Tower Express

by Christopher Pulanco

It is the year 2044. The place is Shinira City .His name is Saul, and he is a private detective with a jaded past of a former romance that ended tragically. Now, years after the event, he is trying to find himself again through three other women.

Pulanco 55

Tower Express

A Novel by Christopher Pulanco

One

It was about two in the morning when Saul checked his watch. The 1955 connection train should've arrived ten minutes ago, but it was late and at late hours it always seemed to be late as well on arrival. It didn't really matter to him however. He had all night to wait really if he wanted. He was in no rush at all. Granted, he was a little drunk and depressed at the same time, a dangerous combination for a night. Yet he was a private detective. It'd be quite difficult to find one that wasn't a depressed alcoholic, especially in Shinira City.

Shinira City was located on an island, and like any island city it had grown from small city to a bustling economic metropolis in a short period of time. The year currently was 2044, and it had almost seen like yesterday when the city was just a small one still trying to get on its own two feet. Now the city was filled with expansive and busy train systems that covered all area of the city, tall skyscrapers owned by lucrative businesses that were situated right next to each other and bright neon lights that shone brightly on buildings and billboards in the dark polluted sky to help keep airships in line. There were also dangerous slums like any city, but overall the city had progressed quite nicely throughout the generations.

Saul lived in a rather desolate area of the city, basically an area that was located near a slum but not part of the slum itself. It was a small apartment complex located between the busiest area of the city and the most dangerous slum as well, and the building itself shared qualities of both areas. The place itself looked ragged and old on the outside, but it was rather nice inside. Not luxurious or anything, but it was a comfortable place to live in surprisingly. Saul had been living there for nearly five years now, and had quite a good relationship with the landlord, Mr. Fat. Like his name, he was rather large portly fellow, but he liked Saul mainly because he worked hard. Day and night Saul was always doing business in his apartment complex day and night with potential and current clients, trying to keep a dying trade afloat. Mr. Fat admired small-business people, especially one as ambitious as Saul

He had been a private detective all his life and honestly Saul really couldn't imagine doing anything else. He used to work in all different kinds of cities: Hong Kong, Tokyo, even American cities such as New York and San Francisco. Nothing ever worked out however and here he was 34 years young and still never really having achieved major success in a particular city. Sure, he had made just enough money to stay afloat and keep starting new businesses in different cities but by no means was he rich. In fact, he considered himself a wealthy poor man, or in other words a man who was rather down on his luck, but presented himself like he had more money than he actually had.

Things had been looking up though. Already in the five years he had been working in Shinira City he had made almost twice as much as he did in any other city. Granted, it still wasn't that much money, but at least he could live comfortably now and not worry about starving or losing his apartment. In fact, he had enough money to enjoy himself on the weekend. Frequently, he would go to a bar and drink. He drank alone, but it was still enjoyable nonetheless. Saul was not a social person, but that came through experience. As a private detective, the key component to success is isolation. After so much investigating, so much sneaking around, and so many cases, it became harder and harder for him to make friends. So he decided that making friends was not worthwhile. He had acquaintances and sometimes drank with people, but nobody really close. Nobody he could really consider a "true" friend. Saul didn't mind though. As long as he had his business, his apartment, his cigarettes and his booze, everything was well with him.

Slowly, out of the left corner of his eye he could see the train coming from the tunnel. It was fifteen minutes late, which wasn't too bad for two in the morning. He was holding his lucky silver flask with his initials engraved on it calmly in his hand, a flask which happened to be a gift he received from his late fiancée when he was 24, exactly ten years ago. In fact, just three days ago was the ten year anniversary of when he was given the flask from his late fiancée, Faye. It was a congratulations present, one that congratulated his first successful case in Hong Kong. Yet that was past, and those were happy memories he preferred not to think about too much. Every time he remembered her, he'd feel sick to his stomach and his eyes would sometimes begin to water. He'd cry if he was drunk and depressed enough. Of course, he never did such a thing in public, but rather in his room when he was drinking a bottle of hard liquor by himself. He was too prideful of a person to do such a thing amongst others.

The train slowly stopped and the doors opened for him as he put the flask in the pocket of his long tan coat. Once he placed the flask in a safe place, he stepped in and the doors closed from behind him. Immediately after they shut, the train started again rapidly. He didn't sit down however, but rather stood and looked out into the dark tunnels that were illuminated dimly with neon-colored lights. It was a peculiar sight, a sight of beauty and ugliness at the same time. Dark meets light. The very thought astounded Saul.

As the train left the tunnel he was then given a view of the metropolis, which was filled with tall well lit buildings, numerous other train tracks, and countless vehicles flying through the air at a rapid pace. Additionally, there were ads galore, billboards advertising everything from Bail bonds to nightclubs. There were hundreds located on top of the buildings and Saul would glance at them as the train passed by from a distance.

"You're the only one on this train at this hour," someone said from behind Saul.

Saul turned around and he was greeted by an elderly man with white hair and a white moustache. He was short and portly, but still had a full head of hair on his head, or so it seemed from the sides. He was dressed like a usual conductor: blue suit with gold buttons, and hat with a red SC Transit badge on the front. He had a smile on his face, which was strange because Saul had a rather dull lifeless look on his, a look that implied he wanted to be left alone. Unfortunately for Saul, the conductor didn't pick up on that.

"Where you heading?" the conductor asked.

"Home," Saul replied.

"Where's that. Home's a lot of place to a lot of people in Shinira City," the conductor replied with a small laugh.

Saul didn't crack a smile but didn't glare or frown either. He was trying to be polite even though he didn't want to in his state at such a late hour.

"I live in the city, Liu-Wing Blvd. at the 'Orion' apartment complex. Heard of it?" Saul asked.

The conductor nodded his head. It was a familiar name of a familiar street.

"Liu-Wing? That is a rather curious street. I've been there a few times and I do believe the station stops just a few blocks from there. The 'Orion', huh? That doesn't click with me, but I'm old and forgetful. How is the place?"

"Other than the fact it borders the 'Bend Slum', it is pretty nice."

The "Bend Slum" was a hellhole, a cesspool of a place for gangsters, gamblers and compulsive sex addicts who were looking for anything at the right price. Sometimes, Saul would walk through the streets of the slum just to witness life, life at its worst. It reminded him of the true nature of people and the true ugliness of society in its purest essence. To Saul, the "Bend Slum" was a reminder of life, a reminder of who he was. Of course, he wouldn't walk around the area for too long, because thieves were abundant in that slum, and they wouldn't hesitate to kill you if they had the chance.

The conductor, picking up on Saul's little joke, laughed to Saul's comment a little and shook his head. He then took a seat himself and took off his hat to scratch his head. He looked a bit tired, with his smile masking his true exhaustion. An old man like him, working at such a late hour was almost depressing. He should've been in bed.

"What do you do? Don't you have work tomorrow?" the conductor asked from his chair.

"My job doesn't require set hours. I make my own hours." Saul replied taking out a cigarette from a pack he had in the right pocket of his brown pants.

"So you own your own business then?"

"Sort of, but it isn't a typical small business. I'm more in the service business."

The man gave a puzzled look. Obviously, Saul's choice in words didn't sink in too well. Thus, Saul decided to drop all the implications and tell him what he actually did before the old man would lose himself even further.

"I'm a private detective,"

"Private Detective?" The man replied with a grin on his face now knowing what Saul was trying to say. "That's quite a profession. You make much money? Got any rich clients?"

"Not really."

Saul shook his head as he lit the cigarette. Mostly everybody was the same way. Asking the same ignorant questions thinking he was some big shot with the scoop on everything. To be perfectly honest, in Saul's opinion, he was probably about as good a private detective as the old man was a conductor. He wished he could lie and tell him he was making the big bucks spying on some rich corporate guy's wife, but he was too old for that. Through his experience, he learned stuff like that was reserved for over-dramatic novels and movies.

"Business slow?" the conductor asked.

"Always slow. That's how the business works."

The conductor than nodded his head and looked out the window into the gaze of the brightly lit city. Saul looked in that direction as well and too was a bit in trance from the neon lights and well-lit tall buildings amongst the dark sky. Shinira City was always a sight, no matter how long one has been there.

"This city has changed so much," the conductor stated. "Now it has become more than just a city, it's a cesspool of life. You can find all kinds of people in this city. Some shine as brightly as those neon lights, some are as dark as the polluted sky. Either way, you'll be surprised in one way or the other with somebody here."

The conductor than turned to Saul who was staring out the window smoking his cigarette. He wasn't paying attention at all to the conductor but the conductor didn't seem to mind. For the conductor, the company was good enough, even if the company was a bit distant and somewhat impersonal.

"You married?"

The conductor's question caught Saul a bit off guard. As he took another puff of his cigarette he looked back at the conductor with a puzzled look, not entirely sure what he had just asked.

"Pardon me?" Saul asked.

"Are you married? You have a wife at home?"

Saul shook his head while holding his cigarette in his right hand.

"No, I am not married."

"Figures," the old conductor laughed. "You wouldn't be able to be out at such a late hour if you did."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Have you ever been married though?" the conductor asked.

"No, but I was close. A long story though. It's hard to explain." Saul replied.

"Oh I understand. Some stories are best left unsaid."

He had been engaged with Faye for nearly three years before it happened. That is, when she left him. It was puzzling at first, for Saul never really saw it coming. He never would imagine that she'd abandon him and leave him in the way she did. Even to this day he didn't know why she did it, why she left him in the way she did. The only conclusion that did come from her passing was pain. An emotional pain that stuck to him everywhere he went after her untimely death.

He first met Faye at a bar in Hong Kong. Saul was just getting situated with his business, and she was a waitress that worked there. She was a beautiful woman with raven dark hair, and white creamy skin with a hint of olive and beautiful brown eyes. She had a wonderful personality that was accepting and personal and not at all superficial or demanding like the other personalities of other women he knew. She was different, a breath of fresh air. She was the kind of girl that Saul needed in his life.

