! WARNING !
THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS TOPICS THAT CAN BE SENSITIVE TO SOME (Child Abuse) If you would like to skip over this, scroll down until you find these symbols to continue reading: ######
Chapter Twenty
Mai didn't know what was happening. At first she felt as if she were getting a headache but then she suddenly couldn't move and found herself being pulled into a vision.
"You insolent child!"
The brunette turned at the sudden sound of a woman yelling. She found herself in a small run down house that seemed to consist of only three small rooms. The room was full of about ten young children, wearing dirty clothing and the smell was highly unpleasant.
"Stupid, stupid child! Why didn't you change William's diaper? And what about dinner? Your father is going to be home any minute, he's going to be furious with you. I can't wait for him to teach you a lesson."
Mai's stomach dropped when she saw the angry woman slap a little girl that looked no older than eight. An overwhelming surge of pity ran through her when she recognized the black hair and hazel eyes of the child.
"Sarah?" Mai whispered sympathetically as the girl's mother roughly grabbed the young child by the hair and began to drag her into another room.
An odd sensation washed through Mai's body and when she opened her eyes there was another scene in front of her. Time had passed and Sarah looked to be around the age of twelve. She wanted to cry when she saw the young girl cowering from the feet that were kicking her. A group of younger children were watching from the corner of the room. They sobbed with tears streaming down their cheeks as they watched their sister be beaten, too afraid to stand up to their parents in fear of being beaten themselves.
Another memory flashed before Mai's eyes of the girl being thrown into the root cellar. Her parents were yelling profanities and insults as they locked the door behind her. Terror filled the Sarah's eyes as she looked around the darkness, wondering how long she would be forced to stay there this time.
Mai blinked and things changed again. Sarah was hunched over, desperately hugging one of her young sister's to her chest as the little girl's body began to turn blue. Mai began to feel sick as she realized the young girl in Sarah's arms was dead, most likely from starvation judging by the sight of her body.
Once again the scene changed. This time Sarah looked to be about fifteen years old. The girl was very thin and covered in bruises. She was sitting awkwardly on the floor as her mother came up to her with a devious smile.
"Here, darling. Eat up. We have to start working on that figure of yours," the woman said in a sickly sweet tone.
Sarah looked at her mother skeptically. "Why are you being so nice to me?"
A flash of wrath flashed through her mother's eyes before the fake smile was plastered on her face again. "Oh darling, what do you mean? Here, now eat up."
"I'm not hungry," the girl whispered.
The mother's expression soured. "You will eat every last drop."
"W-why?" Sarah questioned.
A despicable smirk crossed the woman's face. "Your father and I have decided you need to pull your weight around here."
Sarah stared tiredly at her mother. "But I do everything around he-"
"Shut your mouth, you disgusting thing," the deep warning tone of the woman's voice caused Sarah to duck her head timidly. "I'm sick of seeing your face every day. If it weren't for you I wouldn't be here. I could have had wealth and fame if I hadn't gotten pregnant with you. I could have gotten the richest men around. Now look at me. Ten children, a leech of a husband, and a soiled career. You're going away."
The black haired girl looked up at her mother nervously. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, I found the perfect job for you. You'll stay there and work and send home any money you make. It's the least you can do after all the trouble you've given me," the mother sneered.
"Work where?" Sarah gulped.
"Oh, I think you know where. From now on you need to eat up. Men don't want scrawny little sticks like you." The woman filled a spoon with porridge and forcibly shoved it into her daughter's mouth. "If you want to make me proud then you're going to have to be the best one there. Every man will be begging to spend the night with you, and you will accept. Just remember not to make friends with the other girls, they'll only steal the men from you. If a man shows no interest; make him. If he still declines, make him regret it."
Hazel eyes grew foggy with unshed tears. "But Mothe-"
"Think of your poor siblings, you're doing it for them. You don't want them to starve do you? Are you really that selfish?" the woman suggested manipulatively. "You'll be fine. Nothing feels better than getting the attention of a man, you'll see. You'll never feel alone either, you'll get all the attention your spoiled little self has ever wanted."
