** This is going to be a longer case and I'm really excited! Thank you all for your support. I am glad everyone is liking Mai's individual interactions with the other characters. I love the Naru x Mai relationship but another huge aspect of the anime was the way the irregulars became like a family to Mai and so I think these interactions are vital. I'm also loving all of the guesses you are making in the comment section, I've gotta say some of you have hit the nail on the head with a few of your guesses (I won't say which ones!). The next four chapters are all written and the whole storyline is plotted out so I'm feeling invincible right now! I hope you enjoy the chapter.**
Chapter Fifteen
The rest of the drive flew by and before she knew it they had reached Bridgewater and were pulling into the long driveway of the Miller's home. The brick building sat atop a cliff, surrounded by a flourishing floral garden. As Mai stepped out of the van she could hear the sound of waves crashing on against the cliffside and turned to see that the house overlooked the ocean.
She heard the back doors of the van opening and she turned to help grab their things.
Oliver looked at his watch. "It's just past eleven. After Mr. Miller arrives to give us the tour we will set up the base and equipment. Mai, Ayako, you two will be in charge of recording temperatures after the base is assembled."
The two women nodded in understanding and heard the sound of another car pulling up the drive. The car pulled up behind the van and Mason emerged from the driver's side.
Oliver walked over to his client and shook his hand professionally. "We appreciate you meeting us here. It is helpful to know the locations of any activity you have witnessed."
Mason nodded politely. "Of course. I'm afraid I can't stay for long and Beth is going to wait in the car."
"Understandable," the raven haired man replied. "Mai, Ayako, unload what you can while Lin and I walk around the building. I will debrief you after the Miller's have left."
"Okay, just show me where to go," Mai agreed and picked up a box from the van, following the group into the house. Upon entering the house, Mason informed her that the room to her right, the dining room. He explained that they hadn't had any experiences there so it was most likely the safer room in the house.
The heat of the midday sun bore down on the two women as they got to work on bringing the equipment into the house. It took several trips for they had to bring in the shelves, cameras, microphones, monitors, and computers. Ayako kept cursing under her breath about the weight of the boxes, the heat of the sun, and her uncooperating high heels.
For the umpteeth time they made their way into the base. Breathing heavily, Ayako dropped her box on the table. She stretched her back and groaned before plopping into one of the dining room chairs. "What the hell is in these boxes? Bricks?"
Mai laughed and made her way to the door. "I'll be right back, there's just one more thing left. You can stay here and cool down."
The older woman nodded gratefully and frantically fanned herself with her hand, trying to get rid of the sweat starting to smear her makeup.
Mai made her way outside and picked up the final box. Hoisting it to rest on her hip she used her free hand to close the door of the van. Suddenly, she felt something pull her shirt and she toppled backwards due to the weight of the box. She was less than graceful as she fell on her rear and the equipment in the box spilled onto the ground.
"Ow," she groaned as she landed and quickly looked around to see what pulled her. Nothing was there.
She cringed when she saw the box she had been holding was spilled all over the ground but sighed in relief as she realized it was only wires. She could only imagine how much trouble she would have been in if it were a camera that fell.
From behind her, she heard the sound of the Miller's car opening.
"Are you okay, Mai?" Beth called as she hurried over to help the younger woman to her feet.
Mai smiled sheepishly. "Hello, Beth. Yes, thank you. I must have lost my footing."
Beth looked at her worriedly. "...Be careful, that's how it all started for me. I'd hate for something to happen to one of you while you try to help us. I don't know what this ghost wants but just keep an eye out for yourself, okay?"
Mai nodded and was about to reassure the woman that she would be fine but a sudden unease in the air made her hair stand on end. She felt an odd sensation of irritated anger fill her. However, the feeling wasn't her own, it was someone else's and it made her stomach churn.
Beth placed a concerned hand on Mai's shoulder. "Mai? Are you okay? You're very pale."
It was that moment that Oliver and Mason exited the house and the uneasy weight on her chest disappeared. She took in a deep breath and felt the nausea leave her as well.
Turning to the older woman, Mai looked at her apologetically. "I'm sorry about that, I don't know what just happened. I'm okay now though."
