** Thank you for all your support and kind words. I am stuck at home because I am unfortunately sick with Covid-19 (I have been sick for the past three weeks and am currently recovering and in much better health). Because of this I have a lot of time on my hands so I'm trying to write as much as possible. I will be trying to post one chapter per week but I wanted to give you two this first week. If you like it feel free you write a comment if you want. They make my day.**

Chapter Two

A cold breeze tousled her auburn hair as she stood in the moonlit yard. A chorus of crickets serenaded her, almost as if they were trying to lull her into a false sense of security. But there was something off. Mai could feel it in her bones.

The air felt heavy and she instantly knew something was wrong. She wasn't really standing here in this back yard. No, she was in one of those dreams.

Looking around she could see a blooming cherry tree to her left. The moonlight illuminated the blossoms a haunting white. She slowly turned around to see a small home behind her. Any other time, she would have thought the home beautiful, charming even. The window boxes were filled with cascading flowers almost like a waterfall of greenery. Intricate designs were hand-painted on the shutters and a spring-themed wreath hung on the door with care. The mailbox mounted to the doorframe read: Ethel Turner.

To the passerby it would appear as if the occupants of the home were asleep for there were no lights coming through the windows. There was nothing but darkness. That's when she heard it. A muffled sob followed by the sound of something large falling over. It sounded as if someone were trying to escape an attacker, and knowing her dreams, that was most likely what was happening. Something fell against the front door with a thud and Mai watched anxiously as the doorknob began to turn. She only saw the elderly woman's tear-stained face for a moment. The woman had a gag in her mouth and her wrists were bound. The raw fear in her eyes broke Mai's heart. In mere seconds a gloved hand reached out and roughly pulled the woman back into the dark abyss of the house before slamming the door.

The orchestra of crickets suddenly stopped and a foreboding silence sent a shiver down Mai's spine. The sound of a knife repeatedly meeting flesh made her cover her ears with her hands, willing it to stop. Each plunge of the knife echoed in her mind, taunting her with the knowledge that she couldn't help the poor woman.

The air around Mai changed and she knew once she opened her eyes time would have passed. Mai slowly opened her chestnut brown eyes, unsure of what she was going to see. It was still nighttime but the sound of a shovel frantically digging dirt grabbed her attention. Looking down at her feet she saw a trail of blood leading over to the cherry tree. A hooded figure was hurriedly shoveling dirt back into a large hole. Mai watched forlornly as Ethel's mangled body was unceremoniously disposed of. The wind blew again, dislodging some of the blossoms from its branches. She reached out a hand to catch one. She closed her eyes sadly as the pale blossom began to change colors. Taking a deep breath, she slowly looked back to the cherry tree and sorrow filled her as the once-white blossoms were now blood red.

Oliver nodded stoically to his students as they filtered out of the lecture hall. He waited until the room cleared to make his way to the white board. Pulling out a marker, he turned to the board, quickly jotting something down. He didn't know why he felt the need to write a fact down each night, and if there was something Oliver really didn't like it was not knowing something. Yet here he was just like he had been each day for the past week, writing down notes about parapsychology on the smooth white surface for a certain brunette. Upon finishing, he looked up at the clock and realized it was almost time. He made his way out of the lecture hall towards his office at the end of the hall. Once he was inside it took mere seconds to locate the object he was looking for on his desk. He picked the item up and looked at it thoughtfully before turning around. By the time he reached his classroom again she was already there.

The brunette custodian was plaiting her long hair as she read the words on the board. Her lips moved silently as she read his handwriting, completely oblivious of his presence. An uncharacteristic thought came over him and he slowly made his way behind her.

"Seriously? How is his penmanship always so perfect?" she mumbled to herself as she finished tying her hair.

"Because I am perfect."

The petite woman let out a small shriek at the sound of his voice. She spun so quickly she fell backwards into the board and placed her hand over her heart. "Holy Mother of- Professor! I didn't see you there. You gave me a fright."

"Konbanwa," he greeted. ("Good evening.")

Mai composed herself and straightened her shirt. "Konbanwa," she muttered in embarrassment. He waited with veiled amusement for her to realize. Suddenly her eyes widened in shock. "Wait? You speak Japanese?"

"Quite fluently," he shrugged nonchalantly.

It was his turn to be shocked as he watched her expression brighten into a radiant smile. He theorized she would be happy to know someone who spoke her home language, but he hadn't expected just how happy she would be.

"You know," she began quietly, "When I came to England I didn't expect to miss home much, but these past few days have been...a bit rough. It's nice to hear someone speak my language."

Oliver watched her curiously and noticed a slight sheen in her eyes. He tensed slightly. He had never been the most social or comforting person, Gene always won on those counts. However, there was something about this woman, this stranger he had just met last week, that made him want to set her at ease.

"I wouldn't be opposed to conversing in it when you feel the need. I have been growing rather rusty in the language so some refreshment would be welcomed," he lied. He was a genius; once he learned something he never forgot it. But, she didn't have to know that.