"Mother, please, I don't want to," Sarah pleaded.
Her mother's eyes darkened. "Either you do this, or I have no more use for you. I brought you into this world, I can take you out. I can easily make it look like an accident, not like anyone would even notice if you were gone."
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Mai felt physically sick hearing the words that came out of the sorry excuse of a mother. She wanted to reach out and hug Sarah. The girl had ducked her head and the tears were streaming down her face.
Mai felt something next to her and turned to see an older version of Sarah staring at her skeptically.
The brunette's fear had long been replaced by pity and she looked at the woman with a sympathetic smile. "I want to help you."
Sarah's chin quivered and a broken sob escaped her.
Mai blinked and she found herself back in the present, Oliver was staring down at her in concern. Lin was still sending his shiki towards the spirit and every time it hit her Mai felt the weight in the air turn from anger to pain and sorrow.
Sarah suddenly looked over at Mai and the brunette realized the protection charm must have worn off.
Help me.
Her desperate voice echoed in Mai's head as pleading hazel eyes met brown. Mai felt her body stiffen as another vision forced its way on her. Oliver's arms held her up as she felt her legs to limp.
Mai suddenly found herself in the familiar hole where she had watched Sarah take her last breath. It was dark but she could see a sliver of light in the distance. Standing, Mai cautiously edged her way towards the light but tripped on something. Judging by the smell in the cave and the sound of the flies she already knew what she had stumbled over without looking down. Carefully stepping over Sarah's corpse, Mai made her way to the crack in the wall and her mouth fell open when she saw what was on the other side.
She gasped when her consciousness came back to her body and she looked up at her boss.
"Naru, stop Lin. I know where her body is," she begged.
The man opened his mouth ready to deny her request but the desperate look in her eyes stopped him
"Please, Oliver," she pleaded. "Please."
Oliver studied her for a moment before pinching the bridge of his nose. "Lin. Stop." he called out against his better judgement.
Lin and Ayako both turned around and stared at him in shock.
"But Noll, we're almost finished," the man countered, perplexed at the order.
"Keep her where she is but don't finish the exorcism." Oliver looked back to the brunette in his arms. "You have three minutes. Where's her body?"
Mai nodded in determination and ran off towards the cliff with her boss in tow. They reached the edge and motioned for Oliver to help her with the ladder that was laying in the grass. They set it in position and she quickly scrambled down with him following close behind.
She looked around. When she had looked through the crack in the wall in her vision, she had seen the ocean and the familiar stretch of rocky sand. The hole was somewhere around here, she was sure of it.
Oliver watched as his assistant frantically pulled at the vines and beach roses that covered the cliff. Mai paid no attention to the small thorns tearing at her skin for her mind was set on one thing. She pulled away a large bush and nearly cried in relief when she found the crack in the wall. A large rock was covering the entrance and she futilely attempted to push it away. Before she knew it, two strong arms were reaching past her and helped push the rock to the side. The boulder teetered unsteadily and began to roll towards Mai's direction but Oliver pulled her out of the way.
The auburn haired woman quickly made her way inside. Sand and rock turned to dirt as she took a few more steps into the cave. The space was small and she just barely fit standing up.
Suddenly she froze mid-step and fell to her knees in relief. There she was. Sarah's remains were half covered by dirt and sand, most likely from years of exposure to the rising tides. Her skeleton arm looked as if it were reaching towards the exit to the cave as if in one last desperate hope of escape, one that proved unsuccessful. Oliver stared at the scene in front of him, deep in thought, before pulling out his mobile.
The line rang twice before Ayako answered her phone. "Where the hell did you guys go?" she answered.
"There's a cave at the base of the cliff. We found Sarah's remains. Tell Lin to stop holding the spirit in place," the man said in a serious tone.
"You want him to stop? But that thing is going to attack the second we do," she questioned skeptically.
