Chapter Thirteen
A pair of hazelnut eyes opened tiredly. Mai sighed when she realized she was in the dream realm surrounded by black. Crossing her arms impatiently, she waited for something to appear. Her face fell when she heard familiar voices.
"This dream again?" she wondered to herself as she spun around.
Just like last time, the darkness faded into light and she found herself standing in an office. The sofas were set up in a familiar circle around the coffee table and there was a group of people lounging on them. She scowled in annoyance when the people of her dream never came into focus, just like last time. Mai quickly made her way over to them and tried to shake one of the shadows.
"Hello? Hello? Please, look at me," she pleaded.
The shadow showed no signs of acknowledgement and Mai fisted her hands in frustration. Turning to another shadow and trying the same thing she was disappointed when she was greeted with the same indifference. She felt invisible and an ache filled her chest making her want to cry. Why? She was not sure. But she knew she wanted, no, needed to see them.
A man's voice speaking Japanese faded in and out of the silence. "-the way it threw me across the-"
"Or what about when-" a delicate woman's voice and giggle rang out.
The brunette closed her eyes in defeat and hung her head with a broken whisper. "I just want to know who you are."
Raising her head she froze when five of the shadowy figures were staring at her. And her heart jumped.
"Not yet," one of the shadows responded cryptically before they all turned back to each other as if nothing happened.
Mai tried to touch the one that spoke to her but instead it started to swirl and the light from the room faded away, leaving Mai in the dark once again and she felt herself beginning to wake up.
Opening her eyes she looked at the clock. 4:30. Giving a soft sigh, she rolled over and stared blankly at her wall. She didn't understand why she kept having that dream. Why couldn't she see them? Who were they? She made a mental note to herself to jot down what just transpired in her journal.
Seeing her mobile on her nightstand, she reached out and turned it on. After a few taps to the screen she was left staring at her contact list.
Luella Davis
Her finger hovered hesitantly over the woman's name. That dream always left her in an odd state of loneliness and she needed someone to talk to. When she had talked to Mrs. Davis in the past she felt so at ease. Mai stared up at the ceiling. It had been so long since her mother had passed that she had nearly forgotten what it felt like to have someone care for you in such a maternal way.
Closing her eyes, Mai turned off the screen of her mobile and placed it back on the nightstand. It was too early to send a message anyway.
Mai locked the door of her flat and stretched with a yawn. She had woken up late with dark circles under her eyes. Even though she had been asleep it felt as if she hadn't slept a wink. She looked over at her reflection in the window in the hallway and groaned unhappily when she saw her outfit in a brighter light. She had quickly thrown on the first thing she saw since she was in a rush. The jeans she wore were the ones from the other day which had a small tea stain on the thigh and her white and lavender embroidered blouse was wrinkled. Seeing the state of her hair she quickly reached up and tied it into a bun and shrugged. It was better than leaving it down.
"Very professional, Mai," she muttered sarcastically to herself.
Unfortunately she didn't have time to go back in and change. Bringing her hands up, she slapped her cheeks in order to wake up a bit. She quickly hoisted the strap of her handbag over her shoulder and began jogging down the hallway. Descending the steps two at a time, she almost tripped when one of her flats nearly slipped off. She steadied herself and finally made it to the main floor.
Turning the corner she collided with something, or rather someone, and fell on her rear with a thump.
"Pardon me," a voice rang out apologetically. "Here, allow me."
Mai looked up and saw a man straightening himself up and holding out a hand to help her up. The tall man looked to be around her age with styled blonde hair, green eyes, and a bright smile that would make any other woman swoon.
She reached out and took his hand. After he pulled her up she bowed slightly. "Forgive me, I was in a rush and wasn't watching where I was going" she apologized.
The man's smile grew and a dimple appeared on one of his cheeks. "If it's you bumping into me, I have no complaints."
Mai laughed off his words and straightened her shirt.
"You live here? I feel like I would remember seeing you before," he asked curiously.
Mai nodded. "I just moved here from Japan not too long ago."