They first developed a friendship mainly because Faye knew people that were looking for a private detective in the city, so Faye helped him get his foot in the door in Hong Kong. Nearly every night, Saul would go to the same corner of the bar, order the same drink (bourbon on ice), and after handing him the drink Faye would give him a sheet of paper with a name and number as well as a smile from her pretty face. And not just any kind of smile, but rather a heartwarming smile that was reserved just for him. If it wasn't for her, Saul would've been out of business and an emotional wreck in Hong Kong in the first month.

Yet something different blossomed from their peculiar relationship as months passed. A romance, per say. They both began to have strong feelings for each other as they talked more and more at the bar after she got off her shift. They shared a lot in common. She had a love of singing, a love of singing that ignited Saul's intimate side. She also wrote a few poems as well and they were unlike anything Saul had ever read and illustrated her real emotions, emotions he had not realized that existed in a woman until he met her: pain, loss, miscommunication in love. All those issues were touched upon in her wonderful poems.

Additionally, she was an amazing listener as well as talker. They'd talk in great detail about their past relationships, the loves they had in the past, and the pain that came from the relationships that fell apart. They were very much alike; with stories so similar it was strange that they hadn't crossed paths before.

As seasons passed they began to have a more intimate relationship, one that happened to be more physical and impassioned. After Faye got off from work, they began to go to each other's apartments on a nightly basis and make love. It all started with that kiss, that kiss that he gave her on a train ride back from a play they attended one night. They were all alone on the car and Faye's head was resting on his shoulder. His hand was resting on his knee and slowly she had placed her own hand on his. The feeling was sensational, like a rush surging from his heart into his head. He had never felt more close to her than that moment and that's when he decided to touch her soft and slender cheeks, and kiss her red, tender lips. Only through such a gesture would he be able to show what he was truly feeling for her deep inside his heart.

It was not just any ordinary kiss, but a sensual and intimate one. One that was filled with subtle passion, if that made any sense. It was both calm and wild at the same time, and it was almost as if he was reaching into her heart and feeling warmth that he had not felt from anyone else in the past. Moreover, the kiss brought a feeling of hope out of Saul's soul that he never knew he had, and for Faye, it gave her the feeling that she found a lover she'd never thought she'd find: one that cared about who she was genuinely. Saul could specifically remember in his mind the time of the kiss and the first season they really began their romance: Winter of 2034. It was the warmest winter he could ever recall.

It was about two years later when he was 26 years old that he proposed to marry her. Granted, he had never had such a relationship like this with such a woman before, and he never imagined he make such a strong commitment such as marriage in his lifetime. Yet he never imagined he'd meet someone like Faye either, and Faye was too important and too special of a woman to lose. Immediately, she accepted, with tears in her eyes and that warm, inviting smile on her face as the two stood on that snowy bridge that winter night. Saul knew he had made the right decision. He knew she was the only woman who would ever be this special to him.

Yet a week later she disappeared, without a trace and without leaving an explanation. Saul was devastated. He didn't even have a chance to give her the ring. He still had the golden ring in a black case, resting in one of his cabinets. He hadn't touched it since she disappeared. The season: Winter of 2036. By far that was the coldest winter he could ever recall.

For a month Saul turned to alcohol to solve his problems. Hard alcohol was the drink of choice for him and in large amounts, whether it was vodka, whiskey, scotch or even gin. He began to waste his money unknowingly on such false solace and sunk deeper and deeper into depression, which only hurt his business. He lost many clients that winter and the season after, but he didn't care. He wanted Faye back, but that wasn't going to happen anytime soon, since he had exhausted every possible way to contact her. Hence, he hit almost at rock bottom, left with about fifty dollars left in his bank account until he heard the news, the news that'd change his life forever.

He read it in the newspaper that morning of the spring of 2037. His love, his first real romance, the only woman he ever felt close to, Faye, stepped in front of a train, and was killed on impact. There was no funeral, or none that he could remember. All he could remember was seeing her face in the obituaries and weeping at the sight of it. It was gut-wrenching and never before had he felt this way about someone before. In fact, he couldn't remember the last time he lost a loved one. Faye's death was a hard reminder of what it was like.

After a brief period of mourning and even more drinking, he took what little money he had left and bought a plane ticket out of Hong Kong. The reason for this action was simply because whenever he went somewhere, whether it be a bar or restaurant, he'd see Faye's face in a waitress or two. It became so bad that he seriously felt as if his mind was collapsing on him and he was starting to turn insane. He had heard hundreds of stories of people who lost loved ones that went crazy. He didn't want to be one of those people.

Thus, Saul came to the conclusion that he couldn't possibly live there any longer. For him, there were too many memories of too many tears, with Faye being the center of each and every one of them. Hong Kong in its basic essence was Faye's spirit and he'd never be at rest if he continued to live there. Leaving was the only way he'd be at peace, and be the only solution to his emotional problems. The farthest plane ticket he could get with what little left he had in bank account: Shinira City.

"Next stop is your stop, kiddo."

Saul hadn't realized he had fallen asleep on the chair and woke up frantically trying to gain a sense of where he was. All he knew was his head was lying against the window of the train car and was partially stained from the grease from his black hair.

"Really? Already?" Saul asked.

"You bet. Better get ready, we'll be there in a few minutes."

Saul then got up and stretched out a little. His body felt stiff as hell and already he was developing a slight headache. It was probably from the vodka. He had ten shots at the bar, and that wasn't counting how much he drank at home before he arrived at the bar. In the simplest terms, he wouldn't be surprised if he would be throwing up soon.

"You okay?"

Saul nodded his head in response.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You sure? You look like shit. Too much to drink tonight?"

"Yep," Saul said nodding his head again. "Isn't that always the case with people who look like shit?"

The conductor shook his head. Obviously he didn't find much humor in Saul's comment.

"You know, drinking ain't good for you," the conductor said. "It doesn't solve any of your problems. It just makes them worse and brings up new ones. Believe me, I know from experience."

"Well…" Saul said with a slight pause as he grabbed his throbbing head for a moment before continuing. "My problems don't have solutions. So why waste the time trying to solve them if they're unsolvable?"

The conductor than smiled and walked over to him and grabbed something from his pocket. It was a white card with some writing on it. Saul couldn't tell what it said at first mainly because the conductor was partially blocking it with his hand.

"Here," the conductor said.

"What's this?" Saul asked.

"A solution."

Saul then was given the card by the conductor and he glanced at it. In big italicized letters it said

Tower Express

What kind of place was that? And why did he give him such a card?

In addition to the two words was an address.

14 Mako St.

Mako St. He'd been there before, but he'd never recognized any Tower Express. But then again, there weren't a lot of signs on Mako St. considering it was a red light district of sorts. Could it be that the place was… It couldn't have!

"Why you giving me this? You think I'm lonely or something?" Saul said, implying that he thought he knew what this place was already.

"Most of Shinira City is lonely," the conductor said. "I'm just trying to help."

"What is this place really?" Saul demanded. "Why did you give me this card just now?"

The conductor smiled and shook his head. He wasn't going to answer his question the way Saul wanted it and honestly, and deep down, even though he truly wanted to know why this card was flashed in front of him, Saul couldn't blame the old man.

"Visit," the old conductor said. "You'll know once you get there."

The old conductor then walked towards the exit which connected between cars and opened the door and closed it slowly behind him as he stepped out of the car. He didn't bother looking back as Saul stood there with the card still in his hand as still as a piece of granite. As for Saul there wasn't much he could do. He glanced at the card once more and tried to recognize the name and address, but nothing came up. He looked up once more hoping the old conductor would come back, but he didn't. The only thing that did happen when Saul looked up at the connecting door was the flickering of lights as the train went underneath a tunnel. After witnessing the flickering of lights, he knew it was a good sign he'd never see that old man again.

Two

Saul once again found himself at the bar the following night, after an eventless day, once again drinking as much as humanly possible. The night before had been quite rough and long, and he was feeling the consequences from the previous night even this late in the evening, for his head was throbbing profusely. However, that didn't prevent him from drinking less. After spending just an hour in the bar, he had three shots of whiskey and he was working on a glass of cheap sake. Alcohol was really the only thing he knew. In fact, he was getting quite accustomed to these kinds of nights.

He was halfway through his glass of sake when somebody took a seat next to him at the bar. The man was dressed casually, in a long black trench coat, black pants and a blue shirt underneath with a red tie. He was a tan skinned man with dark hair and a rough face, one that was calloused a bit probably from fighting or confrontation. Granted though, that was not surprising considering he was a cop. Saul knew he was a detective immediately because he had a badge on his belt as well as a gun, not to mention he had seen his face before. The man's name was Solomon. He had helped him on a few cases in the past, when Saul first arrived in Shinira City.

"What do you want Solomon?" the bartender asked.

"Black and white, and make it a double." Solomon replied.

The bartender then walked away and Solomon looked to the left, where he recognized Saul drinking with his head down wearing his tan long jacket, gray slacks, white shirt and gray tie. Like Solomon, Saul was dressed rather nice, but unlike Solomon, Saul looked exhausted as hell, as if he hadn't gotten sleep in days,

"Why are you here? You look tired," Solomon said taking out a cigarette from a pack that he had in his coat pocket.

"Where else would I go?" Saul said. "You know I don't like parties."

Solomon laughed and lit his cigarette and took a brief exhale. Like Saul, Solomon spent most of his free time in the bar. Yet the only difference was that he drank because it was something to do, help kill time on the beat. Saul's drinking actually took away from his job, only draining money from his bank account and preventing him from meeting new clients.

"Why don't you work on a case or something? How long has it been since you've had a case?" Solomon asked.

"About two weeks." Saul replied.

"You know, you need to make money if you still want to come here. Drinks aren't free, despite the fact you drink them like water."

"I have enough money already. Besides, I like the small vacation. It allows me to think, get my head straight and relive some past memories."