"We will be fine," he repeated and hung up the phone. He gently reached down and grabbed Mai's arm, bringing her to her feet to stand behind him.
She looked at him curiously before feeling a familiar presence, but this time it wasn't filled with hatred. She looked over to the bones on the ground and saw Sarah's spirit hovering over the remains. The ghost looked down at her former self sadly before looking up at Mai in confusion.
"...This is me?" the spirit asked emptily. Looking up at Mai, Sarah seemed to realize something. "You really aren't Katherine are you?"
"No. Katherine is long gone by now. We just want to help you. You're okay now," Mai replied with a sad smile as she heard Lin and Ayako entering the small cave behind them. Ayako gasped in shock upon entering.
"And my family? My mother...is she gone too?" the spirit whispered.
Mai nodded. "You don't have to be scared of her any more. You don't have to stay here any more."
Sarah looked at her remains with a broken smile, a mixture of relief and pain. "I'm so tired."
Lin cautiously made his way towards the spirit and the bones, but Oliver held out a hand, stopping him. The blue eyed man calmly made his way to kneel down next to the bones. He closed his eyes and reached out a hand to touch the top of the skull.
Sarah watched with exhausted eyes, ready for it all to end.
Mai strained her ears to hear what he was whispering but she couldn't make out his words. She saw a faint glowing from his hand and her eyes widened. Mesmerised by his ability, she watched as Sarah's spirit began to glow a similar color to the one emanating from Oliver's hand. A tired smile graced the deceased woman's lips before the light faded and she was no longer there.
The brunette could feel the pressure in the air dissipate and she knelt next to her boss. She gently laid a hand atop his, causing him to look at her in question. The look she was giving him was one of pure appreciation. Her lips pulled into a gentle smile that reached her eyes.
"Thank you, Naru," she whispered before turning to Sarah's remains. "What now?"
Oliver stood and dusted the navy blue trousers he was wearing. "Now we call the Miller's. Our job here is done."
"I mean what about her body?" Mai rephrased with a hint of sadness lacing her words.
"I will arrange for a proper burial," he informed the group and began making his way out of the cave. "Come along. We need to begin disassembling the equipment if we wish to make it back at a decent hour."
Mai looked down at the bones once more with a small smile. "Rest in peace."
Following the cleansing of Sarah's spirit, the team had taken down all their equipment and packed it in the van within the next two hours. The Miller's had been informed of what happened and that their house was cleansed and safe to return to. Mason and Beth had arrived within minutes and the two were overjoyed to feel safe in their own home again.
While Oliver set up a day to have a follow up phone meeting with Mason, Mai had been talking to Beth. She was relieved to see the woman already looked healthier and at peace. Beth gave Mai a large hug and thanked them for all their hard work and within a few minutes they were on the road back to London.
Mai leaned her head against the window of the van as she watched the scenery go by. Ayako was talking to the men about old cases she had back in Japan and different practices she and her husband used during those cases. Mai could tell Lin was mentally cataloging everything the woman was saying as he drove, but Oliver had remained silent. Looking over, she smiled softly when she realized he was asleep. The dark circles that had marred his normally flawless skin were slowly fading.
Ayako cleared her throat, catching Mai's attention. The woman shot her a suggestive smirk and Mai blushed, realizing she had been staring at her boss for some time now.
The priestess held back a laugh and stretched. "Well this was fun. I'd love to join you guys on your next big case if I'm still in the area. Hopefully it will be one deep in a forest; nothing but trees as far as the eye can see."
Mai chuckled and looked back out the window. "I'll make sure Naru knows about your request."
As they drove into the city Mai noted the sky was growing darker due to the looming clouds up above. She hoped the rain would hold off until they were able to unpack all the equipment.
Within a few minutes they arrived at BSPR. Naru had woken up and was talking to Lin about what needed to be done. A man was standing out front of the office as they pulled up and Ayako beamed when she saw her husband.
She wasted no time running to throw her arms around him. Mai watched with a smile as the married couple reunited and caught up.