Oliver made his way up to the two women and his eyes narrowed slightly at how pale Mai's face was. He remained silent as the clients bid farewell and good luck before leaving the premises.
Her boss's eyes were serious as they turned on her. Mai bit her lip nervously, wondering what he was going to say.
"You felt something." It wasn't a question.
Mai gasped and nodded slowly. He could tell?
"Well?" he pressed.
"Oh! Um, well I came out to get the last box and lost my balance. Beth came out to help me up and I started feeling...ill? Yeah. I felt angry and irritated but they weren't my own feelings. It felt odd, to say the least, and made me feel sick to my stomach," she explained. "Once you and Mr. Miller came over the feeling left."
Oliver regarded her momentarily before nodding curtly. "The spirit is most definitely targeting Mrs. Miller, we just need to find out why. I assume you were unknowingly channeling our spirit's anger and the unusual phenomenon is what made you feel ill."
Mai's mouth fell open slightly. "Really? Well that's new."
Deep blue eyes continued to stare, almost as if analysing her, and she felt her cheek grow warm. Mai cleared her throat and told herself it was just the heat of the sun getting to her.
"I have a hypothesis that you may be an empath," he declared.
Mai tilted her head. "Empath?"
"You experience emotions very strongly. Empathetic people can understand how another person or thing may be feeling. However, an empath can actually sense and feel those emotions almost as if they are their own," he explained. "It is an odd sensation for many when it first begins so the nausea is to be expected. I've already informed Gene about my hypothesis since I began to believe this to be so after you told my father you can sometimes feel what subjects or victims in your dreams feel. Even though Gene is not an empath himself, his fiance is so he has vast knowledge in the field. He will help you with it once you begin training with him."
Mai puffed a stray strand of hair away from her face. "Empath. Huh. I'll add that to the list then," she laughed awkwardly.
Oliver observed her and noticed her smile wasn't like her usual ones. "There's nothing to be worried about. Having as many potential abilities as you do is rare but you will be trained to the highest degree."
Mai looked up at the man and truly smiled. "Thank you, Naru. I trust you."
With that, she bent down and picked up the fallen box of wires before heading back into the building.
It took nearly two hours for them to set up all of the equipment. First they arranged the base. Mason informed them they could take a couch or two into the dining room for more comfort. They pushed the dining table against one of the walls and placed the monitors on top of it. Next they went around the building and placed the cameras and microphones in every room, as well as in the tarped addition, and the grounds outside. Oliver explained it was better to have too many cameras than not enough. Mai and Ayako did a quick round through the house to take temperatures of each room before heading back to the base.
"Man, did you see that view? Talk about gorgeous. Too bad there are barely any trees nearby. I'm afraid I'm mainly going to be a doctor on this case," she sighed.
Mai chuckled. "I saw some shrubs outside. Who knows, if our spirit is three inches big you may be able to exorcise it."
The two women laughed. Mai's stomach growled and she looked at the clock on the wall and gasped. "It's already two o'clock? I'll be right back!"
Lin and Ayako looked at each other confused and the woman shrugged. After a moment, Mai came back with a few bento boxes and smiled.
"I wanted to make lunch for everyone," she beamed and started handing out the boxes starting with Ayako. "I wasn't sure what you would like so I just made some traditional Japanese bento. A little piece of home."
"Thank you, Mai," Ayako beamed in appreciation.
Mai then handed a box to Lin and made her way over to Oliver who was sitting at the computers, scrolling through the camera angles.
"Here, Naru," she sang and placed it in front of him.
"I'm afraid I'll have to decline," he muttered, keeping his eyes on computer as he typed away.
Mai sighed and leaned closer to him so the others couldn't hear. "I made this one especially for you. Lin told me you only eat a vegetarian diet on a case."
He paused and looked over at the box from the corner of his eye. He opened his mouth and hesitated uncertainly before speaking. "Thank you."
She smiled brightly at him and straightened up. "I'll go fix some tea for us all."
By the time she returned, Naru was still typing on the computer but the bento she had given him was already empty.
"I nearly forgot how much waiting there is on a case," Ayako complained from her seat on the couch.
Oliver refrained from rolling his eyes. "We've only just begun. On cases such as this, the first several hours tend to be calm. The spirit is most likely observing us before making a move. On top of that, it's intended target is no longer on the premises."
