wanted to torture her.
Minako would be paying next time she wanted to spar. Maybe a nice black eye would compliment all that blonde hair . . .
Rei sucked in her breath and scanned the menu, wincing at the massive amounts of pig flesh they must horde in the back. Jadeite had stopped trying to make small talk and she appreciated it. Part of her felt a little bad for him, but the other part was too busy counting how many practice sessions she would have to go through to burn off all the weight she'd be gaining here.
"How's work?" she asked, getting to the point she was supposed to discuss.
"Um," he looked up from his menu and thought about it. "The debris by that fallen building is taking longer than we expected to clean up. But we haven't found anything else dangerous, so."
"I heard about the Sailor Scouts having to swoop in and save the day there," she commented with careful neutrality. "That must be embarrassing for the force."
Jadeite seemed troubled by this. "Chief Harris didn't like it much." He shrugged and didn't look at her. The topic obviously bothered him. "I don't know what happened. They might have saved the day and might have gotten Kevin hurt." He took a sip of the coffee the waitress had brought them. Rei wasn't sure whether she wanted to touch hers. "I do know that Kunzite thinks very highly of them, though," he said abruptly. "He gets pissed when the chief talks about them like he does. I try not to get in the middle of it."
"Really," Rei's estimation of Detective Kunzite rose. "Hm."
Jadeite shrugged and smiled crookedly, leaning forward as if sharing a secret with her. "He's got a thing for Sailor Venus."
Rei blinked at him. "What?"
Smiling with the story-teller's satisfaction in gaining her interest, Jadeite sat back and folded his hands on his stomach. He spoke in a low voice and looked up from under his bangs conspiratorially. "I've heard rumors about it, mainly from his friend Kate. Others say that he's in one of those cults that worship her. I didn't really believe any of it until Kate showed me the magazines in his desk drawer. All of them had a story on either the senshi as a group or Sailor Venus. He doesn't single out any of the other scouts." He silently triumphed that he'd found something to interest her, but a small twinge in his stomach told him he shouldn't have told something so personal about Kunzite. He'd always been a good cop, and had always been as nice to Jadeite as he was to anyone – in his own way. But Rei was looking more . . . concerned . . . than curious.
And Rei was concerned. If Kunzite was in one of those crazy love goddess groups, it was dangerous for Minako to be so near to him. And if he found out about Minako's cover . . .
Sailor Venus could be in real danger.
Rei forced herself to focus on the task at hand. Sweet-talking more information out of Jadeite. She didn't have time to worry over everything he said.
The waitress took their orders and Rei blessed her for the time she had to think of another question. When the menus and woman were gone, she was ready.
"So how about those monster cases? Those must be really tough to solve," she said, fiddling with her straw and looking at him from underneath her lashes.
He seemed a bit more comfortable. "The chief is getting us all new equipment for the case. They think that the owner of the building may have something to do with its collapse, but they're not sure if he's involved with the monster attacks." He paused, thinking hard. "It's weird – this guy is one of the oldest, most respected men in town. I don't know why he'd do that." Jadeite shook his head and Rei blinked.
"Who is he?"
Urawa Ryo. As Rei drove home later, the information swirled around in her mind. Ami would probably be put on that part of the situation. But what about this Detective Kunzite?
None of it looked good.
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"Do you want anything to drink?" Kunzite asked, throwing his coat on a chair and going into a kitchen that was partially closed off from the living room. Minako had dropped by the police station to finish filling out the paperwork for the charges she wanted to file against the muggers, and Kunzite had refused to let her walk to Kevin's. Unfortunately, he had forgotten some papers for Kevin at his apartment, so they were stopping there first. Since it was only another block away to Kevin's, Minako had persuaded Kunzite to let her walk as long as she got a ride home.
"Water," she replied absently. Minako set her coat near his and looked around his living room, noting the bleak brownness of it. It was painfully spare, with only a couch, a tv, and some random scattered furniture that must be necessary for something. Kunzite was in the kitchen, and there was a curious door to her right, beckoning.
