Three: Found

Senritsu pressed her hand to her forehead.

"You know that person?" Kurapika asked.

"No, but you might." She shook her head. "I mean, I met her this morning. You sold your phone to her, or someone did on your behalf. I don't know the full story frankly."

"Oh."

"Yeah oh is right," she replied. "She was our ticket to however you ended up as a priest, because she knew you went there." Why didn't I bother to ask her anything else? She'd been in such a rush just to see him, she'd forgone common sense in the process.

He frowned, his face twisting as if in thought. "So it's a dead-end...unless her dying is somehow connected to me."

"I doubt that too," she replied, wondering if she really did or didn't. But the timing was too close to be related. That person would've had to overhear Tomin, only a hours earlier, tell Senritsu where to find Kurapika. And Tomin seemingly had just been killed not long ago, certainly not right after I left. No, it's likely whoever killed Tomin was planning on doing her in for a bit.

"So what now?" Kurapika asked.

"We can go back to my place." Though she tried to keep her tone serious, there was a note of humor there that she definitely meant to hide. But Kurapika gave her a look like she'd grown three heads. "I mean to investigate, silly. My apartment is not far from here."

"Oh. Alright."

Fortunately, they didn't quite make it to Senritsu's place before both of them got a better idea. Get information from the police. And see if Tomin had left anything indicating who might have killed her. Whatever the case, Tomin had known Kurapika went to the chapel, and while she hadn't divulged any details as to how she knew, Senritsu could surmise she at least knew something had been amiss with him otherwise she wouldn't have been so shifty over a phone.

But when they took a taxi to the police station and walked inside, the cops were rather unforthcoming, even after Senritsu flashed her Hunters License. Eventually, they were taken to the chief's office.

"She left a note addressed to you," Chief Swartzenbarger said, leaning back against the chair in his office. It creaked and groaned, despite the man's thin frame. "Senritsu, is it?"

"To me?" She said, resisting the urge to point to herself.

The man's piercing yellow eyes flickered to Kurapika for a moment before settling on her. "You're a suspect in her murder. I'm surprised you walked into the station like this as we thought you were on the run."

"She was with me," Kurapika said, placing his elbows on the desk.

"Yeah. I can get eye witnesses attesting to the fact that I was at a chapel during the time she was murdered." Hopefully. She hoped the good Father wouldn't lie.

The chief cleared his throat, he was leafing through a bunch of files on his desk. He sat a folder on top of all the others. "Look, I personally don't think you did it otherwise I would've arrested you when you waltzed in. But you are a suspect and you were the last person who spoke with Tomin alive, we caught the two of you talking on the street cam, so I can't give you any information even though you're a Hunter." He stood up and gave her a pointed look. "I'm going to get a drink, you two want anything?"

Uh no, we're leaving. But there was a glimmer in the man's eyes. She looked at his desk again, at the carefully placed blank folder in the middle of it. "I'll take water."

"Same," Kurapika said.

"I'll be back in five minutes." He walked out the door and shut it behind him.

Senritsu grabbed the folder, pulled her the end of her shirt over her fingers, and carefully extracted the piece of paper from between it. Then she read it.

Senritsu,

I'm sorry for lying to you earlier. I made a mistake by telling you and frankly it's going to cost me my life. I'm giving this to my mom, who will deliver it to you that or she'll give it to the police.

I can't tell you everything, but your number is thirteen. Go to the last thirteen places your friend was and his memories will come back.

-T.

She wrinkled her nose and let Kurapika read it.

"What?" he said.

"My thoughts exactly." She shoved the letter in the folder and sat it back on the desk. "The last thirteen places you were at?"

"How the hell am I supposed to remember that when I don't even know my own name?" He asked, clearly rhetorically and thinking out loud, but Senritsu wanted to answer anyway.

"You can't recall anything," she replied. "Tomin told me you came into the store and sold the phone to her alone...but you don't remember that."

"So I lost my memories after that," he replied.

"What do you remember?"

"Waking up in the chapel. There's a basement where those who serve and live there sleep. I woke up in one of those beds, wearing... a suit I think. Father Ariale gave me new clothes and something to eat. Wouldn't tell me how I wound up there no matter how much I argued with him. But he kept saying it was life or death for him, that's why he couldn't say anything. That I'd have to figure it out on my own. I figured he was just being dramatic and that maybe I'd hit my head a bit too hard." His eyes drifted to the desk. "That was maybe two days ago, and I still can't remember a thing."

"So that doesn't account for the four months you were missing."

"Four?"