"I would really appreciate that," she nodded gratefully. "By the way, I don't think I ever formally introduced myself to you. My name is Mai Taniyama," she introduced herself with a polite bow.

"Miss Taniyama," he repeated with a nod in greeting. "Oliver Davis."

"Oliver Davis? I feel like I know that name," she pondered to herself, not able to put a finger on where she had heard it before.

"Yes, well, you do clean this university, odds of hearing my name in passing are very likely." He had to admit, it was kind of refreshing to have someone unaware of his identity.

She chuckled lightly. "I guess you're right. Also…" She trailed off hesitantly. "Thank you for the notes you've been writing down. I have to admit, parapsychology is by far more interesting than any of the other subjects I have seen here."

Oliver walked over to his desk and sat down, pulling out a case file from his briefcase. "Yes, well, it was growing rather dull talking to someone with such a low IQ," he jested. The silence that met him made him nearly wince. Had he gone too far?

"Not nearly as dull as conversing to someone with no social skills. It's like talking to a walking encyclopedia."

His head snapped in her direction to see her biting back laughter. A smirk pulled at his lips and he turned back to his case file. A sharp pain jolted through his head and he hissed, rubbing his temples.

"Are you alright?" her worried tone reached his ears.

"Tea withdrawls," he grumbled.

"Oh! Wait here," she chirped and he could hear the squeak of the hinges as she made her way out of the room.

Within a few minutes he could make out the gentle patter of feet coming down the hallway, and the next thing he knew a teacup was being placed in front of him. Removing his hand from his forehead he looked up at her quizzically. Not like she knew, but he was very particular about his tea.

"Go on then, it's not poisoned," she chuckled and motioned towards the cuppa.

Slender fingers reached out, grabbing the cup and bringing it to his lips. He pulled back and looked at the drink in his hand in surprised appreciation. Maybe it was the fact that he hadn't had a cup all day, but it was one of the better cups of tea he ever had. Going back for a second sip he looked up at her with a raised brow.

She smiled back at him. "Glad to see you like it. It was my father's favorite."

Was. The word rang through his head but he didn't question it. "Much appreciated."

She nodded. Her forgotten trolley caught her attention and she gasped. "I should really get to cleaning now, shouldn't I?" With that she began to go about her nightly routine. Empty the rubbish. Sweep the floor. Clean the desk. She could have done each task blindfolded by now, she thought proudly.

Oliver rubbed his eyes feeling sleep deprivation slowly catching up to him. This case shouldn't be so difficult, he didn't understand why he hadn't solved it yet. The sound of a spray bottle caught his attention and he watched the brunette clean the white board from the corner of his eye. She was nearly done; she had her routine and cleaning the board was the last on her list. He looked at his watch and sighed. Perhaps he should call it a night as well. He began to pack up his files when the item he had grabbed from his office earlier caught his eye. He held it in his hands momentarily before deciding to put it in his briefcase.

"Are you heading home as well?" she asked as she organized her cleaning supplies on her trolly.

He nodded in response and an odd sensation filled him. "It's late. I'll accompany you to your bus stop."

She looked up at him in surprise. "Oh, you don't have to do that. I'll be fine on my own."

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "You're still new to the area. Nothing good happens on the streets at this time on a Friday night. I don't mind."

She flashed him a warm smile. "That's very kind of you, Mr. Davis. Maybe I was wrong about those social skills of yours," she teased.

"Actually I'd say you were spot on. However, if something were to happen to you, no one else knows how to make that tea and I'd find myself in a dilemma," he shrugged.

Mai rolled her eyes. "How thoughtful," she mocked. "You really like your tea don't you?"

"I'm British," he stated obviously.

A small chuckle escaped her lips. "Anyway, I just need to drop off my cart and grab my things and I'll be good to go."

They made their way down the hall in comfortable silence. Mai made sure everything was put back in its proper place before throwing on her jacket and grabbing her handbag. They made their way down the hall once more before Oliver broke the silence.

"You said you were from Shibuya?" he inquired. Typically he wasn't one for small talk, but he found it somewhat intriguing to talk to this woman.

She nodded politely. "That's correct."

"Do you miss it?"

She thought for a moment and then shook her. "Not particularly, I will always have fond memories and it will always be my home but I didn't have anything keeping me back."

"What about family, surely you miss them?" he pried.

Another shake of the head. "My father passed away when I was a child and my mother passed when I was fourteen. I didn't have any siblings and my parents were what you'd call 'alone in life' so they were the only family I've ever had." There was no sadness in her voice as she spoke, just fond remembrance.

Oliver was silent as he watched her from the corner of his eye.

"I apologize."

She turned to him in surprise and waved her hands in front of her. "Please don't! It feels good to remember them, I cherish every memory I had with them."

He paused momentarily before continuing. "May I ask what happened after they passed away?"

She noticed how curious he was and smiled kindly before making her way down a large winding staircase. "A teacher was very good to me and gave me shelter until I graduated. After that, I got my own flat and worked as many odd jobs as I could before finally saving enough to come here."

They finally made their way outside. The chill in the air from the evening's spring shower caused Mai to pull her denim jacket closer to her for warmth.