"-And then it pulled her off of a cliff!" Ayako chattered.
The monk looked over at Mai in shock. "And you survived?"
She laughed nervously and Ayako answered for her. "The boss was there to save the day."
"Sounds like an adventurous case," the man nodded. "So was my wife able to help or was she just there for the snacks and the show?"
Mai chuckled. "She was a wonderful medic. It was nice to have another woman there too, especially on this case."
Ayako smiled towards Mai. "Give me a call for your next big case. I don't want to miss it. You know what, give me a call even if you just want to get together. "
"Absolutely!" she beamed. "Oh yeah, how did your concerts go Houshou?"
The bassist shrugged. "They went well. We're throwing a private final bash next week and then we're done for good."
Ayako tapped her husband on the chest excitedly. "How exciting! Can they come too?"
Houshou grinned over at the BSPR group. "Of course! You're all invited."
Lin bowed his head politely. "I appreciate the offer but my wife is due within the next two weeks, I should remain closeby."
"Understandable," the monk nodded. "How about you Dr. Davis?"
"I'll have to decline as well," Oliver stated before grabbing a box from the back of the van.
"How about you, Mai?" Ayako asked.
"Are you sure? I'd love to come! I've never been to a concert before, even a private one," she grinned. "As long as I'm not on a case I will be there."
Ayako cheered and reached to give Mai a gentle hug, being mindful of her bruises. "Wonderful! We'll send you the details later."
"Thank you," Mai said in excitement.
The priestess and Monk waved goodbye and Mai made her way over to the van to help unload the equipment with Lin and Oliver. It didn't take long for the three of them to empty the van and lock up the storage room. Mai looked up to the sky warrily again, it had grown even darker than before. Luckily it was already time to go home. Grabbing her handall from the van, she made her way into the office. She noticed neither Yasuhara nor Martin were no longer in the office.
Laying her bag on the floor next to the kitchen, Mai began to boil some water. Her mind wandered to all that happened during their case and a small smile pulled at her lips at some memories in particular.
"Mai," Lin's voice startled her.
She quickly turned to see the man in the doorway to the kitchen. "Yes?"
"I will be spending the rest of the week with my wife and will be unable to continue our training for now. I have left some books about dreams that you may find interesting on your desk. You are more than welcome to look through them if you feel so inclined," the man informed her.
"Thank you, Lin," she smiled brightly. "Is Madoka feeling okay?"
"She is doing well, thank you for the concern. Since this case took so long Oliver is making me take the rest of the week off to be with her," the man explained.
"That's nice of him. Would you like a cup of tea before you leave?" she asked politely.
The man shook his head. "No thank you, but I know someone who is going through withdrawals."
Mai laughed. "I don't know how he survived so long without it. I was beginning to think he was made out of tea," she jested.
Lin smirked and bowed his head. "Have a good week."
"You too! Say hello to Madoka for me," she waved.
With a small nod, Lin left the office. Mai waited for the kettle to whistle and prepared a cup for a certain blue eyed man. She carefully maneuvered through the office and knocked on Oliver's door.
Opening the door quietly, she noticed that he was on the phone.
"Tea," she whispered, holding up the cup.
He looked up at her and nodded in acknowledgement and continued his conversation. Mai set the cup on his desk and motioned toward the clock before waving goodbye. He nodded again and she made her way out of the office, closing the door behind her.
The brunette sighed softly. He was always so busy, did he ever get to relax? The sound of the bus outside caught her attention and she quickly grabbed her handall. Opening the door she groaned when she saw the bus she took home was already driving away. It looked like she would have to walk.
Back in his office, Oliver hung up his phone and rubbed his forehead. He had only called his mother to inform her that Mrs. Miller may benefit from her therapy sessions. The woman always asked a million questions after a case, but they were tenfold this time after she heard the spirit targeted Mai and pulled them off of a cliff.
Looking over at the cup of tea on his desk he reached out and brought the beverage to his mouth, savouring the warmth. He turned in his chair to look out the window and his eyes narrowed slightly.