As Sailor Venus, she theorized, she had a duty to see if this man was any threat to her, especially since he'd made Rei nervous.
Without a sound, she opened the door and slipped partway in, feeling for a light switch. The voice behind her held an edge. "What are you doing?" But it was too late, she had found it.
Before Kunzite could reach her, his bedroom was illuminated and Minako stared. Behind her, where she couldn't see, his face twisted with embarrassment, anger, and resignation.
"What is all of this?" she asked, stepping inside. He followed her and set the drinks down on a clear surface, sighing.
"You know how some guys are into cars, and some are into bands or pictures of naked women?" He stood next to her and looked at the posters, at the huge blurry copy he'd had blown up of the best Sailor Venus picture ever taken. He took a deep breath. "I'm into Sailor Venus."
"Not a naked Sailor Venus?" she teased lightly, and he ignored her. Then she looked at him for a moment, her face serious because of the obvious extent of his interest. Where some men would have nude women, he had blurry photos of a blonde whirl and Sailor V posters from the TV show.
"It started with this," he took her over to the small bookshelf. A line of colorful DVDs stood proudly on top of it, flanked by Sailor V UFO Catcher dolls. "I loved this show when I was a kid – it was just reruns then, but I wanted to be just like Sailor V." He turned and looked at the rest of the room. "And then it just . . . morphed." He gestured, showing that what he said was an obvious understatement.
It had exploded.
He turned back to the shelf and picked up his Sailor V doll, rubbing his thumbs lightly over her sides. "I know it sounds stupid, but . . . she's why I became a policeman. I thought it must be the best job in the world, protecting people. Just like V." He put the doll back and chuckled, glancing at Minako. "You know they have an official Sailor V fan club? That's why people think I'm in a cult." He shrugged and looked away, blushing. "I'm the treasurer."
Minako shook her head, a smile ghosting across her lips. "But if you like Sailor V so much, why this obsession with Venus?" She looked at the small lamp across the room with the Venus symbol on its shade.
Kunzite's eyes sparkled with excitement and he sat down on the side of his bed, body quivering with repressed energy. "That's my theory. Nobody really subscribes to it anymore, because V disappeared so suddenly, but I think that V and Venus are the same person."
Minako blinked at him, careful not to let the extent of her surprise show. "Really. How's that?"
He took her to another small bookshelf, crammed with an assortment of heights, titles, and covers. The bottom row was all on the Sailor Senshi and Sailor Venus. He pulled two books out and flipped to left-in bookmarks.
"I cross-referenced the time she stopped showing up in London and the time she appeared in Tokyo. There was enough time for her to make the transition, and no reason why she couldn't be the same person." His eyes were brighter and his face more animated over this issue than anything she'd seen from him thus far. "As well, none of the other senshi ever disappeared. But V did. Also, they look alike. See," he pointed to one of the clearer blurry images of Venus on his wall, "you can tell she has long blonde hair. Like yours." He gestured negligently and turned away before he could see Minako's guilty start. She reassured herself that he was too wrapped up in his explanation to really think about that comparison and made herself pay attention. "Also, I know that Sailor V had long blonde hair, and I doubt all the Sailor Senshi look that much alike."
Minako smiled a little, noting his flawed logic. "But you don't know V had blonde hair – you just know her from the TV show."
He slid her a crafty glance. "But I do." He was quickly back by the books and pulled out an old, battered leather-bound book. He stood and looked at her. "My great-grandfather met her. She saved his life once." He brandished the book and looked at the other open volumes on his bed. "Everything he describes her as in his journal fits Sailor Venus but none of the other senshi. I've studied it extensively," he added when her eyebrows rose.
Minako looked at his excited, serious expression and burst out laughing, destroying the tense, passionate air into mirth and something slightly ridiculous. "You're a Venus groupie!"
He blushed and put down the book he was still brandishing, suddenly coming down from his excitement, a little embarrassed. "Yeah, well. Don't tell anyone. I'm teased enough over the rumors."
"I won't," she smiled and they were just looking at each other with a pleasant amiability around them.