His green eyes grew wide. "Japan? Wow, that's quite a long way. My name is Phillip by the way. Mr. Hicks' grandson. I pop in here and there to help around the place."
He held out his hand again, this time in greeting, and Mai shook it politely. "Oh! It's nice to finally meet you, Phillip. My name is Mai Taniyama. I do apologize for bumping into you like that but I am running quite late for work and must be going."
She went to pull her hand away but his grip tightened slightly and pulled her knuckles to his lips, giving a small kiss all the while looking her in the eye. Mai's ears grew hot with embarrassment. "The pleasure has been all mine, Mai. I hope I get to see you again."
"U-um, yes. Well, have a nice day," she stuttered and turned around. She quickly made her escape out the front door, clutching her purse to her chest as she thought about what he just did. "Must be some sort of English thing." she muttered to herself.
Yasuhara looked up when the brunette entered the building. "Good morning, Mai. And how are you this fine morning?"
"Yeah," Mai mumbled distractedly.
The bespectacled man smirked at her odd reaction. "And what has you all red?"
Mai's eyes snapped to look at him. "W-What do you mean?"
He brought a finger up to his cheek and pointed at it teasingly. The brunette quickly brought her hands up to her face and felt how warm her cheeks were.
Mai shot Yasuhara a look. "I was just caught up in thought, that's all."
"Sure," the man implied sarcastically.
Oliver came walking around the corner at that time and looked up from the notepad he had in his hand. "Mai, you're finally here. It's unlike you to be late."
The woman bit her lip and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Sorry, I had a rough night."
A black brow raised in question. "Dream?"
Mai nodded and looked away. "I wrote it down but it wasn't one about a case."
Oliver watched her momentarily before nodding. "Just make sure to be on time in the future. We have a prospective client coming in today, here are the details. Prepare what is needed for the interview."
"Of course. Would you like some tea?" Mai took the notepad from him, glad that it went smoother than she had anticipated. She expected him to scold her for her tardiness.
Yasuhara laughed from behind his desk. "Do you even have to ask? Naru could always do with some tea."
Oliver shot Yasuhara a look. "Stop calling me that."
The secretary shrugged with a challenging smirk. "The name wouldn't have stuck if it weren't true."
Letting out a restrained sigh, Oliver turned back to Mai accusingly. "You're to blame for this."
She smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, but in all honesty I kind of like the way it sounds. Let me go get your tea." She stopped in her tracks as a thought hit her. "Wait today is your last day teaching isn't it?"
"Thankfully," Oliver nodded. "I thought it would never end."
"So you'll finally be coming on cases with us?" Excitement filled her eyes as a bright smile spread across her face. "This causes for a celebration. I know! Unlimited tea!" She beamed and quickly made her way to the kitchen.
Her boss stood staring after her for a moment before the sound of someone clearing their throat caught his attention. He looked over at Yasuhara who was wearing a devilish grin.
"What?" Oliver asked in annoyance. Yasuhara's grin grew wider and he opened his mouth to speak but Oliver turned on his heel. "Nevermind. Forget I asked."
"Ah, you're no fun, Boss."
Mai stifled a yawn as she set some scones out on the coffee table along with some tea. Wiping her hands together proudly, she looked up at the clock and realized the clients would be here soon. She made her way to Oliver's office and knocked on the solid wood door.
"Naru? The clients will be here any moment. Everything is all set and ready to go," she explained.
Oliver nodded and rubbed his eyes. Staring at his computer for most of the morning was straining his eyes beyond compare. "Very well. I'll be there momentarily. Has Gene arrived yet?"
Mai opened her mouth to answer but the sound of the front door opening caught their attention followed by loud laughter.
"I believe he just got here," she nodded towards the lobby.
Oliver gave her a curt nod and turned his focus back towards his computer, signalling her to take her leave. Closing the door quietly behind her, Mai made her way back to the coffee table to lay out some plates. She looked to her left and could see her boss' twin in the lobby leaning against his best friend's desk casually.
"So you leave tomorrow then? Yasuhara asked the other man.
"Plane takes off in the morning," Gene said excitedly. "I haven't seen her in nearly a month, it's driving me mad."