Solomon knew what Saul was referring to, and honestly, he didn't really like it. However, Solomon really didn't want to butt in, mainly because he couldn't quite relate with Saul. He was happily married to a fine woman, and lived in a nice apartment which was not far from the police station where he worked. Shinira City was a haven to him as well, for he had been on the detective beat since he was 21 and 15 years later he was still with the same job, but with a bit more pay and a bit more responsibility. Yet Solomon couldn't imagine himself anywhere else. Shinira City was home. It was all he knew. And besides, the demand for honest detectives like him was quite high, especially with the city growing faster and faster.

"It is an old saying that 'all memories are traces of tears'. If I were you, I'd concentrate less on your old memories and start trying to make new ones that will be much happier," Solomon said. "One can't live with sadness forever."

"What are you saying? You think I should find another woman?" Saul said defensively.

"If that what it comes to, than yes, I think you should find another woman."

"I can't."

"Why not, you're still relatively young, only 34. You're all right financially, well for the time being. The only thing really missing in your life is an emotional connection. If you don't keep your emotions in check, it could lead to an early death for you."

"Early death, seems like it was destined for me from the start."

The bartender than arrived with Solomon's drink and he took a quick swing and finished it off in one drink. As he slammed the glass down, he took a puff of his cigarette and Saul took another drink of his sake.

In all honesty, Saul couldn't believe what Solomon was saying. Another woman? That was just out of the question. Sure, it sounded easy, but just because it sounded simple enough didn't mean it was straightforward. Ever since Faye's death, meeting women had just become increasingly more difficult. To him, it was better not to try at all, and just avoid heartbreak and further letdown.

"See what I mean, listen to yourself speak! You sound like hell. A good woman would keep you in line, and maybe you'll find a home for yourself once and for all." Solomon said.

"The closest thing I had to home was Hong Kong. But I can never go back home now. Not after what happened there," Saul replied. "I don't want to risk anything anymore. Heartache has been much too common in my life. I'd rather not feel it again once more, and find another place to work to escape that heartache. I've been moving too much, and I'd like to stay here much longer than I've had in most places."

"Heartache. That is an inevitable part of life. Sure, you've had your instances in the past, but not all life is heartache. You have to take a risk sometimes if you want to get that reward. It doesn't just show up in your lap." Solomon said.

As he said that a woman with silver hair walked by them dressed in a sparkly black dress and silver high heels. She was a lovely looking woman, but she had a strange composure to her. She walked straight-backed, but almost too straight-backed, as if she was walking on a plank across a river. Additionally, she had a lifeless glare on her face, almost as if she was blind. It was a very strange sight, and both Saul and Solomon recognized her, distracting them from their conversation for a moment.

"Strange woman," Saul said.

"That's because she isn't one," Solomon replied.

"What do you mean," Saul asked a bit confused. "What do you mean she isn't a woman?"

"She's not a woman," Solomon said. "Rather she is a female android. They're becoming quite popular in bars, restaurants and hotels. It's like a hiring a hooker, but you don't have to worry about emotions or such. They have all the qualities of an obedient, beautiful woman without half the headaches."

Androids. They seemed to be everywhere these days, and so human that it was impossible to tell the difference between a real human and a human android. Female ones were the toughest, they seemed lifelike and all of them had different personalities as well. Some female androids were chatty and energetic, some were shy and obedient. The only really common thing with androids is they didn't have emotions, they couldn't feel love and they couldn't connect with humans on a personal level or any level at all. It was widely known that when one had relations with an android it was best to forget it the next day, because for the android, the previous night would be a forgotten memory with no attachments at all.

However, some androids had problems in the past. Earlier models of androids were given too much emotion in the beginning and they became too lifelike and couldn't work properly because they became too attached to their human hosts. It was mostly females, for the female androids couldn't control their emotions and would actually lose control of their emotions like a regular human. The female androids would develop jealousy, sadness and depression and some would destroy themselves or destroy their hosts. Controversy surrounded this and immediately female androids received a bad name, as if they were uncontrollable. Thus action was made, so that these man-made creatures would serve their purpose: to be subordinates of mankind.

Most of the female androids with such emotional problems had to be reprogrammed so that the owners wouldn't have to worry about dealing with these problems. They installed new chips in their artificial mind and it worked. No longer were those emotions present, but instead they were the obedient life-forms they were meant to be once again. However, despite such procedures, rumors still spread that there were still female androids out there that still had those emotions, but to most people it was only a rumor. Nearly all of them these days, especially the ones in Shinira City, were reprogrammed and androids with emotions were a thing of the distant past, almost a forgotten memory amongst everybody.

"How can you tell she is one?" Saul asked.

"Just look," Solomon replied. "She's lifeless. No regular woman would act like that. And besides, look behind her on her lower back. She has a small tattoo. That's really a bar code, even though it looks like a Chinese character. They're standard of female androids. It helps keep track of them. Well most of them anyway. Older versions don't have that barcode."

"Everything is controlled by something these days." Saul replied. "Maybe I could use something like that."

"Female androids are funny things, Saul. They may be passionate and accepting like the perfect woman, but they are dangerous. They can leave you broke and an emotional wreck, not to mention confused as hell in the mind. Never fall in love with an android, Saul. You said you wanted your life free of heartache from now on, well, love with an android isn't going to help that." Solomon said.

"Love with a woman would be the same thing. Woman, android, it's all the goddamn same thing to me. I guess that what love is though. Love is just one disappointment after the other."

Solomon now understood how depressed Saul was and took out a cigarette to help him relax his mind, since Saul's attitude was starting to wear on him. After taking a puff of his cigarette he rubbed his eyes in frustration and reached into his wallet and took out a yellow piece of paper that seemed to be ripped out from a bigger sheet or a book. As he took it out, he placed it on the desk, and slid it to Saul who watched it slowly come his direction.

"What's this?" Saul asked.

"Work," Solomon replied.

"I don't need you pity."

"You need something Saul. Look at you, you're a goddamn wreck and I'm worried. If you have a case than at least you got something to keep you from hanging yourself. Look, I know the pain has really just caught up to you all of a sudden and really got you depressed but that's over now. Take this case, and try to get over your memories and get on with what you got left. Life doesn't go on forever."

Saul then took the paper and looked at it. Here's what exactly it said on the piece of paper.

Kira Wong. Tower Express. 14 Mako Street.

Tower Express? Saul was in shock when he saw the address. Was this some kind of coincidence?

"So, do you want the case?" Solomon asked.

"What is this place?" Saul asked in a nervous and shaky tone of voice.

"It's kind of a whore house I think. It's elegant for such a place, but still seedy nonetheless. Anyways, I want you to find this woman. She's responsible for the murder of a 28 year old man named Chang Chen. We believe she's hiding in there but due to its area and the protection it's got, we can't get in. Thus, I want you to get in there and find the info and the woman yourself. I know you got a penchant for finding information."

Saul then sighed and finished off his glass of sake. After he finished it off and asked the bartender for another through a hand gesture, he rubbed his eyes in frustration. Honestly, he didn't want another case. He didn't want to find people and uncover their problems anymore; he wanted somebody to help him find himself, as crazy as that sounded.

"How old is she?" Saul asked as the bartender handed him his second glass of sake.

"Nobody is sure, but she is supposedly relatively young. She's a beautiful girl, or so we've heard. Raven black hair, creamy white skin, you name it. Most men would die to spend a night with her. Maybe you should," Solomon said jokingly.

"Maybe," Saul replied.

"So…you interested?" Solomon asked again.

"In what? Sleeping with the girl?"

"No, the case. Are you interested in taking the case Saul? Come now, don't tell me you're going to turn down someone who helped get you started here."

Saul looked at the piece of paper again. Tower Express? He hadn't heard of the place in all the time he had been living in Shinira City, and already it's come up strangely on more than one occasion in the span of maybe 24 hours. Something at Tower Express wanted him there, yet he couldn't quite figure out what. A companion for the night? That wasn't Saul's style. Besides, he couldn't handle another woman, especially one that would probably be another miscommunication.

"How did the man die?" Saul asked.

"Umm…Stabbed to death. Or so we think. We found his body in the river a few days ago and the last place he was at was the Tower Express with this woman, Kira Wong. We're not totally sure she's the culprit but our sources say it's a good bet," Solomon replied. "Now come on I need an answer!"

Saul took a sip of his drink and nodded his head not saying a word. As he did that, Solomon reached into his wallet and put two crisp hundred dollar bills on the counter. Saul eyed the money but didn't touch it just yet. He wanted that money, but he still wasn't sure about it completely. Once he grabbed that money, that was his final decision and the case was his to take care of, no matter what.

"Two hundred dollars Saul," Solomon said. "And that's just down payment. I'll double your money if you solve the case. I know you can't refuse that kind of deal."

Solomon was right. There was no way Saul could refuse that kind of money. Slowly he grabbed the money and put the bills in his pocket. Solomon smiled as he watched him grab the bills with his shaking hand, and then stood up from his seat putting his cigarette out in the ash tray that was on the counter.

"I'm glad you decided to do this case for me Saul," Solomon said. "Work quickly too. The quicker you finish the more bonus money you'll receive."

Solomon than walked away from Saul and out the door and there Saul was by himself at the counter, staring at a piece of paper he was holding in his left hand. Slowly, he reached for his wallet with his other hand and took out the card the old conductor had left for him the previous night. As he compared the two, it was uncanny how similar the two were. Same addresses, same places, same font almost.

He knew that evading this place wasn't going to do anything and now with two hundred bucks in his pocket and the promise of more on his way, he at least had a reason now to visit the place. Who knew what he would find there? Maybe the old conductor was right, maybe there was a solution to his problems at this place so-called the Tower Express. He wasn't holding his hopes high though. He knew what disappointment felt like. It was better not to have that feeling again. It would only further awaken horrible memories.

Quickly, Saul finished his drink, paid the bartender and left. He needed to find a taxi that would take him to Mako Street. It was only a little after ten, but at this time of the night, it was usually ridiculous to find a cab that didn't already have a passenger. But Saul was in no hurry. He had all night.