"I guess," she drawled tiredly to the man's irritation. "Oh! How about I make an omamori for the base? That way we can have at least one safe place."
The man nodded in approval and she collected her things. Mai and Lin both watched as the woman precisely brushed ink onto the delicate paper. The brush moved gracefully as she spelled each syllable in kanji until she eventually sat up with a proud smile.
"All done," she boasted. "I'll seal it to the entryway of the base. As long as it's there, spirits won't be able to enter the room."
"Do you have to be a priestess in order to make those?" Mai wondered curiously.
Ayako shrugged nonchalantly. "Why? You wanna try? You don't have to be a priestess, but those made by priestesses are significantly stronger and less likely to be broken. If a spirit is strong enough it can break the protection charm. But I can teach you sometime if you'd like."
Mai's face lit up in excitement. "That would be brilliant!"
"For now I am only making this one since we want to be able to gather as much information as possible. If I made one for each room, we wouldn't be able to see any activity and it would only make the spirit more aggressive after the omamori were taken down," she explained.
Minutes passed in silence and Mai could feel her eyelids growing heavy. Shaking her head to keep herself awake, she stood up.
"Naru, is it alright if Ayako and I take a walk around the grounds? Maybe I'll be able to sense something," she asked hopefully.
Oliver turned to them briefly before nodding. "Okay. Just keep your guard up. Lin and I will do a sweep of the rooms. Meet back here within an hour."
Mai smiled gratefully at her boss and left with Ayako.
Once they walked outside she was happy to feel the air was beginning to cool down. The breeze rolling off of the ocean smelt salty yet fresh. Something about the smell of the ocean and sound of the crashing waves soothed her and she sighed happily.
"So…" Ayako began cheekily. "That boss of yours is quite the looker, hm?"
Mai's face went beet red and she looked around frantically making sure said boss wasn't within ear shot. "What are you doing? Don't say stuff like that. Look there's a camera, he could have heard you," she whispered in embarrassment.
"You didn't deny it," the woman smirked. "And you're blushing."
Mai shook her head in exasperation and pulled the woman away from the cameras. "Will you quiet down?"
Ayako laughed.
Mai averted her eyes and crossed her arms. "Okay, I'll admit he's rather a-attractive. But that doesn't mean I fancy him or anything!"
"I never said anything about you liking him," Ayako teased. "I must admit, though, it's pretty funny to see how different he is from his brother. Too bad Gene's already taken, you two would have been a good match. You're much nicer than his fiance is. I've only met her a few times but she's so quiet and full of herself, I have no idea what he sees in her."
Mai rolled her eyes. "I'm not into taken men. And I bet she's perfectly fine, especially if Gene likes her. I've learned my lesson many times about making assumptions without actually getting to know someone in person. Anyway he's not my type; he feels more like a brother."
"Like a brother-in-law?" she teased.
Mai shot the woman a glare. "No. I especially don't want to make work complicated with an office romance. How often do those actually end well? And anyway, Naru thinks romance is a waste of time and loses respect for anyone who makes any advances towards him. I'm perfectly happy being single and with how things are, why ruin it all over a school girl crush? That's all it is, a crush, nothing more."
"So you do fancy him?" Ayako smirked.
Mai groaned and picked up her pace as she walked the grounds. "Nothing would ever happen between us. I mean, look at him, he's a world renowned paranormal investigator as well as a literal genius. Someone like that needs an equal."
"Don't sell yourself short, kid. I've known you less than a day and I can already tell you you've got the whole package. But I understand not wanting to ruin what you already have. Too bad. That 'Naru,' as you call him, is some pretty fine eye candy. Something about those broody eyes are different than his brother's. It's just a shame he's all work and no play. Quite dull if you ask me," she laughed.
"Aren't you married?" Mai implied. "And he's not. He's really a kind person, he just really values work and I don't see anything wrong with that. Especially when what he does for work is so intriguing, so I understand," Mai defended with a fond smile.
Ayako saw the look on the younger woman's face and decided to let it drop. For now.
Mai looked out over the ocean once more before a sudden chill ran down her spine. She uncontrollably tensed, looking around cautiously. Someone was watching them. The familiar sensation she had experienced with Beth was returning. A wave of someone else's anger and malice filled her.