When had it started raining? He looked at the clock on the wall, remembering what time it had been when Mai had pointed to it before leaving and he frowned slightly. The bus she took home typically arrived at 5:15, but she had left at 5:20. Did that mean she missed the bus? If that was the case then was she walking home right now?
Quickly finishing the cup of tea, Oliver packed up his computer and bag and made his way out of the office.
A bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, causing Mai to jump and quicken her pace. Typically she loved being caught in the rain, but she was smart enough to know it wasn't smart to go walking around during a thunderstorm. One arm pulled her handall closer to her chest while the other held her denim jacket above her head, barely sheltering her from the pouring rain.
She began to count inside her head.
The loud crash of thunder echoed above her. Five seconds. That meant the lightning was getting closer than she was comfortable with. Her arm holding her jacket was aching so she lowered it in defeat. She was already drenched as it was so it was futile to even attempt to avoid the rain any more. She cursed herself and made a mental note to always bring an umbrella with her from now on. Her once flowing skirt, now clung to her figure in a most uncomfortable way. Of course she had chosen to wear a pale blue skirt on the day it rained.
If only she had left a few minutes earlier she wouldn't have missed the bus. If she stayed she would have had to wait another forty minutes for the next bus to come. It hadn't been raining at the time so she thought it logical to walk home. The arm holding her handall was also beginning to ache. For some reason or another, she had decided it was a good idea to bring all of the books home that Lin had leant to her. The weight of the books in her bag weren't making the walk to her flat any easier.
Another bolt of lightning illuminated the sky and Mai braced for the loud clap of thunder that was soon to follow.
As she waited for the loud crash, she heard a car pull up beside her.
"Mai," a familiar deep voice reached her ears. "Get in."
She turned in surprise to see Oliver staring at her expectantly. "Naru?"
"Get in, unless you like walking around in the middle of a storm," he repeated.
"But I'm all wet," she hesitated.
The man shot her a look. "Precisely why you should get in."
"I'll ruin your seat," she explained.
He rolled his eyes and leaned over to open the passenger side door.
Biting her lip she quickly got in the car. Sighing happily, she pushed away a strand of hair that was plastered to her face. "Thank you, Naru."
He nodded curtly before pulling back into the road, making his way toward her flat.
"I'm surprised you're out this way. You live in the opposite direction, don't you?" she questioned.
Oliver was quiet for a moment before speaking. "My mother wanted me to go to her office to talk about the Miller's."
"Oh," she nodded. "But weren't you just on the phone with her?"
The hands on the steering wheel tightened ever so slightly. "She wanted to see me in person," he lied.
"I bet she just wants to make sure you're doing well after your first case. She's a wonderful woman," Mai chattered, settling herself into her seat. "How is your head today?"
"I'm fine," he replied. "And you? How are those bruises you decided to hide from me?"
Mai's cheeks tinged red in embarrassment of getting caught. "Y-you knew? Are you mad at me?"
Oliver sighed and pulled up to her complex. "I would never fire someone over getting hurt. However, I would prefer it if you would be honest with me in the future."
The brunette bit her lip gently and looked him in the eye. "What about your wrist?"
Oliver's eyes widened slightly in shock but he remained silent.
"I pick up on things too, Oliver. I've noticed how you have barely used it since the fall. I promise to be honest with you about such things from now on, but I would really like it if you would be honest with me, too," Mai confessed. "You're always looking out for everyone else that you neglect your own health. Don't forget that there are people that care about your wellbeing as well."
He stared at her momentarily, surprised that she had seen the injury he had been trying to conceal. Even Lin hadn't noticed. Mai smiled gently at him before unbuckling her seat belt and exiting the car.
"Thank you for the lif-" she stopped talking when she noticed Oliver was getting out of the car as well.
The man retrieved her heavy bag from the back seat of the car and stared at her expectantly, nodding his head in the direction of her building. "Are you going to open the door or are we going to continue standing in the rain?"