Three

Taxi rides usually made Saul uneasy in the stomach, but that wasn't because of the drivers or the rides themselves, but rather the memories that were attached from taxi rides in the past, especially the ones with Faye. He could remember at that very moment, as he was driving to the Tower Express, the night the two first shared a taxi. He could almost remember everything they said precisely, and exactly how he felt in that seat right next to her. He never asked Faye about their first night in a taxicab, but to Saul, that night was the night that started everything between them.

They both walked outside of the nightclub looking for a taxi. Faye had just gotten off her shift, and Saul was already finished from drinking with a few of his acquaintances in Hong Kong over a recent case he had just finished. Both were looking for a ride home for the evening. Unfortunately for the both of them, only one taxi had come up to the curb and there wasn't another one in sight. The rainy weather outside didn't help their situations.

"You going home?" Faye asked as she opened the door to the taxi with Saul standing behind her.

"Yes, but I don't have a ride," Saul replied with a small smile on his face.

"Oh, didn't you want this taxi?" She asked.

"No, go ahead. You were there first; I'll wait for the next one."

"That's nonsense. How about we share this one? You live on the way home from me. Maybe we can get to know each other a little better on our way homes. Is that all right with you?"

"If it's all right with you, than I'm fine with that."

They both then walked into the taxi, with Saul letting Faye in first and it drove off quickly on the rainy streets amongst the traffic that was ahead of them. Faye, who was sitting on the left, stared blankly out the window at first not saying a word to Saul. As for Saul, he was a bit nervous to say anything, for he hadn't really spoken to her before outside of the nightclub. After all, the only thing they really talked about was possible clients and cases. He didn't know what to bring up.

"How long you planning on staying in Hong Kong?" Faye asked out of the blue still looking out the window, with her eyes set plainly on the rain that was pouring outside.

Her hair looked rather nice for the night, slightly curled and down around her shoulders. Her skin, which was usually olive, looked rather unnaturally pale, as if she were sick or scared of something that Saul didn't know. Saul didn't mind though her sickly look. She still looked pretty that night; in that long olive green dress of hers with a fancy black sweater jacket on her body to help keep her warm. For a night of working, she didn't display a look of exhaustion one bit. Her beauty was still radiant as ever in Saul's eyes.

"I don't know. Hopefully longer than most places I've stayed," Saul replied. "I'm kind of getting sick of moving."

"Really? Now that's something I could never get sick of," Faye replied.

"What could you never get sick of?" Saul asked again, not really hearing her reply the first time.

"Moving. I love Hong Kong, it's my home sure, but traveling is a special love of mine, even if I haven't done it much. I remember a few years ago, when I was trying to make it as a singer, I moved to Singapore and did a few acts there. It was wonderful. A fantastic place and I had a wonderful experience there too. It was heavenly," Faye said with a partial smile on her face.

"Why did you move then, if you liked it so much?"

She then sighed and looked at him and gave a forced smile. Saul smiled back trying to help her feel more comfortable but she still looked uneasy. Something bothered her about Singapore, and it was something she needed to get off her chest.

"I was young, and like most young girls I was naive. I found a love in Singapore, a love that was beyond my control. I did some foolish things, and my heart suffered because of it."

"Really? So a man drove you out of Singapore?"

"You could say something like that. That's the thing about romance though. Everyone has a story. How about you? Did you have to leave because of someone?"

Saul laughed and shook his head. He never had really any experience like the one she was referring too. In fact, Saul couldn't really remember anything serious happening to him with a woman before. Women were just something he didn't understand along with a lot of things in this complicated world.

"Fortunately no. Love has been something that has evaded me my life. I never really have had a serious relationship, or a relationship that's been worthwhile. However, I'd like to hear more about your story," Saul asked.

"You mean about my romance in Singapore?" Faye asked almost blushing.

"Yes, if you don't mind."

"I'm not sure if you want to. I mean, I never really told another man here about my experience in Singapore. Can I trust you?"

"Sure you can. But if it's that difficult, you don't have to talk about it, but I'd love to know. I like hearing about stories of relationships from people I know. It adds a component that has been missing in my life."

Faye laughed at his little comment and Saul smiled in response in order to make her feel more comfortable. She was starting to loosen up; he could see it in her eyes. Before, she was distant and suspecting, not sure what Saul's motives were for the night. Now though she was her true self, her true beautiful self: elegant, hospitable and charming to say the least. It made Saul a lot more at ease with the world and himself when he was around a woman with such qualities. He didn't know a lot of women who were so easy to be around.

"Well…ok. I'll tell you about Singapore. However, I must warn you, as a friend, it's sad and complicated. Are you sure you want to hear about it?"

"Yes, as a close friend, I would like to hear it. And please, if you could, start from the beginning," Saul answered with raging curiosity giving a hospitable smile in Faye's direction.

Faye then gave a coy smile and looked down and nervously scratched her head, trying to gather herself so she could give the story. As she did that, Saul took out a cigarette and lit it up right in front of her. He offered one to her, but she politely refused. She wasn't in the mood for smoking.

"It all started when I began singing at this small restaurant. It was a fancy place and they had this nice band that played there. They needed a lead singer, and so I decided to try it. The owner of the place loved my singing and told me I could sing with the band as much as I wanted. I made a lot of money and had a lot of enticing offers from all kinds of men, but I was interested in any of them. They were self-centered, with interests that only catered to their own.

"However, one time after I finished performing I went to the bar to have a drink. A young half-Filipino, half-Chinese man named Anthony that was handsome, well-dressed came up to me and offered me a drink. He was charming, perhaps too charming for me to turn down. He hadn't lived in Singapore long, only for about five months. However, he had made quite a living as a gambler. I should've walked away from him when I found out he was a gambler, but I stayed with him, because there was something special about him and his personality. Something that was so different from all the men in Singapore.

"We started out slow. We'd go out for drinks, we'd eat at a cheap noodle restaurant every once in a while, nothing really too serious you know. Just casual. In fact, the relationship we had was quite different from anything I ever had. He was a married man with a young wife.

"I know…married. It sounded odd, but it didn't matter to me at all. We didn't do anything passionate though, but we remained friends, but in a way that was much closer than friends could be without being lovers. He remained faithful to his wife, yet we had our moments, moments that one could say that was borderline romantic.

"Things began to change though as we continued this relationship. His wife was starting to cheat on him, he was losing a considerable amount of money gambling and he was thinking about moving from Singapore back to his home in Manila. I thought this would be the end of our relationship, but our relationship only got stronger as he encountered tragedy after tragedy. Pretty soon, his wife left him, he dug himself into an unbelievable amount of debt and he couldn't really find a steady job. He did small work as a freelance writer, but he never really could make ends meet. So… he depended on me for solace and support, and I gave him solace through company.

"He finally left my last year in Singapore. I specifically remember walking him to the train that was about to leave. I had tears in my eyes. I couldn't bear it to see him leave. I remember I wore a black dress that night he left, the only black dress I had. I also remember that he took the midnight train out of Singapore, which happened to be the last train of the night. I could remember the last few words we said to each other, they're still embedded in my mind like I heard them an hour ago,

Don't cry Faye.

I'm going to miss you.

I'll miss you too. But I have to do this. I have to leave.

Why? Is it money? Please, I can help you. We could make it together. Please, don't leave… stay.

No, I can't. I don't want to drag you into my troubles. This is the best for the both of us. There is no other choice to make.

Is this it then? Is this the last time I'll ever see you?

No Faye, this isn't the last time. I'll come back, I promise you that. I'll be back.

Can you promise that? How can you promise something like that?

"And that's when he kissed me. It was a bit out of the blue because he caught me a bit by surprise in a moment when I was feeling nothing but sadness, but it was the most passionate kiss that I could still specifically remember. That kiss we shared in front of the train on that clear midnight evening took my breath away. And when it was over, I couldn't say anything or do anything but stand there with a sad, lovesick gaze on my face and watch him board that train, hoping and almost believing he would keep that promise.

"But he never returned to Singapore. I waited almost three months until I heard news that he was killed by gamblers from Singapore who he was in debt with. I cried for days and locked myself away from the world. I almost killed myself, for I felt it couldn't live in a world that was so cruel. He was my first real love, my first real romance, although both of us never really expressed it until that night at the train station when we shared that kiss."

Slowly, Saul took out the butt of his cigarette from his mouth and rolled down the window and threw it out into the rainy streets. After he did so, he rubbed his eyes in a bit of frustration, trying to keep his emotions in check. He couldn't believe the story he had just heard from Faye for it was unlike anything he had ever heard in his life. She lost a loved one, and not just a loved one, but one that was extremely close to her heart. How she was able to tell that story to him, he would never know.

"That's quite a story," Saul replied.

"It's not an easy story to tell. You're really the first one I've told since I've been here in Hong Kong." She said.

"Why me?"

"I don't know. There's something about you that makes me feel close to you, like I can tell you anything. I don't know what it is but it's something…special."

She then gave a small smile and put her head down. Saul cracked a little smile too but it wasn't too obvious. He was more embarrassed than anything. He wasn't expecting her to say something like that.

"Well, I feel close to you too." Saul replied.

"Really?" Faye asked with a hopeful glaze in her eyes.

"Yeah."

"Well, I'm happy that we both share the same feeling about each other."

"And that means a lot to me too because I am not very close to many people, if any. I'm not the kind that meets people easily."

"Yeah, I know. You're kind of a loner at the bar."

"Exactly, so you noticed."

"Of course, that's not a bad thing. It's kind of what intrigued me to talk to you. There's a mysterious quality about you that I can't quite put my finger on."

"There's nothing really mysterious about my life Faye. When you discover more about me, you'll realize that I am no different than the average man."

"Well… whatever I may come to discover in the future about you, I'm still glad we met, Saul."

"I am glad too, Faye."

"We're here bub!"