"Hey, you okay?" Ayako asked, worried as to what caused her to change moods so suddenly.
"Y-yeah. I think we should probably head back in though," she muttered. The hairs on her arms were standing on end and Ayako nodded in understanding.
"Something's here?" the woman whispered as they picked up their pace back towards the house.
Mai nodded. "It doesn't seem happy we're here."
"I don't blame it. It probably knows what we're up to," the red headed woman replied quietly.
They quickly made their way back to the base and Mai felt relief wash over her as she entered the room.
Sighing gently, she turned to the priestess. "Well at least we know your protection charm is working."
The woman smirked back. "Of course it is, I'm pretty talented."
Oliver and Lin walked in behind them, returning from their rounds. "Something happened?" her boss asked.
Mai nodded. "I had that feeling happen again. It felt like it was watching us so I thought it best for us to come back to base," she informed. "Once we walked into the the room the feeling went away."
"Perhaps it was something the two of you were talking about?" he wondered.
Mai bit her lip awkwardly and shook her head in feign ignorance. "I doubt it. We were just talking about ourselves, that's all," Mai stretched the truth. Ayako grinned from her spot on the couch.
Oliver nodded tiredly and reached a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose.
"Would you like some tea?" Mai asked with a smile.
He nodded silently and Mai made her way out of the base toward the kitchen. He sat in his seat and began to read a book. He was allowed only a moment of silence before Ayako cleared her throat loudly.
"What?" he asked flatly.
"She just came back to the base after feeling a spirit stalking us and you're having her go make tea by herself?" the woman asked bluntly.
"The spirit has only shown hostility towards Mrs. Miller," he said, rolling his eyes.
"Your point? That Mrs. Miller lady wasn't out there just now so why was it sending it's angry vibes towards Mai? You're supposed to be a genius, I'm surprised you'd take the risk. Just saying," Ayako shrugged, looking at her nails nonchalantly.
Oliver's eyes narrowed at the woman but after a moment the book in his hands snapped shut and he stood to leave the room.
Lin sent Ayako an impressed look and she grinned deviously in return at her plan's success.
Mai hummed to herself as she waited for the tea to steep. She had made sure to bring all her ingredients on their case, especially the fresh clover honey seeing as it was her boss's first case back and that was her secret ingredient. She placed the teapot and empty cups onto a tray and lifted it gently.
Hearing a noise behind her, she turned with a smile expecting to see Ayako. Her smile quickly fell when she realized no one was there. Alert rang through her body. She stood tall, heart racing, and waited for something to appear.
Without warning she felt a chunk of her hair being pulled and she stumbled slightly before she felt two hands push her from behind. With a small yelp, she fell to the ground and the sound of shattering ceramic echoed through the room. She winced in pain as she fell on top of the broken teapot. The recently boiled liquid seeped into her clothes and stung her skin.
"Ow," she whimpered, gently sitting up as to not cut herself on the ceramic.
Footsteps quickly reached her ears and Oliver appeared in the doorway with an alarmed expression.
"Mai?" he inquired; concern lacing his deep voice. He knelt next to her. Upon noticing the broken teapot and cups he took in her tea stained clothes and noticed she was holding her arm to her chest.
"I'm okay," she smiled unconvincingly. "I don't think the spirit likes me very much."
He gently took her arm in his hand to assess it. "Does it hurt?"
Mai winced and nodded. "It stings. I don't think I was cut but my skin really burns."
He gently turned her arm over in his hands and noticed how red her skin was. It didn't appear to be blistering but it was definitely a light burn in the least.
"Let's get back to the base," he said firmly. Irritation filled him. Ayako had been right; he shouldn't have let Mai come here alone especially after she had just felt the spirit's anger.
"I'm sorry about your tea, Naru. I can pay you back for the set," she apologized as she tried to pick up the shards.
He rolled his eyes realizing she thought he was irritated at her. He stopped her hands and pulled her to her feet. "That's of no concern to me. It's just tea. I'll clean this up later, let's get back to base and have Ayako look at your arm."