"I mean tomorrow it'll be four months, or close to is," she said, not like I was counting. "So I'm rounding up. Four months since we…since you vanished. Or close enough to it. You haven't contacted me or any of your friends in four months, nor were you answering your phone."

His eyebrow went up, but his eyes never met hers. Something was different about him and she took a moment to study him. He looked a paler, a bit thinner; dark circles hung beneath his eyes, giving him the appearance of a raccoon. But he had been looking for the Scarlet Eyes, so it's understandable he's a little worn out right now. Still, his demeanor seemed darker, moodier in a way she didn't understand. And it was likely Kurapika himself didn't know why he was so gloomy and dodgy either because he can't remember anything, you dimwit.

"Well, besides the good Lord's house, which I'm assuming doesn't count, I'm going to guess Tomin's shop is one of the thirteen places since presumably that's where you were before the chapel," she said.

Swartzenbarger strode into the room with a can of diet ginger ale, and two glass bottles of water. He sat the bottles on the desk in front of them, then sat across from them and popped open the can. He took a long drink before sitting it on top of the folder. "So can I answer any more questions for the two of you?"

Longer than five minutes, but Senritsu grinned as she unscrewed the water bottle and took a sip.

"Thanks but no," Kurapika said, wrapping his slender fingers around his bottle. "We should get going. Appreciate you uh not arresting her."

"Of course." He plucked a card off his desk and extended it towards him. "I'll keep you updated. Let me know if you two find anything though."

Kurapika took it. "Any chance we could get inside Tomin's shop?"

The Chief raised his bushy, red eyebrows. "Don't press your luck, kid."

And with that, the two of them left, heading out on the street.

"We could break in," Senritsu said.

Kurapika scoffed. "That's against the law."

"You're a member of the mafia," she said, mostly by accident. She shoved her bottle into her mouth and took a drink.

"Am I?" He looked genuinely surprised.

She swallowed and cleared her throat. "Yeah, morality is...well no you're pretty moral for a criminal actually unless you're trying to get something, which you are," she replied. Her stomach growled loudly. "Hey, you want to grab something to eat?"

"... Sure?"

"There's a nice café close to here. They serve our..." Our favorite sandwich, and she almost said that aloud. But she missed all the times they'd gone to this café together. "Uh they serve ourmeletes."

"What?"

"Fancy omelets. Come on." Face warming, she guzzled the rest of her water and hustled down the street. The café was still open, being one of the few in this area that didn't close at 9:00 pm. They found a seat by the window.

Kurapika looked over the menu, and Senritsu thought damn, he looks good in all black. She was use to him wearing black suits of course, but always with a pop of white, or some color if he were feelings really daring. But the pure black look made him look older, not like a kid playing dress up.

"What do you like to get?" he asked.

"Apple, peanut butter, and cheddar sandwich." And when he wrinkled his nose, she added, "You'll love it. Especially with a glass of watermelon juice and black coffee."

"Have we been here before?" He sat the menu down. "Since we're friends, apparently."

"...Yeah, once or twice." She covered her face with the menu and cleared her throat.

When the waitress came by, he ordered exactly what she'd suggested. And Senritsu got an iced mocha with her sandwich.

"I haven't seen you two in a while," the waitress said.

"Hi Mabel." Senrtisu shot her a smile. "How've you been?"

"Oh well. Just ready to get off my feet." Her gaze turned to Kurapika. "And you?"

"Well," he said evenly. Which was a very Kurapika answer.

Mabel flitted off with a grin.

"Alright, so you came and willingly sold your phone to Tomin for some reason about two days ago or so, then presumably you went to the chapel, where you either lost your memories there, or shortly before arriving there," Senritsu said. "You don't recall going there yourself, but that doesn't mean you didn't. And it's possible someone brought you there too, so we can't rule that out."

He nodded.

"So we go to Tomin's shop and...and what?"

"See what happens?"

"Yeah," she replied, trying not to stare at him too intensely. Last time she was here, he'd broken up with her the moment they'd walked out that door. And it brought back a flood of feelings, mostly sadness. But getting upset now would do no good. Kurapika didn't remember breaking her heart, or even being with her. So I'll slap him when he gets his memories back...

Mabel brought there drinks to them. And after a few sips, Kurapika agreed that he did like his coffee black and bitter, especially paired with the refreshing juice.

"Guess we know each other pretty well." He grinned.

"Maybe." She almost winked, but smirked instead and took a sip of her coffee.

"So are we really going to break into that store?" Kurapika asked, holding his mug just below his nose.

She shrugged. "Guess you'll have to wait and find out."