The taxi driver caught Saul daydreaming out the window and startled the hell out of him. After the bus driver abruptly interrupted him from his late night reverie, he looked outside and realized he was in front of a tall well lit building with no signs, but just a bunch of random colored lights covering the exterior. He had seen this building a million times before, but he never knew what the place was or what kind of business it ran. Now he knew.

"Is this the place?"

"Yep, Tower Express, 14 Mako St. That's where you want to go, am I right pal? I'm about a 99 positive this is the joint. You wan to go somewhere else?"

"No, if this it the Tower Express, than this is where I need to be."

Saul then nodded his head and took out his wallet and paid the man the fee. After he did so he walked out into the clear night sky and the taxi driver sped off behind him as Saul stood there in front of the building covered in neon lights. Saul thought it was quite a pretty sight, for it stood out almost like a Christmas tree in this seedy neighborhood. However, Saul wasn't here to enjoy the sights of this place called the Tower Express. He was here to do a job and find a person, whom he had never heard of or ever met in his whole life. Seemed like a typical case.

Four

When he walked in he took out and lit a cigarette. The place was extremely elegant to his surprise. It almost resembled some kind of fancy restaurant, with bright red colors draping the room with hints of gold amongst the walls. The lobby was also extremely well lit, and the scent of perfume and expensive wine filled the room, which was quite surprising since it was supposedly a seedy place.

Slowly Saul walked in the middle of the hallway, still keeping his hat on and smoking his cigarette as he walked at an agonizingly slow place. There were numerous tables around him as well as couches, but most of them were empty, with just a few seedy looking characters having a cigarette and a drink not even bothering to look in his direction. Surprisingly, there wasn't a woman in the room, except for the one at the front desk on the other side of the room.

The lady was middle-aged and had bad skin which was amazingly engrossed in what appeared to be cheap make-up. She had long black hair as well, but one could barely tell it at first glance because she had it up so high. Additionally, she had on a green dress, a jade green outfit that had no sleeves and seemed to run long perhaps to her ankles. Saul couldn't confirm anything for sure, since he only had a view of her upper body, but he had seen that style of dress before and it usually ran long.

As he approached, the woman looked up from her magazine and gave a small smile in Saul's direction. Saul gave a half-hearted smile back with his cigarette still hanging and burning in his mouth.

"Hello, how are you doing sir?" the woman asked with her what seemed to be forced and obligatory smile.

"I'm fine," Saul replied, leaning over the front desk while holding his smoldering cigarette in his right hand.

"Well sir, are you looking for some company tonight?"

"Actually I'm looking for someone."

"Oh, a friend of yours?"

"No, she's a woman."

"Well sir, we have plenty of those! What is her name? If she is free, I could connect you two immediately."

Saul then reached into his coat pocket with his other hand and took out the piece of paper with all the information Solomon gave him and placed it on the desk. The woman then took a glance at the piece of paper while Saul smoked his cigarette. Almost seconds after briefly looking at it, she gave him a startled look that implied that this was a familiar name. How familiar it was and how much she'd talk was a different story though.

"Is the name familiar?" Saul asked.

She nodded her head but didn't give an answer. Saul continued on his cigarette and gave a little half-hearted laugh. Obviously, from her body actions, she knew her quite well. Usually that was the case when somebody just nodded or shook their head, those body actions were dead giveaways to a man like Saul, who was a master of interpreting body language.

"You do? So can you tell me a little something about her then?" Saul asked again still in a calm manner.

"What do you want to know? Is she in trouble? Are you a policeman?"

She seemed nervous, even though she really had nothing to be nervous about. Saul was just doing his job: getting information. The other stuff, the arrest, the charges, the interrogating if she did it or not, that was for the police. Honestly, he didn't care too much what she did or didn't do. All that was on his mind was getting the information, giving it to Solomon and make some easy money.

"Policeman, of course not."

"Then what are you? And why do you want to see her?"

Saul then smiled again and tried to think of a phony story to give her. Saying he was a private detective wouldn't do it, mainly because if he spilled the beans on that, she'd give him as much information as she would to a policeman. He had to think quickly, and be as clever as he possibly could be.

"I'm a friend of her boyfriend, Chang Chen. We are old buddies, and he asked me to pick something up from her. Does that answer your questions?"

She gave him an intriguing look that was full of suspicion. Saul continued to smile, but deep down he was nervous. He had no idea how Chang Chen was related with this woman, Kira Wong. The man could've been a customer for all Saul knew, but the boyfriend angle was the quickest thing to pop into his mind, so he had to settle for that.

"You're a friend of Chang then?"

"Yes."

"Well, I'll call the manager. I'm not sure where she is right now, but I'm sure he will know. He knows every schedule on every girl, so he could help you right away and in the best possible way as well."

"Thank you very much, I appreciate it."

She then picked up the phone and called for the manager. While she was talking, Saul finished his cigarette and put it out on the ash tray that was nestled on the front desk. After putting it out, the woman hung up the phone.

"He is coming to meet you right now. He'll be here in a minute," she said, with her head still down, looking at the telephone.

Saul then nodded his head and stepped away from the desk and waited for the manager to come. He was tempted to take out another cigarette, but he didn't want to be too rude. After all, he was dealing with a manager for information. In order to get something, he had to be polite as he possible could, which still wasn't that much, but any politeness from Saul was better than none.

It felt like seconds when the manager finally came out dressed in a red sweater vest with a white shirt and black tie underneath, complementing his look with khaki pants and black shoes. He was a short, balding, elderly man who appeared to be Cambodian with a small little moustache. He had a phony smile, almost too toothy, and his teeth were stained from what appeared to be from years of smoking and coffee drinking.

"Hello! How can I help you sir?"

At least he was friendly.

"Yes I'm looking for a woman," Saul replied with the piece of paper hanging from his hand.

"Oh we have plenty of those sir, don't you worry."

"But I'm looking for a specific one to be frank."

"That's what Lu Lu said from the phone. What is her name? I wasn't relayed that part."

"Kira Wong."

The man's phony smile than sunk and he gave a look of fear and almost dread. He then looked at Lu Lu, who apparently seemed to lost interest in the ordeal for she was back to reading her magazine.

"Lu Lu, could you excuse us for a moment?"

Lu Lu nodded her head and then apparently exited from a door in the back. The manager then directed his attention towards Saul once again.

"What do you want with Kira Wong?"

"I'm a friend of her boyfriend, Chang Chen. I'm here to collect something from her. Is she in?"

He then shook his head in disbelief and began to scratch his bald head. Saul liked the look he was getting because it meant that the guy was going to say something and make it easy on him. Saul had occasionally resulted to violence to get answers, but by the look of this sap, he wasn't going to have to get physical with anybody. Thus, he just stood there with a smile on his face and took out another cigarette and lit it right in front of the bumbling manager.

"So is she in or not?" Saul asked again with the cigarette in his mouth.

"You're a friend of Chang Chen?" the manager asked.

"Yes, what's the big deal?"

"I didn't know Chang Chen had any friends."

"Well obviously you didn't know him too well."

The man then smiled and gave a little nervous laugh. Saul then took his half-empty pack and pointed it to the manager, implying him to have one. The manager refused politely, and Saul closed the pack and put it back in his pocket.

"He was quite a regular customer here, but I didn't know she was Kira's boyfriend. Usually, we discouraged woman having relationships with clients. It was bad for business. That's why we're trying to get more female androids in this place, you know. So the workers won't get attached to the clients. That's really the only difference. Androids don't fall in love."

"I'm quite aware, Mr.…."

"Chhay. You can call me Mr. Chhay."

"Well that's quite nice and all but I'm looking for Kira Wong. Is she in?" Saul said, reverting back to the subject that was at hand.

"Well, no she isn't. You see, to be honest. She hasn't been here in weeks." Mr. Chhay replied.

"Is she on a vacation or break of some sorts, or is she no longer working here?"

"Well…she sort of is still a worker here. But she has disappeared, without a trace. Rumor here is that she's dead, murdered by a jealous lover, or so that is the rumor. Anyways, people have tried to call her and contact her but so far…nothing. I don't know what else to say."

He could've been pulling his leg, but he did seem somewhat sincere and honest in his answer. Saul then took a puff of his cigarette and sighed in frustration. It was not the kind of answer he was hoping for.

"Would you like to talk to somebody else, maybe a girl that works here? You see, she was quite popular amongst the girls, so I'm sure someone can tell you something. Not many of the girls talk to me you see, because I'm their manager. But for a handsome man like you, I'm sure they might say something different." Mr. Chhay said trying to be of some help to Saul.

"That would be much appreciated Mr. Chhay," Saul replied.

"And tell you what, to make up for your troubles, I'll send up a bottle of liquor on the house. I'm sorry to not be of more help."

"That's okay; you've done as much as you can."

"Anyways, head to room 311 on the third floor. There's a woman there, Lelia. She was quite close with Kira. I'm sure she could be of some use to you. She's quite an open person, caring and quite easy to talk to, or so that's what all the customers say. However, I'm certainly positive that you'll get the real story and all the details from her, no bones about it. After all, I'm just repeating rumors. Who knows if it's true or not, know what I mean?"

"Yes, I understand Mr. Chhay."

"Anyways, on another note, what kind of liquor do you prefer?"

"Scotch will be fine, thanks."

"I'll get right on that, Mr.….you know what! I never caught your name! How embarrassing."

Saul then smiled and took a brief inhale of his cigarette before he would formally introduce himself. He was amazed he didn't do it before. He always had a good habit of introducing himself to other people.

"Chiu Wai. The name's Saul Chiu Wai."

"Saul! Good name. My daughter dated a nice man named Saul when she was younger. Good kid, but it didn't work out between them. Also, that name Chiu Wai? Are you Chinese?"

"No, half-Chinese. My father was Chinese, my mother, white and American. Why, are you?"

"No! No! I'm Cambodian. I was raised in Phnom Penh, but I came here as a young man to start my own restaurant. Now look where it has taken me! Funny how life can be, huh?"

"Oh, I know it. My life's been that way ever since I got here. One surprise after the other."