Mai nodded and made her way back to the base with Oliver close behind. Ayako was leaning her chin lazily on a fist, talking to Lin about something. She looked over and her eyes grew wide as she noticed Mai's appearance and quickly got to her feet.
"Mai! What the hell happened to you?" she gasped and made her way over to the other woman.
Mai smiled sheepishly.
Oliver stepped passed the women with a slight frown on his face. "From now on we're going to have to stay in pairs until we find out the spirit's motive. I'm unsure if Mrs. Miller was an intended target or if she was just a target of convenience." He opened his notepad and quickly jotted something down.
Ayako led Mai to the couch and sat her down so she could tend to the burn on her arm. The woman had kept her medical bag in the base for emergencies and opened it to find what she needed. She rummaged around momentarily before finally pulling out a small bottle.
"You're lucky it's only a small burn. It might sting for a few more hours but it will be mostly healed by morning. I have an aloe mixture especially intended for burns. I'll put some on now and we'll apply it once again when you wake up, it will help aid the healing process," Ayako informed.
Mai smiled gratefully up at the woman. Ayako was staring seriously at the dressing she was applying. The brunette could tell this woman was a skilled doctor and was grateful for her help.
Ayako finished and sat up with a sigh. "Well, I guess my inkling was right; you really are a magnet to danger, aren't you?"
Mai laughed sheepishly. "Maybe a little bit."
"Were you able to sense it at all?" she wondered.
The brunette shook her head. "No. I only heard a noise and thought it was you. If I felt it I would have used the nine cuts you showed me."
"That's the downside to that particular spell. You need at least a good ten seconds to say it. Part of me is wondering if I should make a protection charm for the rooms we are sleeping in tonight. Didn't that Beth lady say it tried to kill her in her sleep?" she mentioned.
Mai nodded. "Yeah, but I'll be fine. It's up to you and Naru, though. It most likely only attacked me because I was alone. You and I will be sharing a room so we shouldn't have much to worry about."
Ayako turned towards her temporary boss. "What do you say, Naru? Should we take the risk?"
Oliver shot her a quick glare at her use of his nickname but shook his head. "Let's not risk it. So far the spirit has only attacked women. If you could make a protection charm for the room the two of you will be occupying that would be beneficial. Lin and I will be fine without one. We will be staying in the Miller's room in hopes of experiencing something to get a lead on the case."
Ayako nodded and set about making another charm. Within the hour the two women made their way upstairs to the bedroom they were assigned and the priestess sealed the charm on their doorway.
Ayako stretched her arms above her head and turned to Mai. "Sheesh, I sent him after you but only to get the two of you to spend some alone time together. I didn't expect you to be attacked by the goddamn spirit."
Mai rolled her eyes. "Yes. That was my plan the whole time. Let the spirit attack me so my boss could come save the day," she said in dry sarcasm.
Ayako laughed and grabbed her pajamas from her bag. "Good thing I did send him down there, the spirit might have left because of him. Also, when the two of you came back to the base he looked pretty worried," she said with a wink.
"Of course he was worried. His employee was just attacked by a ghost," Mai stated, shaking her head. "Think of the liability he'd be facing if I was really hurt on a case."
Ayako chuckled again. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's not what he was worried about. But, hey, at least you're safe and it was only a small burn."
Mai rummaged through her holdall and pulled out her pajamas as well. "Yeah, it hurt but it was actually more shocking than anything. Let's just hope that was the only thing that happens to any of us."
They both changed and got ready for bed before sharing the large queen sized mattress.
"Thank you for your help today, Ayako," Mai yawned into the darkness.
"No need to thank me. This has actually been the most fun I've had in a while so I should be thanking all of you for letting me tag along. You know, the UK is starting to really grow on me," she admitted.
"Thinking about moving out here?" Mai teased.
Ayako chuckled. "Who knows. The men are hot and the accents are hotter."
Mai laughed. "I'm sure your husband would love to hear that."
Ayako nudged the younger woman. "Oh come on, there's no harm in looking. Anyway, Houshou is the only one for me. For better or worse; that stupid monk wont be losing me anytime soon."
Another chuckle left Mai's lips and she yawned once again before her eyes started to drift closed. She tried to focus on the case as she began to drift to sleep, hoping it would aid her in having one of her dreams.
Within moments the two were fast asleep.