"Minako," he murmured, frowning at her suddenly. "What's your surname?"
"Aino," she replied without thinking, surprised that he would even ask. "Why?"
"Are you related to the girl that played Sailor V? Maybe she was your grandmother or something?" He went over and brought her a DVD as she turned crimson, pointing out the actress's name on the back. "She has the same name as you." He looked into her red, gaping face and his simple curiosity sharpened. He straightened and his voice went more serious. "Minako . . . you aren't . . ."
She looked quickly down and dug her toe into his carpet, speaking shyly. "I didn't think anyone liked my show anymore." She looked up at him with a nervous smile from beneath her bangs.
That's right. Play the shy actress. Get him away from the truth as much as possible.
His frown deepened and he regarded her so seriously that she forgot to pretend to be nervous and was nervous.
What he asked was not what she expected – and not anywhere near what she wanted to broach.
"How old are you?" His eyes narrowed as things began to click and rush together in his mind. He was breathless with it. "You must be older than the queen . . . who are you!" He grabbed her arm and she was suddenly terrified. Not of what he could do to her, but of what he would figure out. Of what she might have to do to him. "Nobody that old is anything less than a major figure in Crystal Tokyo, but I've never even heard of you in city politics . . . Not even among the Retired." There was a sect of Tokyo that those of the Queen's childhood had taken up, those that had lived the longest, where they had hoarded their wealth and did nothing more now than spend their time relaxing and playing social and political games. They were all famous in their own right.
"Let go of me, Kunzite," she breathed, frightened.
He did, but his body blocked any flight she might make and he forced her to move back as he spoke. "You're lying about something." Her back ran up against a wall and a doorknob jammed into her spine. Kunzite was right against her, looking hard into her face. "But it's not who you are. I can see the resemblance now. You're Aino Minako. You played Sailor V. I knew there was something bothering me before." His eyes softened a bit, unfocusing, and he touched her cheek. "You've grown." He said it simply, but with the way he was looking at her, it was a staggering compliment.
Then his eyes went hard again.
"So what are you lying about? And why are you dating a police officer so much younger than you?" He still couldn't put the last few clues together, and this seemed to puzzle him the most.
"Kunzite," if Minako hadn't been so frightened he'd figure it out, she would have tried to bluff her way out of it. But he'd just burst every bluff she'd given him and her emotions were at their most chaotic peak. So she reached behind her, grabbed the intrusive doorknob, slipped in, and slammed the door in his face.
Her senshi strength was more than enough to keep it closed, and she felt around for a light switch. When she turned it on, she found herself in a walk-in closet. The t-shirts to her right grabbed her attention while she tried to calm her breathing and think rationally.
This was so not going well.
It was several minutes before Kunzite could open the door to find a hysterical Minako holding one of his t-shirts by the hanger. He glared at her as she turned to him.
"You have . . ." she laughed and tried to catch her breath, "Sailor Venus . . . T-SHIRTS!" She waved a white thing at him with the symbol of Venus imprinted on the front in gold and the word "Love" on the back in similar lettering. Beside it, she had seen some Sailor V shirts and one with a spaceship that said "I Break for Venusians." She cracked up again and Kunzite couldn't help but soften to a smile at her good humor.
He sighed, his anger flowing out like water in the force of her smiles. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry I was . . . rough. You just surprised me -- I never thought I'd meet Sailor V." He caught her odd, deer-like look and noted it to think about later. "I mean, the girl who played Sailor V." She seemed calmer at that. "And even though I still think you're hiding something, I'll overlook it if you'll just stop taunting my clothing choices." He put a hand out to her and she looked at it dubiously for a moment, still clutching his Sailor Venus t-shirt, before hanging the shirt back up and taking his hand.
She sighed, tired, as he led her out of the closet. It wasn't a good day all around, and she wanted to get back to the palace and take a nice, steamy soak in the senshi's private hot tub.
Her last comment before they parted amiably was, "So do you actually wear those things in public?"
Kunzite laughed. "Just the underwear." And shut the door in her startled face.