"And...has she given you an answer yet?" Yasu questioned cautiously, knowing this was a tender subject for his dear friend.
Gene's smile wavered slightly before fixing itself. "I don't want to pressure her. And anyway it's fine. Here or there, it doesn't matter as long as I get to see her."
"I tried that whole long distance thing before," his friend nodded in understanding. "It's not for me. I have to give it to you two, you must have something really good in order to be able to tough it out for the past six years. And she accepted the proposal so clearly she's ready to be stuck with the likes of you for the rest of her life!"
Gene smiled gratefully. "Thanks Yasu. So how about you? Anyone caught your fancy recently?"
Yasuhara grinned at the man leaning against his desk and teasingly grabbed his hand in feign heartbreak. "Oh Gene, you know you're the only one for me, even if I am cursed to love you from afar."
Gene put his hand over his face at his friend's antics. He suddenly looked up with a glint in his eye, demeanor changed. "Oh Yasu, you know we could never be. The stars were against us and our love."
Holding onto each other's hands dramatically they paused when they heard a quiet clearing of someone's throat. Looking over they both smiled sheepishly when they noticed Mai watching them with wide eyes.
The two men stared at each other for a moment before breaking out in laughter.
"Mai, why must the fates be so cruel?" Yasuhara feigned a sob.
"All I want is to live with my dear Yasuhara for the rest of my days," Gene teased, hiding his face behind his hands.
"Okay," Mai shrugged, causing the two men to curiously look at her. "Let me just call your fiance to let her know the wedding's off."
Gene's face drained of colour. "No! Come on, Mai, you know we're only teasing."
Yasuhara let out another laugh and grinned at Mai's bluff. "I guess that's enough fun for one day. Anyway, I have a date with Martin's rather adorable assistant tonight."
Gene's head shot up. "So you finally got the nerve to ask Laurel on a date?"
Mai remembered that name. It was the woman who had helped Martin during her sleep study.
Yasuhara laughed but she could see a slight tinge of red to his cheeks. "What can I say, my plan of increasingly inserting myself in her daily life for the past three years has proven to be a success."
Gene reached over and clapped his friend on the back. "Good for you." He turned back to the brunette standing next to them. "Time for the meeting?"
"Almost, everything is ready and the clients should be arriving shortly," she informed them before handing them each a file containing the information they were already told over the phone. "Aren't you leaving for Japan tomorrow, though?" she wondered.
He nodded and opened the file. "Yes, but I like to stay informed, that way I can easily help if it's needed."
After a few moments their prospective clients arrived and were seated in the other room. The man, Mason Miller, was of average height and build, with pale skin and brown hair. His brown eyes clearly showed his exhaustion. His wife, Beth, was taller than her husband and had long black hair that fell to her waist. She had hazel eyes and a round heart shaped face and Mai could tell just by looking at her that this woman had been bearing the brunt of the haunting thus far. Her cheeks and eyes were sunken with fatigue and she looked rather thin. She sat upon the sofa picking at her nails nervously and Mai noticed they were rough and short, as if the woman had bitten them off in anxiety. Beth also wore jeans and a turtleneck which Mai thought odd since it was so warm that day.
Lin and Yasuhara were sitting on the two chairs at either end of the coffee table. Lin was already typing away on his computer and the meeting hadn't even started yet. Mai took her place at the end of the opposite sofa as the Miller's as Oliver made his way from his office and sat in between her and his brother.
"Mr. and Mrs. Miller, good afternoon," he nodded in greeting professionally.
Mason nodded back, "Good afternoon. My wife and I would like to thank you for meeting with us so suddenly. I wasn't expecting to make an appointment so quickly when I called this morning."
Oliver crossed his ankle over his knee and folded his arms. "It was no bother. I could sense the urgency in your tone as we spoke. I am assuming there must be something rather severe happening in order for us to meet so abruptly."
Beth's head lowered, covered by her hair and her husband placed a comforting hand over her thigh. "Yes…" he began slowly, looking sadly at his wife before looking back at Oliver. "To be quite honest, my wife and I never believed in things such as ghosts. We always thought they were just tall tales and stories to tell in the dark. However, once things started to happen at our house we quickly became believers."