"Yes, you got that right. Anyways, are you from around here?"

"No, not really. I've lived here for a few years, but I really haven't had a place I could call home."

Mr. Chhay was a very chirpy individual to talk with, and it annoyed Saul a little bit, mainly because it seemed too late at night to be friendly in return. However, the man was a manager at what appeared to be a brothel of some sorts. You had to be friendly to work in this kind of environment, whether you wanted to or not.

"So if you don't mind me asking, after all I have asked a lot of questions, but what do you do Mr. Chiu Wai?"

"Freelance work. I knock around here and there, with one job one month and another the next. It's quite a tough living, but I get by." Saul replied.

"Well, I respect that. You work hard for your money. That's quite an admirable trait in this day and age of androids and endless computer technology. A little hard work goes a long way, and pretty soon you won't be worrying about just making ends meet. I guarantee it Mr. Chiu Wai."

"Well thank you for the advice and complement. I don't get a lot of those."

"My pleasure. Now hurry on and get whatever you need to get, and don't be shy either. Lelia is one of our best girls. If you do decide to spend the night, I'll give you a discount."

"You are too kind Mr. Chhay."

"Just trying to be helpful. After all, doesn't hurt to help another fella out once in a while, know what I mean?"

"I know exactly."

"Anyways, you can head up. The elevator is over there between the two black couches. Usually there's a man there that works the elevator but he has been sick lately, bad case of the flu. Can't eat anything. Any kind of food that goes in his stomach comes out. I feel really sorry for the kid. But the elevator is easy enough. So you can head up there, and I'll have the drinks up in a jiffy. Sound good?"

"Yes, and thank you again very much Mr. Chhay."

"My pleasure."

Mr. Chhay then ran off to the back door and Saul was left there with nothing but the butt of his cigarette. Rapidly, he put the butt out in the same ash tray that he put his earlier one out on and then walked over to the elevator which was located right where Mr. Chhay had described: between the two black, elegant leather couches.

When he pushed the button to the elevator, it opened immediately and Saul stepped in and pushed the button to the third floor, which happened to be the top floor as well. Slowly, the doors shut and he could feel the ride going up. It seemed quite long, but maybe because it was silent. Usually things traveled slow in silence.

The elevator door finally opened for Saul after quite a long trip, or what felt like a long trip. The hall, like the lobby, was also elegant, only this time draped in forest green with hints of gold wall ornaments to complement the tasteful look of the place. Not quite the picture Saul envisioned while he was traveling in that elevator.

The hallway was relatively quiet though. As Saul walked down the hall he could hear the yelling and moans of sexual activity going on behind those closed doors, but it was muffled and there was no activity going on in the hallways whatsoever. No girls laying around, no men running out. It was calm, and Saul liked it. He couldn't handle too much of any kind of excitement such as that in his state. He was still a little drunk and was exhausted as hell.

He passed by a few doors before he got to the one he wanted: room 311. When he arrived, there it was: a white door with golden numbers on the front. It should've been easy, and it should've been a piece of cake to just knock on that door and await this Lelia to answer the door. But there was a nervous feeling in Saul's stomach. A feeling of the unexpected, almost anxiety of what was going to occur when he would meet this girl. Was he going to get information? Was he going to have sex with this woman? Did she know Kira like Mr. Chhay said? Was she going to be beautiful?

Only one way to find out.

Knock…Knock…Knock.

Five

Slowly the door opened and all of Saul's nervousness and the anxiety that was building up so greatly by the second beforehand had seemingly melted away as his eyes connected with hers.

She was more than beautiful. She was radiant beyond conviction.

"Hello stranger. Can I help you?"

She had opened the door almost all the way and there she stood, wearing a light blue dress that was similar in design to the woman downstairs working in the lobby. Except while the woman in the lobby's looked cheap and simple, hers looked stylish and attractive. And unlike the woman downstairs, her dressed glimmered and shined and caught his eye immediately. In addition to her dress, she had nice tan skin, not too tan, but tan nonetheless, and jet black hair with a slight touch of red woven in.

Moreover, she had a tremendous figure without a single flaw noticeable, but the face was the real key feature of this woman. She had soft skin, no blemishes, and not even the slightest hint of aging. Hence, her complexion was not just pretty, but amazingly perfect. Saul had never seen a woman with such an amazing appearance in Shinira City; well…he hadn't seen one that he could remember. He could have, but it had to be long ago.

"You must be Lelia," Saul said giving her a coy little smile.

"Yes, and you are?" She replied with an equally coy smile on her face as well that was pointed directly at Saul.

"Saul, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too Saul. Would you like some company?"

"Yes, I'd appreciate some company. How about you?"

"Company is never a bad thing, and I am alone. So…yes. I'd appreciate some company as well Saul."

Lelia then fully opened the door for Saul and he walked in, taking off his hat and held it in one of his hands casually before he placed it on one of the desk that was near the door. He didn't bother taking his coat off, but that soon changed when Lelia mentioned it.

"Take your coat off, make yourself comfortable."

So Saul did just that and hung the coat on the back of one of the chairs, and placed his hat on the desk where the chair was located. After doing so, he stood there calmly with his hands in his pockets still in his white shirt and gray slacks with the gray tie.

"So what exactly are you looking for Saul?" Lelia asked nicely, sitting on the bed with her right leg crossed over her left.

"Actually…Lelia…I'm looking for some information."

She smiled and laughed underneath her breath. Saul was a bit puzzled by this action of course, because there was nothing funny about his question or in his tone of voice. He was completely serious. Well…maybe not completely. He was perhaps casually serious.

"What's so funny?" Saul asked, smiling a little bit.

"The way you asked that question? You a cop?" Lelia replied.

"No, I'm not a cop. I'm a friend of Chang Chen. Know him?"

She then gave a wider smile and shook her head, acting like she had no idea who he was talking about. That was a false reply though. Her eyes said it all. When he popped the name, her eyes widened like dinner plates. She was surprised all right, but she had experience answering questions and she was cool enough to fool some dumb sap who couldn't read somebody well enough. Well…Saul was no dumb sap, and she didn't fool him in the slightest bit.

"Come now, Chang Chen?" Saul asked again, acting somewhat cynical. "He was the boyfriend of Kira Wong? Does that name ring a bell?"

Her face now had gotten serious and that smile and faded to a serious scowl. Kira's name finally triggered the look he wanted to get from this woman and he was getting just as much as he asked for. After giving him an almost murderous look, she turned her head, refusing to look Saul in the face.

"So you recognize that name," Saul said, mocking her a little bit.

"Are you a cop? Because if you are, tell me now. I don't care if you are or aren't but I want to know the truth, so don't play any games with me or else I'll have you thrown out."

Saul laughed underneath his breath. He loved it when people played like this with him, thinking he was a cop, and in all honesty he was quite used to it. After all, a private detective was not much different than a police detective. They both solved cases and made money doing so. Except while cops had to deal with thing such as morals, regulations and such, Saul didn't. Granted he wasn't totally free to do what he wanted, but he certainly had more freedom than the stiffs who worked at the police station.

"Of course not. I am no policeman. I'm just a curious friend. I am just looking for someone that's all."

Lelia than nodded her head and sighed and decided to believe Saul's story. He wasn't however putting much of an effort into his story though, yet he was sticking to it nonetheless. He was absolutely positive he could get something from her with the angle he had, no matter how poor it was.

"So you're a friend of Chang Chen's huh? He's quite a regular customer here, but he's no boyfriend of Kira's." She replied, looking at him only halfway as she sat on the bed while Saul stood up in front of her.

"Really? He told me differently, or so from the last letter he sent me," Saul said. "You see, we were distant friends, business partners that did business cross-country. I come here to Shinira City every couple of months, by my main home is in Hong Kong. Ever been?"

She nodded her head, yet she did not open her mouth to open. Saul grinned and walked over to where his coat was hanging alongside his hat and pulled out of one of the pockets a pack of cigarettes as well as a lighter. Slowly, with a grin still on his face, he pulled out two cigarettes and dangled the two in front of Lelia as she continued to only face him halfway on the bed.

"Smoke?" Saul offered politely.

She then nodded her head and grabbed it and Saul nicely lit it for her and then lit his. He slowly took a small puff of the cigarette in a calm and elegant manner while Lelia smoked hers in a rather tense fashion. Saul could read her nervousness, for obviously something was bugging her about Saul's questions. However, he didn't want her to get too nervous. This wasn't an arrest or interrogation or anything of that sort. It was a simple conversation between a grown man and a grown woman.

Saul didn't say anything but rather just paced around the room smoking his cigarette while Lelia sat there on the bed smoking hers in her nervous fashion. As Saul paced around he eyed a radio, and he turned it on to a classical music station that was playing some marvelous symphony music. The music did have a somber and slow tone to it, but it still set the mood right. He couldn't recognize the composer or the time period, but nonetheless it was classical music that was wonderful to the ears.

"You like this music?" Saul asked.

"I like it just fine," Lelia replied.

"I like all kinds of music, but I find a certain specialty about classical music. You know, music without words. It's truly amazing really, because it inspires the imagination so much. You can think of anything when you listen to this kind of music. The seasons, romance, birth, rebirth, anything is fair game with classical music."

"Yeah, I guess you make a point."

Saul then smiled and walked over to her direction once again and pulled up a chair from a desk that was near her bed. It was a raggedy desk, old and it had a red color to it that seemed to be of a slightly darker shade than the chair. The chair could've been from a different desk, or could've just been used too much, but the two were different nonetheless.

With the chair he pulled up a seat right in front of Lelia, but remained casual, leaning back in his chair smoking a cigarette, still with a rather outgoing look on his face. He wanted to open Lelia up a little and he could tell Lelia was starting to open herself to Saul a little bit more. Already she was facing him directly, and not just halfway like before.

"What person are you looking for?" Lelia said, with her head slightly down not really looking into Saul's face.

"You're in such a hurry. Come now, I'd like to know a little bit about you?" Saul asked with an even larger grin on his face.