Shocked, she quickly led the way to the front door, unlocking it with a key. Making their way into the entryway, she wrung some of the water from her skirt hoping to keep it from clinging to her legs.
"I really appreciate this, Naru," she smiled brightly.
He hesitated and closed his eyes briefly. "I apologize for taking my exhaustion out on you yesterday."
Blue eyes reopened, meeting hers, and Mai could feel her heart begin to beat faster. "I-It's okay, I understand. Thank you for believing in me today when I wanted to find Sarah's body."
A small smirk pulled on his lips. "Your gut feeling has proven accurate on many occasions. I'd be a fool not to trust your intuition."
He held her bag out towards her and their hands met as she took it from him. Quickly looking at the floor, she inwardly cursed her racing heart and hoped her cheeks weren't betraying her.
She pulled the bag to her chest and opened her mouth to say goodbye when the door next to them opened up and Mr. Hicks emerged from his flat. The old man looked at them in surprise before a large smile crossed his face upon seeing his tenant.
"Mai, dear. Welcome back," the man grinned happily.
Mai smiled brightly at the man, glad for the intrusion. "Good evening, Mr. Hicks."
The man looked over at Naru curiously. "And who might this fine man be?"
Mai nearly forgot her manners and bowed slightly. "This is my boss, Oliver Davis. Oliver, this is Bertel Hicks, he owns the building. Oliver just gave me a ride home because of the storm."
"How thoughtful of you! It's good to know chivalry isn't dead. Pleasure to meet you young man," the elderly man beamed and shook Oliver's hand eagerly.
"Likewise, Mr. Hicks," Oliver greeted politely with a professional nod.
Phillip suddenly emerged from behind Bertel, looking at his phone lazily. "Hey Pops, I can't find my easel, have you seen it arou- oh, Mai. I haven't seen you in a while, I was beginning to think you were avoiding me," the man teased with a dimpled grin, pleasantly surprised to see the petite brunette.
Mai hoisted her bag higher as her arms began to tire. "Oh, I was on a business trip. It's nice to see you again, Phillip." She turned to her boss. "Phillip, this is my boss Oliver. Phillip is Mr. Hicks' grandson."
The two men nodded at each other in greeting.
The blonde man eyed Oliver from the corner of his eye before turning back towards Mai. "Pops and I have missed you around here. You brighten the room even on the dreariest of days."
Oliver refrained from rolling his eyes at the man's sweet talk and Mai chuckled. "I'm glad I can make someone happy. Well then, I'm knackered so I'm going to turn in for the evening." She turned to her boss and gave him one last grateful smile. "Thank you again for the lift, Oliver. I really appreciate it. I'll see you in the morning. Have a good night everyone."
She bowed politely to the three men before hugging her bag close to her chest and making her way up the stairwell.
Oliver was about to make his leave when Phillip caught his eye. Blue eyes narrowed as he noted the grandson was watching the way his assistant's drenched pale skirt clung to her figure with an unsavoury glint in his eye. Something in his chest tightened and he made up his mind that he wasn't fond of the blonde man. He was grateful when Mai rounded the corner of the stairs and the other man could no longer stare.
"So you're the genius boss, hm?" Mr. Hicks questioned happily, drawing Oliver and Phillip's attention. "She's always talking about you. You wouldn't know it by that constant smile on her face, but from what she's told me she has had a rough go in life. I haven't known her for long but whenever she talks about her past it always seems so lonely. I've seen a change though. Whenever she talks about you and the new job there's nothing but pure joy. Thank you all for taking care of her. She deserves it."
Oliver stared at the man awkwardly, unsure of what to say. The wrinkles around Bertel's eyes creased as he smiled brightly at the tall man and clapped a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"It was a pleasure to finally meet you. Get home safe now, you hear?" Bertel beamed before bidding the younger man farewell and disappearing into his flat. Phillip glanced over at Oliver in irritation before following his grandfather and closing the door behind them.
Oliver let out a sigh. Yeah, he didn't like Phillip.