Oliver nodded to Mai, signalling her to turn on her iPad. Doing so, she attached the keyboard and prepared to write down any important information that was discussed.
"Quite understandable," Oliver continued. "Many people feel the same way as you until they encounter a spirit as well. Would you please tell us your experiences, starting at the beginning?"
Mason gulped. "Well, it all started a few months ago. Beth and I have been living in our current house for the past three years but we decided to finally renovate the older half of the house. We're hoping to start a family soon and need some extra space. We tore down one of the rooms and extended the house quite a bit, but within a few days we began noticing odd things starting to happen. At first, doors began slamming shut or open on their own. None of the windows were open to cause a draft that strong, that was the first thing I checked. We even started to hear things get thrown around but once we would go investigate, no one was there except for a broken item or two. After that...Beth...well, things started happening to her."
Oliver nodded along as the man spoke, signaling he was listening. "Mrs. Miller, I understand your experiences may have been quite traumatic for you. However, would you be willing to tell me what happened to you? If it is too much to ask, I understand."
Beth raised her face to look at them. Her brows were pulled together nervously but she nodded. "You'll be able to help us?"
"We will try our best. We have yet to have a case we were unable to solve," Oliver convinced. "Your accounts of the spirit can help us determine the motive behind the haunting which in turn can then lead to a successful cleansing of the property."
Beth took in a shaky breath and pulled at the hem of her sleeves, holding them in place. "O-okay," she agreed, her voice sounding hoarse. "After we started construction, I started to feel uncomfortable. You know, like that feeling that someone is watching you? It was so constant that it even affected my sleep. I began to hear a woman's voice but I couldn't hear what she was saying. I just figured it was my imagination and a side effect from the lack of sleep."
Mason squeezed her leg sympathetically and began to speak. "One night I woke up and my feet were being rubbed. I saw a shadow of someone at the foot of the bed, obviously assuming it was my wife, I told her to come back to sleep but it just stared at me. That was when I looked over and saw my wife sleeping next to me. By the time I turned back the thing was gone."
Lin and Mai skillfully typed everything being said. Oliver looked towards Beth again. "Your husband informed me that the spirit began physically harming you, do you mind sharing with us what happened?"
Beth held her sleeve hesitantly. "It started when Mason took a few days off from work. We would be working on the house but once he walked away I would be pushed or hurt in some way. One time my hair was pulled so hard a large portion was pulled from my scalp."
Mai gasped quietly, realizing this poor woman was being targeted.
Beth looked uncomfortable and bit her lip. Noticing his wife's discomfort, Mason took over. "As I mentioned before, we are trying to start a family. The reason we needed to meet today was because of what happened last night. We had been intimate and after sleeping for a short while I woke up to the bed shaking violently." He paused, growing upset at the memory as Beth bowed her head again. "Beth...the shadow was on top of her. Strangling her. Her lips were near purple by the time I had woken up. But once I was awake the thing looked over at me and vanished. I was terrified. We both were."
Mai looked up at the woman. "I'm so sorry that happened to you, Beth. Are you okay now?"
Beth nodded softly and began to speak again, seeming more comfortable talking to Mai. "I'm okay now. I'm fortunate Mason was there. My neck is bruised badly and my arms as well."
"Your arms too?" Mai questioned in concern. Oliver looked over at her as she unknowingly took over the interview.
Beth bit her lip hesitantly before nodding determinedly and lifted her sleeves. Her skin was black and blue and covered in scratches. "It grabbed my arms first and when I tried to scream it began to choke me."
Mai leaned forward and placed the iPad on the coffee table. "Do you mind if I assess the wound on your neck?"
Beth shook her head and tenderly pulled down the collar of her turtleneck. Mai walked over and looked at the bruise on the woman's skin and patted the top of her hand caringly. "Those are very dark. I have a very good recipe for a salve that heals bruises and within a day or two. I'd love to write it down for you if you'd like. It even smells like lavender too."