"Why did you want to come to England?" he asked.

She gave a wistful sigh, looking up to the stars. "I'm not really sure myself. It's just...ever since I was fifteen something has called me here. I just felt I needed to be here, so I started studying and working as much as possible in order to make that dream a reality."

"You're English is quite good. Did you take lessons?"

"In Japan, we start lessons very young. I learned the basics from school, but to be honest, I learned most of it by watching British television series," she giggled. "It helped me see how people truly talked to each other rather than the robotic phrases we learned in school."

He nodded.

She cast her gaze his way. "You know I really am fine, you don't have to walk me to the bus stop."

It was his turn to look up to the stars. "As I said before, nothing good happens on the streets at this time." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Anyway, I needed to clear my head."

The brunette stopped in her tracks and her brows furrowed in concern. "Is everything alright?"

He looked at her from the corner of his eye. "I'm not merely a professor. My main profession is being a paranormal investigator." He watched as her features brightened in excitement. "I currently have a case that has been quite frustrating."

"A case?" she beamed enthusiastically.

The professor paused before opening his briefcase and pulling out the file that had been mocking him all afternoon. He looked down at the file and then back to the woman next to him before handing it over.

"My client called me, informing me that his aunt's spirit has been haunting him. Unfortunately, the woman had gone missing weeks ago and her body was never recovered. According to her nephew, the woman not only had dementia but paranoia as well. She left one night and never returned. It seems as if she may think her nephew is an intruder in her house and her spirit has begun tormenting him to the point of near insanity."

Mai nodded, processing all of the information he had just relayed to her. She looked down at the manilla file in her hands and opened it. Her blood ran cold upon seeing the photograph of a jolly elderly woman staring back at her.

"Ethel," she whispered.

Oliver's eyes narrowed. He hadn't told her the name of the missing woman so how did she know it? He eyed her suspiciously. "Pardon?"

Mai froze, realizing her mistake. "W-why is it that you can't solve the case?"

Oliver's lips pursed slightly, irked by her question. "I always solve a case."

She chuckled softly and shook her head at his pride. "Of course you do. What I mean to say is there something in particular you are looking for?"

He looked her over momentarily before placing his hands into his trouser pockets lazily. They began walking towards the bus stop once again. His gaze drifted off behind her towards the park they were walking by. "The easiest way to get rid of a spirit is to find their body and perform a ceremony allowing the spirit to move on."

Mai's mouth fell open slightly, "You mean like an exorcism?"

The tall man shrugged his slender shoulders. "That is a ceremony we tend to use on a malicious spirit or a possession. In this instance, we are just trying to cleanse the spirit. However, there are times when we don't have enough information and it can make things difficult. In order to stop this haunting I need to find her remains in order to cleanse her spirit."

"I see…" Mai whispered, toying her lower lip between her teeth.

Oliver's calculating gaze studied her movements. He could tell there was something she was holding back. He didn't know how, but he was sure she knew something about this case.

Once they came to the bus stop she looked down at her feet nervously. Debating his next move he cleared his throat, grabbing her attention. He opened his briefcase once more and pulled out the item he grabbed from his office earlier. It was a book. He held it out to her, unsure as to what to say. "Take this."

Mai tilted her head curiously and took the book from his hands. She looked down at it.

"Understanding the Paranormal by Oliver Davis," she read aloud. She looked up at him stunned. "You wrote a book?"

"I've written many," he said blankly, staring off into the distance.

"Of course you have," she chuckled.

"This was the first I had written. I have no use of it," he continued.

"Right, I guess you are a genius after all, the contents of this book are probably all locked away in that brain of yours," she teased. "Now you won't have to worry about having any more dull conversations with such a simpleton, hm? I can just learn everything from here now."

Slightly shocked at her words, Oliver looked her in the eyes. "On the contrary, now you will be able to keep up in our conversations."

A hearty laugh left her and she held the book to her chest. "Well, thank you. I'll try to get that IQ up to par with yours."

Oliver smirked, "Unlikely, but miracles have been known to happen from time to time."

She rolled her eyes and looked down the street to see the bus drawing near. "Well then. I guess this is my cue. Thank you for walking with me, Mr. Davis. I am still getting used to this city so it was nice to have some company."

The man nodded faintly. "Miss Taniyama," he said with a slight bow of his head in dismissal.

Pearl white teeth nibbled at her lip as she stared down at the book in her hand with a faint look of shame and Oliver felt his eyes narrow slightly at the expression. Mai slowly turned around at the sound of the bus doors opening. She began to make her way up the bus stairs but paused abruptly.

Oliver watched in confusion as she appeared to have an internal struggle with herself, clearly trying to decide if she should say something or not. Eventually the struggle was over and she turned to face him.

He watched her in curious anticipation.

"Your case…" she began, still biting her lip. "Check under the cherry tree. There is a reason it's flowers are so red."

Oliver tensed. How did she…?

Before he could question her, the doors to the bus closed and within moments it was out of sight, while the dark haired professor remained standing in place in shock. The gears in his head were churning.