THE THINGS WE DO FOR LOVE
Chapter 5: "Chief Suspects"
By Bill K.
Inside the Hikawa Shrine, in the room that had become their unofficial headquarters, five women reviewed evidence from an official police folder. To the side, Makoto's two-year-old daughter played with a picture book Makoto had brought with her.
"These murder scene pictures are as gruesome as anything I've ever seen," Makoto grimaced. Usagi shared her grimace and she hadn't even seen them, having steadfastly refused to look.
"They're not easy for me to look at, either," Ami said softly as she examined them with a critical eye. "Each of the victims were colleagues of mine." Usagi reached over and put her hand on Ami's. "The wounds are very precise. They're not a general slash, but a very precision cut aimed at a specific target, that being the carotid artery. If you're going to slash the throat and be sure of killing someone, that's where you would aim. A medical professional would likely know this and a scalpel would make this type of incision."
Minako nodded grimly, while Makoto and Usagi looked like they were about to get sick. Rei continued to stare at the photos.
"You picking up anything from this stuff, Rei?" Minako asked.
"Vague impressions," Rei whispered, her brow furrowed. "Hatred - - intense anger." She let out a shuddering breath. "I'm also getting victim impressions. A lot of fear - - but - - confusion, too. No, not confusion - - surprise."
"Like he jumped out of the shadows at them?" Usagi asked.
"Don't assume the assailant is male, Usagi," Ami cautioned absently. "And your statement is an illogical assumption, too. There's no sign of a struggle in any of the pictures. Even if the assailant had approached from behind, there would have been some pulling at the blouse or mid-section of the dress. The natural movement of someone coming up from behind is to grasp around the waist with one arm while drawing the weapon across the throat with the other."
Makoto glanced over at Akiko.
"Um, Rei, is it OK if Akiko goes into the other room and watches TV?" Makoto asked. "I really don't want her listening to this."
"Well," Rei grimaced, "I don't have a set anymore. I got rid of it when money was tight. I never watched it anyway."
"Not even my shows?" Minako asked.
"Especially your shows," Rei retorted.
"Makoto, children of that age rarely retain such concepts," Ami advised. "I think she'll be all right, as long as we don't show her the photos."
"OK, back to work," Minako said. "So if there was no struggle, then assailant approaches victim and victim isn't immediately on defense?" Ami nodded. "So assailant is someone the victim knows?"
"Or someone a person would naturally trust," suggested Makoto, "like a police officer or a priest."
"And probably someone who works at that hospital," Minako added.
"But the last victim was killed at her apartment building," Rei interjected.
"Probably a case of opportunity," Ami explained. "Hospital security has increased to the point where there probably wasn't opportunity to commit the crime there. So the assailant probably followed the victim to her building and killed her there."
"And THAT suggests that these aren't random killings," Minako concluded. "But if they're not random, then what's the motive?"
"I've already been thinking along those lines," Ami nodded. "I can't link the killings beyond what the police have, that being they all work as doctors or nurses at the hospital. But I may have a clue as to who." Everyone looked at Ami. "I had a rather peculiar encounter with one of the staff. Dr. Gendo Mugashi is an intern at the hospital. He's been there for about six months."
"And the murders started about four months ago," Minako said.
"He has a background in surgery and is interning at the hospital as a surgeon," Ami continued. "He was familiar with all of the victims - - of course, so was I. All of the evidence is purely circumstantial at this point."
"But . . ." Minako prodded.
"I had a," Ami related painfully, "very unsettling experience with him in the garage yesterday. Perhaps it was paranoia on my part hyper-accelerating my feelings . . ."
"Don't mistrust your instincts, Ami," Rei cautioned her. "The psychic portion of a person's brain is just as reliable as the thinking portion."
"You're far more experienced in that area than I am," Ami said. "Because of that, I don't think we should focus on Dr. Mugashi to the exclusion of other possibilities. It's just that . . . well . . ."