Beth smiled warmly at the brunette. "I'd really appreciate that."
Oliver cleared his throat. "Mrs. Miller, before you leave would you mind if we photographed your wounds to include in the case file?"
Beth looked over at Mai questioningly who smiled back. "I can take them if you prefer. They are only for our records and would be highly confidential."
The woman nodded. "I'd be more than happy to oblige."
Mason smiled softly and placed a loving kiss on his wife's head. "I told you they would be able to help us darling. That thing will be out of there in no time."
Oliver stood. "Very well. We will arrive tomorrow morning seeing how this spirit seems to be growing more aggressive with each day. For the safety of your wife I would suggest you both spend the next few nights in a hotel until we have cleansed the spirit."
Mason stood up hastily and quickly grabbed Oliver's hand to give it a hard shake. "Thank you greatly. You don't know how much this means to us."
With that, Mason finished giving Oliver details about his house when to arrive while Mai took Beth into the other room to photograph the bruising on her arms and neck.
Beth gently pulled her turtleneck back over her head and smiled gratefully at Mai. "Thank you for all your help. The past few weeks have been rather stressful. It is such a relief knowing this will all be over soon."
Mai smiled back brighly. "We are more than happy to help. You came to the right place, Mr. Davis won't stop until your home is safe to return to."
Mai knocked on the wooden door before opening it.
"Naru?" she called out softly.
The man in question looked up from his computer as she walked over to his desk and placed another cuppa in front of him. He looked up at her with a raised brow.
"Unlimited tea, remember?" she grinned. "At least for this case, so enjoy it while you can."
He reached out and brought the cup to his lips, drinking it slowly before placing it back on it's saucer and looking back at his computer.
"Your brother just left with Yasuhara, something about helping him with his date tonight, but he said he will come by your flat tonight before leaving for Japan," she informed.
Oliver let out a small grunt of approval.
Curiously, Mai looked at what he was typing. "What's that?"
He paused only slightly in his typing before resuming. "A report on a previous case."
The brunette gasped as she saw the photographs laying next to his computer. She leaned over his shoulder excitedly, her long auburn hair gently brushing over his shoulder. "Is that an aquarium?" she whispered in awe.
Oliver froze, not expecting her sudden close proximity nor her excitement. "The London Aquarium, yes." He began, proceeding to type the report as Mai continued studying the photos on his desk. "We had a case there just before you were hired. The owner is a close friend of my father's. An employee unfortunately died due to equipment malfunctions while he was attempting to clean one of the tanks. We helped his spirit move on to the afterlife."
Mai sighed as she looked through the photos. "How sad...but I wish I was there for that one," she said wistfully. "I've only been to an aquarium once when I was young. It was nowhere near the scale of this one by the looks of it. Actually…" She trailed off thoughtfully. "It was right after my mother died. I went with my school and it was there that I finally felt at peace with her death. Something about watching the fish float through the water was almost angelic. It took all the pain away. It was almost like a reminder that my mother and father were probably at equal peace in the afterlife." A soft smile graced her lips as she looked at the pictures.
Suddenly Mai's eyes widened when she realized what she was saying and how close she was leaning to her boss. She quickly cleared her throat and straightened before trying to exit the room before Oliver saw how red her face was. "Excuse me, I'll be going now."
The man watched her from the corner of his eye and before she could leave the room his deep voice stopped her. "You did well today."
Badump.
Mai halted in her tracks and slowly turned to face him. "Pardon?"
"Mrs. Miller was clearly distraught when she first arrived. However, after talking to you she seemed much more at ease," he explained, his eyes held hers. "You have a way of making those around you comfortable. It is a valuable skill to have in a job such as this. Well done."
Badump.
She felt her heart pounding in her chest and those rosy lips parted in shock at his words.
"T-thank you," she whispered. She gave a faint bow before quickly escaping her boss' office. She sat at her desk and brought a hand to her beating heart. "What's wrong with you today, Mai? Get a hold of yourself," she whispered before dropping her head onto her desk.
Well done...His words echoed in her head.
Badump.
"Damn it," she groaned.