"Well…what would you like to know then?"

Slowly, she was starting to lifter her head, looking directly into Saul's and more importantly, into Saul's eyes.

"Doesn't matter really, it could be anything. Your past, your family, why you are here, any places you've been. Just anything interesting really."

"Why though? Are you in the listening mood tonight?"

"I don't need a mood to listen. I just like listening in general. But also, I'm curious about you. Is getting to know you so hard to ask?"

She giggled a little bit and Saul kept that warm smile of his trying to help her relax. Quickly she took another puff of her cigarette and put it down, holding it in her right hand, signifying she was ready to speak.

"Well, I'm not really from Shinira City. I lived in Hong Kong for most of my life, and I liked it there as well. However, I was trying to make it as an actress there, but it was rather useless you see and so I gave up and I tried to find somewhere else to perform. I though Shinira City would be a fresh start, a great place to start, but instead things turned sour and here I am. It's really a long story, and I prefer not really to go into all the details, but I'll leave you with that, so you get a grasp of why I am here."

Saul nodded his head to her reply as he had his cigarette hanging from his mouth. Lelia's story sounded pretty common, probably quite typical of most of the girls here. However, he wasn't convinced that was the whole story. He was pretty sure there was more to it than that. Yet she didn't want to say, and even though he was curious, he wasn't going to force her beyond her will.

"Well, that was nice. You see, was that so hard?" Saul said.

"I barely know you, and usually when I have a male customer, we don't really talk about our past. But anyways since I told you a bit about me, why don't you tell me a bit about yourself."

He didn't know what to do just yet, tell the truth or make up a phony story. Was it too early to give it up now or did he need to prolong it longer? His heart was saying the latter.

"Well…there's not much really to say. I am from Hong Kong as well, but I still reside there. I visit here on a monthly basis just to do business really, but I admit, I have grown quite accustomed to Shinira City."

She then laughed and Saul stood there with a puzzled look on his face, not quite sure why Lelia had given such an unexpected outburst.

"What's so funny?" Saul asked politely.

"You're story," Lelia replied with a giggling smile on her face.

"I don't really find it that amusing, can you tell me how it is?"

"I get it, you're not a cop. You don't fit the type. But I do know who you are, or at least what you are. You have to be a private detective."

She was quite the observer. He didn't think she'd uncover him so quickly.

"What makes you think that?"

"The way you present yourself really. You kind of talk like one too. Even when you're giving answers it's almost like you're asking questions. I've known my fair share of private detectives and the one thing that links them all together like a sore thumb is their desire to ask questions. It's in their blood."

Saul laughed as he got up and walk over to the desk to put out his cigarette in an empty coffee mug that was on the desk. After flicking it in there he gave a small laugh and walked back shaking his head, trying to understand how he was such a dead giveaway.

"So I was that obvious, huh?" Saul asked.

"A little, but I'm quite the judge of character. So it is nothing to be ashamed of. Anyways though, I don't care if you're a private detective, it's the police I can't handle. They don't have the same effect on people like private detectives," Lelia replied.

"So then, are you going to answer my questions then?"

"You haven't asked any yet, but what would you like to know about this 'special person', if you don't mind me asking."

"I'm looking for Kira Wong. I talked to the manager downstairs and he said you too are close friends. I was wondering if you knew where I could find her, because I have a client that is interested in locating her."

Lelia looked down once again at the floor only this time with a subtle smile rather than a nervous look. She laughed a little underneath her breath as she shook her head but it was a subtle laugh that was soft and could barely be heard.

"Kira, Kira, Kira. Always getting yourself in trouble," Lelia said underneath her breath.

"Do you know where I could find her?"

"You can't find her anymore. She's dead, she's been dead for the last couple of weeks."

Saul nearly froze when heard those words. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. Solomon basically sent him here on a wild goose chase for nothing. Of course, there was the possibility that she was lying, maybe trying to cover for her friend, but then again that didn't seem possible by the way Lelia was acting. There was a genuine sincerity about what she said, and Saul believed her, even if it probably wasn't very smart to do.

"How did she die?" Saul asked in a soft tone of voice. His cheerful manner from before had seemingly gone away.

"She was stabbed, by a jealous boyfriend, or former boyfriend to be exact. The man you supposedly said you were friends with," Lelia replied.

"You mean Chang Chen?"

"Exactly. He was a rich man, a young man and quite handsome as well, but he was possessive and the jealous type you know. When he left Kira, he couldn't handle it anymore, so he murdered her, right in a room down the hall. After he did so, he stabbed himself to death with the same knife he murdered Kira with. Nobody really talks about it, it's kind of a shady subject around here. We try to pretend like it never happened, but everyone knows and it still haunts everyone, me probably the most."

"Why do you say that?"

"Kira was like a sister to me, like the twin sister I never really had. We were basically alike in almost every way, except looks of course, she was the prettier one. Anyways, we both came from similar backgrounds: we tried to make it big here in Shinira City and we failed, so we resulted to this, working here at the 'Tower Express'.

However, we also had much more in common than just our past. We had similar attitudes about men, similar loves of certain things, like poetry for example and we were able to tell each other anything. Constantly, when we were not working, she'd tell me stories of Chang and how good he used to treat. Yet at the same time she'd also tell me the horror stories. How he became when he was drunk, how he'd be possessive and try to control her like a child, and even sometimes how he'd be abusive and hit her sometimes when she disagreed with him. I wept for her, I felt for her. After all, she was a sister to me.

But I remember the night before she was murdered. I remember what she said to me. She was calm, and she was even happy. I don't really know why, it was something about another man she had just met, but I never caught his name. All I know was that night she was supposed to see him. She was so excited about it. But unfortunately, Chang made sure she never did. Sad, sad story."

Knock…Knock…Knock…

"That's for me," Saul said.

He then got up and walked to the door, leaving Lelia there in her sad pensive state of being sitting on that bed. She didn't move at all when Saul got up and it was almost eerie, as if she had no life left in her at all, after her sad yet enlightening story.

When Saul opened the door, there was a young man dressed in white uniform top and black pants holding a bottle of whiskey. The young man was no older than 23 or 24 and he was a rather short kid as well, with even shorter black hair. He was not a bad looking kid either, not extremely handsome, but handsome nonetheless with a well-proportioned figure and a clean shaven face.

"This is from Mr. Chhay. He says it is a gift from the management," the young man said.

"Thank you very much, and tell Mr. Chhay that Mr. Chiu Wai sends his regards," Saul said as he tipped the kid with some money from his wallet before taking the elegant bottle of whiskey that had a purple bow on it.

"Thank you very much sir!" the kid said as he received the tip and then walked off with a pep in his step that was quite noticeable.

Saul studied the bottle of whiskey as he closed the door and walked back towards the bed where Lelia was sitting. However, now she was no longer facing him but rather she was back to her old way, sitting halfway, staring at the wall only this time with some tears building up in her eyes. Saul then took a seat on the couch to her right but did not touch her. He just held the bottle of whiskey and looked at her back, thinking what to say. Honestly though he didn't know. Situations like this just weren't too common for him.

"Are you okay? Should I pour you a drink. This is some fine whiskey I have here," Saul asked, trying to cheer her up.

"No, I don't want anything to drink,"

"Are you sure, maybe it could help?"

"No, you're too polite. I'm fine really. I don't think anything to drink would help very much. However, thank you for offering. You're very kind."

Saul then looked at the bottle again and put it down on the ground. Then, slowly, he placed his right hand on her right shoulder blade. It was smooth, and rather thin, but it still was soft to touch. As he did that, Lelia began to tear up even more and they began to drop down her soft cheeks. Saul couldn't see her crying but he could feel it, he could feel her sadness and the pain that she was feeling from her loss. He knew he didn't belong here any longer.

"You need privacy don't you?" Saul asked.

She didn't answer, but just kept her head down still crying in a soft manner that was subtle mainly because she probably didn't want to have Saul see her crying. She was a strong woman, and Saul didn't think of her any less for crying over Kira's passing. Losing somebody was painful. Saul knew that first hand.

"I know what it's like to lose someone," Saul said in reply, trying to console her in any possible way."

"What did you do about it?" Lelia said with her head still down.

"I don't know, in some ways I've never really gotten over it."

"So I'm going to have to live with this forever than. Is this feeling never going to go away?"

"Probably not, but there are ways to ease the pain, even if they are a bit miniscule in comparison. Every little bit helps."

"Really, and how can I ease the pain?"

"Remember…" Saul said softly as he stood up.

He then kissed her softly on her right cheek. Her cheek was soft and tasted sweet, but she didn't respond in the slightest bit to his bold gesture. Even as he pulled away she didn't even look at him. She looked at the wall still, with her head in that slightly downward angle, with water flowing down her face. A kiss on the cheek was the only consoling that Saul knew how to give, and he knew that was all he could do, whether or not she'd acknowledge it or not.

Saul then grabbed his bottle and walked over to where his hat and jacket were. He didn't put them on just yet however, for he didn't feel like leaving the "Tower Express" just yet. He wanted to have a few drinks first. The sight of Lelia had stirred up some bad memories, sad memories to say the least. Memories of sadness he wanted to forget as soon as possible.

But they always seemed to follow him. Wherever he went, with whomever he met. There was always some kind of sorrow tied in. He thought it would go away through time, through ignorance. But even now the feeling was still as strong as ever.

Six

Saul diverged from Lelia's room back downstairs to the first floor where the bar was located. The bar was an extremely classy place, but considering it was late in the evening it was rather empty with only a few stranglers around that were half-passed out anyways. As for Saul, he sat at the bar by himself pouring drinks from his bottle of scotch into an empty glass that was given to him by the bartender, who also happened to be Mr. Chhay, who was still in his spirited mood. Saul though was feeling quite down, almost disappointed that he had met Lelia in the first place.

"I'm sorry you didn't get the information you wanted from Lelia. And I'm also sorry to hear what happened to Kira. Honestly though, I am not well-informed around here. Nobody really tells me anything, they just give me lists of clients, I keep track and I help pay them. I'm terribly sorry things ended up like this," Mr. Chhay said as he stood behind the bar busy cleaning glasses.