"We need to do some digging on him," Minako finished her thought. "I'll get Artemis on it. Right now, I have to get to the studio."
She and Ami headed out while Makoto collected Akiko. Rei started to gather the evidence up to store it away. Then she felt Usagi's hand on her shoulder.
"Rei, call me tomorrow," Usagi requested. "Anytime that's convenient."
"About what?" Rei asked.
"About your date!" Usagi gasped. "I want to hear everything!"
Rei gave her a cynical grin. "OK," she sighed. Then she pointed at the blonde. "But if you so much as breathe the word 'marriage', I will put such a curse on you!"
"Rei Hino, you're just mean!" huffed Usagi.
Haruka and Michiru sat in the office of an attorney. He was unremarkable in appearance to their eye - - thin, black hair and glasses, with a conservative suit that was well-tailored but very quiet. The attorney, Jiro Kuwazuki, read the letter and the copy of the restraining order the couple had received. Michiru sat patiently, studying the attorney, while Haruka fidgeted nervously.
"So, can she really do this?" Haruka asked finally when the suspense became too much for her.
"Well, the restraining order is factual," Kuwazuki began cautiously.
"But why? I haven't done anything!" Haruka demanded.
"Tenoh-San," Kuwazuki continued patiently, "this isn't a judgment against you, per se. That's why the order is temporary. This girl's mother has implicated you as a bad influence and potential threat to the girl, and Japanese juvenile courts tend traditionally to err on the side of the child involved. The hearing next month is designed to establish whether her implications are valid and the order should be made permanent."
"Does she have a chance of succeeding?" Michiru inquired.
"Well, there's always a chance," he shrugged. "But I can't see it from what I know about the case. You're both very famous. You have a good portion of success and valid incomes. There's very little in the public record that would reflect negatively on either of you." He leaned in intently. "Is there anything not in the public record that I should know about?"
Haruka remained silent, as was her character. She didn't trust herself to respond, and it wasn't any of his business anyway.
"Nothing at all," Michiru replied. "We're as normal as anyone who has had the personal success two people at our young age can be. If there was some dire secret in our lives, I'm certain the press would have found it by now." Haruka looked at her, amazed that she could dissemble so effortlessly.
"You said there was a chance, though," Haruka interjected. "What could go wrong?"
"Well," Kuwazuki sighed, "the fact that you're both openly lesbian will come up in court. Depending on what judge is assigned to the case, it could be seen as a negative influence on the minor in question. Also there's Kaioh-San's recent hospitalization."
"I'm completely recovered from that," Michiru bristled.
"Yes, but it's the way you contracted the disease," the attorney continued. "As I read it in the papers, you contracted it scouting the area of a meteor crash for 'interesting images', even though the area was cordoned off by National Security Forces?"
"That's correct," Michiru nodded, feeling uneasy inside.
"That behavior could be seen as reckless and a possible danger to a minor. By itself, it wouldn't make the case, but it could be used with other things to sway it."
"Well what about them?" roared Haruka. "I was raped when I was twelve! And they said I deserved it! MY OWN MOTHER AND FATHER!"
Kuwazuki was startled by the outburst, but recovered quickly. "Would you be willing to swear to an affidavit of that and have it entered as evidence?" Kuwazuki asked. "It might help if the case is going badly."
"Would that be absolutely necessary?" Michiru asked.
"I'll do it," Haruka rumbled. Michiru looked at her gravely.
Kuwazuki nodded. "It might not even be necessary, Tenoh-San. All they seem to have is your homosexuality as a basis for the complaint. If we can assemble enough character witnesses to refute their charges, we won't even have to get into the character and fitness of your parents." He paused. "Unless you wanted to."
Haruka thought a moment. "No. It might hurt Junko. This whole hearing is going to be bad enough for her."
"Understood. Well, if you're amenable, I'll take the case. If you can provide me a list in the next two days of character witnesses, I'll get started. It should be friends, co-workers, reputable acquaintances - - people with high standing or unblemished records who can testify to your fitness and sterling moral character, but no one who could be viewed as being financially or otherwise obligated to you."
"I'll have a list to you by tomorrow," Michiru said. She rose from her chair and Haruka followed suit, then bowed to the attorney. "Thank you for your efforts on our behalf."
"Thank you for your trust in my ability," Kuwazuki replied, standing and returning the bow.
Out in the hall, the pair walked to the elevator.
"Think he can do it?" Haruka asked nervously.
"I think so," Michiru replied.
"So why didn't you want me to testify?"
"Haruka, I know you don't like talking about that period of your life. I know how painful it is for you. I doubt a courtroom hearing would be a very comfortable place for you to reveal such a thing, even if it was just a sworn deposition." Michiru hesitated. "Maybe I'm just afraid it will open old wounds and set back your progress."
"Hey, I didn't ask for this fight, but I'm not going to let them get away with making me out as a bad influence after what they did."
"Haruka," Michiru cautioned, "this isn't about revenge. This is about Junko and protecting her right to choose her own path."
"Yeah, I know," Haruka responded. "This is about Junko. And it's about me being able to enjoy socializing with a kid I've, well, kind of come to like." Michiru beamed at her. "It's not something I want to do. But they're not getting away with this, and if it means telling the whole story in front of a judge and who knows who else, I'll do it." She winked at Michiru. "And any satisfaction I get out of it will just be a bonus."
Michiru slithered her arm around her love's and leaned her head in.
"Personally, I hope it doesn't come to that," Michiru mused. "Call me an optimist, but I think doing that would definitely burn the bridge. Maybe it is only teetering on one support, but as long as it is, then there's some hope for it being rebuilt." She sighed. "And I'm just afraid that the nastier the fight between you two, the worse it's going to be for poor Junko."
Just then, Michiru's cell phone sounded with its characteristic ring tone of Tchaikovsky's "The Russian Dance". As her mate answered it, Haruka recalled Michiru once said she liked the piece for many reasons, one being that the dancing cossacks in that passage of "The Nutcracker Suite" reminded her of "someone very close to me".
"Hello?" Michiru said. The phone crackled with the caller on the other end, so much so that Michiru momentarily pulled the phone from her ear. "Who is this?" By now Haruka was concerned. "I haven't - - we haven't seen her! Calm down, Tenoh-San! We haven't . . .!"
"Who is it?" Haruka demanded.
"No, we don't have her!" Michiru reiterated. "We haven't seen her since yesterday!" Exasperated, Michiru pulled the phone away and turned to Haruka. "It's your father. He says Junko didn't come home last night! He's accusing us of harboring her!"
"Give me that!" Haruka demanded. Michiru handed her the phone. "Who are her friends, Dad? Damn it, who are her friends!" She listened to Gert Tenoh's angry response. "So call the police! Call the damn National Security Force if you want to!" She clapped the cell phone shut, tossed it to Michiru and headed for where the Fiat was parked.
"Do you know where she is?" Michiru asked, chasing after Haruka.
"Not yet!" Haruka called back, but not slowing. It was up to Michiru to catch up. "But I'm probably better qualified than anyone I know to know where to start looking"
The next morning, Rei was in the kitchen of the shrine preparing her breakfast. She'd slept late that morning - - eight a.m., which was late for the normally industrious priest - - and risen with a smile on her face and a song in her heart. Rising late didn't seem the big deal it normally would have for the perfectionist young woman. Of course, she had an excuse. She and Derek had a late night last night. The memory of it made her smile.
They'd taken in the Odaiba night life. Dinner, a show, some karaoki afterwards, all orchestrated by Derek. He claimed he'd taken the advice of teammates on the Giants and had never taken a woman there before. Rei was skeptical of that until she read that he was telling the truth. His interest in her was genuine, too. Part of it was sexual - - that she could read even without her "sight" - - but there was a growing chemistry between them that he seemed to sense as well. It was that chemistry that helped her overcome her long-held disdain of foreigners, and it was that same chemistry that, in Derek's words, overcame his reluctance to get involved with "a local".