"It's not your fault really, you just didn't know. It was crazy for me to be here in the first place. I came here on a hunch, a dumb hunch to say the least," Saul replied, taking a sip from what was his second glass of scotch.

"Well, to make matters a little better, at least you got a free bottle of scotch. Are you sure you don't want a companion for the evening? I'm sure I could find another girl for you that happens to be free. It is quite late after all, I'm sure not a lot of them are terribly busy."

"No, I'm quite all right. I'll just settle with the bottle of liquor. You've been hospitable enough as it is. I appreciate all you've done."

"Well don't hesitate to ask. I feel terribly about this."

Mr. Chhay than went to the other side of the bar to clean more glasses and Saul was by himself now with nothing more but his liquor and his thoughts. Amazingly enough, seeing Lelia crying provoked memories from his relationship with Faye, their first date officially. It was quite a memory indeed, even though he had almost forgotten about it until he met Lelia. Granted though, he found it quite strange to rekindle this memory with the meeting of a random woman like Lelia. Was it a coincidence, was it fate? Maybe he would never know.

It took quite a lot of courage for Saul to ask Faye out on a date, specifically a romantic date to say the least. He had known Faye for about five months prior to the request and beforehand they're relationship had been pretty casual and business-like and they seemed to be nothing more than friends. This was fine at first for Saul, for after all, he was adjusting to life in Hong Kong with his business and trying to make enough money to scrap a decent living. A serious relationship at that time was simply out of the question.

Yet, thanks to client recommendations from Faye, Saul had started to make quite a decent living in Hong Kong, not to mention still have a lot of free time in the process. Thus, he wanted a relationship with a woman, and Faye was really the best one he knew. While they were rather business-like in their relationship initially, Saul really grew a liking to Faye over the last month. He was starting to feel more passionately about her, as if he were somewhat developing a small little crush on her in the most basic sense. Of course, he never mentioned these feelings to Faye at all, he was too afraid to take such a risk that was until now.

He had asked her to a simple date after work, and it was nothing much really: just dinner at a small little restaurant he knew on the bay. Saul had quite a friendship with the manager of the restaurant, and it had a gorgeous view of the ocean as well. Of course, it also had good traditional Cantonese cuisines and a nice calm ambience, which would set the mood perfectly for the date with Faye.

However, Saul was not quite sure if he was going to say anything. He knew deep in his heart that this feeling for Faye was only going to get stronger and stronger, but he had no idea what her feelings were for him. There was a time when he remembered talking to her about another man she was seeing not to mention she was quite the butterfly in the bar. Every time Saul could remember, some man was hitting on her, courting her in some kind of way trying to woo her over. Granted, most of them failed, but she was quite the apple of many men's eyes. Did Saul really have a chance with this woman? After all, he was inexperienced with women not to mention he had never really had an incredibly serious relationship. Maybe being romantically attached to Faye was perhaps too much to ask. But he had to find out first. He had to find out what Faye's feelings were for him before he could make a decision on what to do.

The date started simply enough, a taxi ride from her apartment, which was surprisingly not too far away from his, to the restaurant. Strangely enough, their taxi ride, unlike the first, felt extremely awkward. Not only was Saul nervous and uncomfortable, but Faye didn't exactly help him ease that nervousness as well. They initially shared some small chit-chat when they first hopped in, discussing how their days went and such, but after that, there was nothing but silence.

And the silence was deafening in more ways than one. Saul would constantly look over at Faye during the brief ride and catch her looking out the window or just straight ahead, with her hands clutching that auburn-colored purse of hers, sitting there in that red and gold dress of hers that fit her so elegantly. Her hair that night was nicely done, straight and flowing down to her shoulders that portrayed her in an extremely beautiful fashion. Maybe Saul didn't say anything because he was so awestruck and nervous by the sight of her. Maybe Faye didn't talk because she too was nervous about their little rendezvous. But the fact of that matter was that they didn't talk on that taxi ride, and it didn't help things initially, even though the date only went uphill from there for the rest of the evening.

The restaurant they ate at was a small one in right near the bay. Saul couldn't remember the name of it, but it served mostly seafood as well as a few traditional Shanghai dishes. He had eaten there before a few times, but to his knowledge Faye never had. Thus, it seemed like a good idea for Saul to take her there, just to show her something new. Furthermore, Saul was acquaintances with a manager that worked there, and Saul knew if he brought Faye there on a date, they'd be treated well for the entire evening.

When they walked into in the restaurant it wasn't very crowded, with plenty of open tables. The restaurant itself was quite elegant and dimly lit, with tables that were nicely decorated with white tablecloths and candles in the middle of the silverware, wine and water glasses and dishes. Additionally, a small band was playing with a female singer with an elegant voice, singing a slow romance song that set the mood of the restaurant and date perfectly. It was almost as if the atmosphere and ambience of the restaurant was easing them into the date from the awkwardness of the taxi ride earlier.

Immediately, a young waiter dressed in a white uniform top and black pants came up to them to have them seated. He was a rather handsome man, skinny and with nicely combed hair. Saul was rather quite impressed with his politeness and he was sure Faye was too, even if she didn't say anything.

The waiter led them to a table that gave them a great view of the ocean and asked once they were seated if they would like anything to drink. Saul looked at Faye and asked simply if she wanted anything, and she just smiled in a shy manner and didn't say anything. He took that as a sign that she wanted him to order the drink and he did exactly so, asking for a bottle of red merlot wine, which was not too expensive but not quite cheap either.

Once Saul ordered the wine, the waiter gave a smile, nodded his head and walked to the back to fetch it. As he left, there Saul and Faye sat again, in silence. Saul this time was determined not to have this date become entirely like the taxi ride, so he spoke up, trying to spark a conversation with Faye and himself.

"How do you like this place?" Saul asked.

"It is quite nice. You were right. This is a very elegant restaurant," Faye replied looking around her as she talked.

"Yes, it is. I have been here a few times. It is quite nice. The food is also quite good as well."

"Really? What is good here, if you don't mind me asking."

"Well…the fish here is cooked really well. The chef is a master with fish. I haven't really tried anything else though, even though I have heard that their traditional dishes are quite tasty as well. Do you like fish at all?"

"I like it just fine. I mean…I don't eat it everyday, but I do enjoy it from time to time."

"Well, you can make the decision yourself. I am sure whatever you order will turn out just fine."

"I certainly hope so. Our date wouldn't go so well if I get sick at dinner."

Saul laughed a little at her joke and she too cracked a smile as well. As they exchanged their small little laugh, the waiter came back with the wine as well as the manager that was acquaintances with Saul. The manager greeted him quite nicely, shaking his hand and acting extremely friendly as if he had known Saul for years.

The manager's name was Tuan, and he was a middle aged bald man with a rather ugly, wrinkly face and a short stature about him. He wasn't fat by any measures, but he certainly wasn't skinny either. However, he was an extremely friendly person, always sparking conversation with the many people who dined in the restaurant. Saul was one of those people he just met randomly at a dinner one day, but he grew a liking to Saul because of Saul's character. There was something about Saul that just attracted Tuan to talk to him, and one could tell through their greeting that he liked him very much.

The two exchanged information on their days before Saul introduced Tuan to Saul. Once he saw her, he was shocked and amazed by the woman who was on this date with Saul. He didn't hesitate to give complements about Saul, and in addition to speaking well about him, he also told them that bottle of wine was on the house as well as a special dessert at the end of dinner. Tuan certainly was quite friendly tonight, even friendlier than his usual self.

Before Tuan left he recommended some of the day's specials and assured them that they would be given the highest quality of service for the evening. Than he left, and Saul and Faye were left alone with their menus. However, they didn't bother looking at them. What they were going to eat was the last thing on their mind. They had more important issues to discuss.

"I'm glad you could go out with me on this tonight," Saul said as he poured Faye and himself a glass of wine. After doing so, he took a small sip of his and Faye did the same.

"Well…I'm glad we could. I really wanted a chance to get to know you a bit better," Faye replied.

"Really? Is that so?"

"Yes, it is. I mean, we know each other at the bar and such, but other than business we never really talk about any other things and we don't really get into anything personal. Well…except for that taxi ride. That's why I really wanted to get know you better, because of that talk we had on the taxi ride."

Saul smiled and took another sip of his wine. He was starting to get that nervous feeling in his stomach now, as if butterflies were flying inside wildly without reserve. It was quite an odd feeling to have, especially considering he was unsure what was causing it.

"Yes, that taxi ride was quite something. To be perfectly honest, that was quite some story. I had never heard such a story like that before. I was quite amazed really. Sad yes, but still amazed that you could overcome something like that," Saul said in a collected manner.

"Well, in some ways I have never really gotten over it. I mean, he was close to me, a significant other of great importance. People like him don't just come along every day," she said, with a bit of a sad tone in her voice.

"Yes, I'm sorry about what happened to him. I truly am, but I'm sure there is somebody else for you our there. Most people don't realize it, but there is always somebody else, even if everything seems bleak and depressing. There's always a good side of every situation."

"Yes, you could be right," Faye said, sighing. "But what about you. Any stories about you that resemble mine?"

Saul laughed a little and took another sip of his wine. Did he have sad stories of himself concerning romance? Sure he did. However, did he have something that could compare with what happened to Faye? Not in the slightest bit.

"No, not really. I mean, I have my share of sad stories, but nothing really like yours," Saul replied.

"Well…I don't expect you to have something such as mine. That would be unrealistic really. What happened to me doesn't happen to everyone. Honestly, he doesn't really even happen to a few people. It barely happens really. I couldn't expect what happened to me to happen to anyone else.

"However, I am interested in you as a person. One way to better understand someone is to understand their past and what they've gone though, whether it is good or bad. I've given you a glimpse of mine, and you know what I have dealt with. So how about you give me a glimpse of yours?"