The phone brought Rei out of her fond memories, for the night had been wonderful. She still recalled with amusement his reaction when they'd kissed goodnight - - and nothing else - - but he took it with good humor. She knew he was interested enough to keep trying to weaken her defenses, just as she knew he knew that she wanted him to keep trying.
"Goodness, I'm thinking like Usagi now," Rei muttered to herself as she picked up the phone. "Hello?"
"So how did it go?" Usagi squealed on the other end of the line.
"Usagi?" gasped the priest.
"Of course! Who else would be calling you this time of the morning?"
"Certainly nobody capable of rational thought," Rei groused. "Using that logic, I should have known it was you."
"Precisely!" Usagi proclaimed. "Wait a minute . . .!"
"I suppose you want all of the intimate details so you can spread them all over the known universe," Rei demanded. She was baiting Usagi, of course, because it was fun and because it allowed her to rationalize the urge she had to tell everybody in the known universe about what had happened.
"I'll do no such thing!" Usagi gasped.
"I can tell you're lying and I can't even see you to read you," the priest smirked.
The raspberry made Rei hold the phone away from her ear.
"Just tell me what happened!" Usagi demanded. "And none of your smart cracks!"
"Well," Rei began. She bit her lip because she could feel the heat of her cheeks. "We went to Odaiba. We dined at a wonderful little sushi bar that served great food and had a very intimate atmosphere. After that we took in some Kabuki Theater. Then we took a walk along the oceanfront. I explained the Kabuki to him and we talked about - - well, life and stuff. He's really a wonderful guy. There's no pretense about him at all. He is what he is and he's happy with that. Honestly, Usagi, I meet so many people who are one thing on the surface, and yet I can see some of what they really are underneath. It makes it hard to trust people. But Derek is so up front and honest that he's a complete burst of fresh air."
"Sound like you kind of like him," Usagi replied.
"I," Rei began hesitantly, "kind of do."
"Could it be that you even love him?"
"It could happen," Rei said, her mouth breaking out in a huge grin. "Provided I don't mess it up. You know me."
"Rei, you're a wonderful person!" Usagi said emphatically. "He'd be crazy not to go for you! Just give him a chance."
"I promise," Rei said shyly.
"When are you going out again?"
"Tonight, after the game. I'll probably have to open the shrine later to accommodate my late night. But the Giants go on a road trip starting Monday and we want to get in as much time together as possible."
"I want to hear everything!" Usagi demanded.
"Honestly, why don't you start reading your trashy romance novels again if you want a cheap thrill," Rei snapped playfully. "You are such a nosy little creature."
"DON'T YOU HOLD OUT ON ME, REI HINO!" bellowed Usagi. "I'll torture it out of you if I have to!"
"Good-bye, Usagi," Rei purred. She hung up the phone, then leaned against the wall. Life was suddenly very good. And Usagi's happiness for her only seemed to make it better.
Usagi hung up the phone, then suddenly broke into a little happy dance. It was all she could do to keep from squealing like a two-year-old.
"And just what are you on about?" Luna demanded, eyeing the woman critically.
"Oh, you wouldn't understand, Luna," Usagi frowned. "It involves love."
"So who was on the line?" Luna retorted sarcastically. "The sweet shop telling you that your monthly supply was ready." Usagi responded with her tongue, but the doorbell cut off further retort.
"I'll get it!" Mamoru called out. "I'm headed out anyway. See you tonight."
At the door were two men in their mid-thirties. They wore dark suits and serious expressions on their tired, jaded faces.
"Are you Mamoru Chiba?" one of them asked.
"Yes," Mamoru responded. "What did you want?"
"Police officers, sir," the man replied. "We'd like to ask you a few questions."
"About what?" By now Usagi had approached and was looking curiously at them from behind her husband.
"About the string of murders that have been occurring at the facility you work at," the detective said emotionlessly.
Continued in Chapter 6