Chapter.5: Voodoo moon pt.1
"Hello, young lady. Would you care to dance with me?"
Momo looked up from her trashcan to find a headless bloody chicken dangling in front of her face. "Kyaahh! Renjiii!" she squawked as he made the dead fowl dance a floppy dead chicken dance. Coagulated blood squirted a fine spray across the buttoned front of her jacket; she balled her fists up and thwacked him on the arm.
He backed away laughing, still teasingly flicking a leg in imitation of the Can Can.
"You jerk! Oh…Kurosaki," she said, glancing around the dead chicken and the annoying red head. Renji turned, his expression guilty, "uh…hi. We uh…" The orange-haired lead hunter didn't look impressed; his cold brown eyes surveyed the headless Chicken distastefully and wandered over to the gray metal cans lined up on the curb. "Find anything?" he asked curtly.
Momo dusted her hands off encased in yellow latex gloves, "not much," she answered, vaguely waving off toward a small cardboard box on the cement. "A headless black chicken obviously, some empty envelopes with the insignia of Mitsuo Kobayashi's law office on them…Renji had better luck."
The red head dropped the black fowl back into the rubbish in the can, his gloves stained red at the fingertips, "Madame Vera's famous Hoodoo concoction Get away sachet powder. Dr. Buzzard's Court case oil…Dr. Pryor's Hotfoot sachet powder and oh yeah. You're going to get a kick outta this one!" Renji carefully picked up a small object from the bottom of his box, holding it up with a tissue, "a real Voodoo doll with the victim's name on it."
Kurosaki eyed the rounded head of black wax and tiny barely formed body, "we're going to need Jeagerjaques on this. Voodoo is not one of our specialties. Momo call him up and have him come down to the office."
"Why me?" she looked affronted.
He flicked a glance her way, his mouth curled in a crooked, unpleasant smile, "because you have his number."
Her face flushed. Just then Renji noticed the absence of his regular partner and Kurosaki's. "Hey, where are Rangiku and Rukia?"
"Out shopping. Since Kuchiki ruined some of her clothes the other day, Matsumoto said they needed time to go out and replace them." Kurosaki said with a slight sneer as if such things were beneath him.
~~~*~~~
"A Voodoo doll?! And you touched it!" Grimmjow declared in horrified tones. His teal hair stuck up more than usual from running his fingers through it while he'd talked on the phone with Momo before. She'd been waiting for him in the lobby of the building and rode up with him to the sixth floor, continuing their conversation.
"Renji did. Not me," she said coolly. Her pin tucked white blouse and gray slacks had been spared the headless chicken onslaught, her hazel eyes were focused straight ahead, glaring it seemed at the slower than usual elevator service. "The pineapple head? Why wasn't he with—" Grimmjow began, Momo cut him off, "—Rangiku had a fight with him last night over dinner. Us hunters aren't supposed to socialize with each other outside of work but because of what happened with Rukia the other day—"
"Wait—wait. What happened with Rukia the other day?"
She sighed, backtracking to the details explained to her by Kurosaki. The silver elevator doors smoothly opened admitting them to the outer hallway and main office where raised voices could be heard. "I know what I saw, Kurosaki! It was a damned—" Renji stopped in the middle of his tirade to see Momo and Grimmjow in the doorway. Kurosaki stood near the coffee pot, his arms crossed; his face scowling. Rukia, dressed in presumably her new clothes, a purple knee-length skirt, runched at the bottom and a peasant style blouse in a lighter shade of violet, was standing behind Hanataro, peering over his shoulder. Rangiku obviously hadn't forgiven her partner for the dinner debacle for she pursed her lips while applying a smooth coat of Pink Majesty to her mouth, looking into a silver compact.
"What's going on?" Momo asked, noting the anger flitting on Renji's face.
"I was just leaving," he said boldly, scooping his jacket off the back of his chair. Rangiku finally looked up, "oh hey, Grimm, Momo. Renji here thought he saw a black dog in the hallway, but Kurosaki who was behind him didn't see anything." She shrugged, "Neither did we."
"Meaning you and Rukia?"
"Yeah."
"Alright…" Grimmjow rubbed his hands together, glancing surreptitiously behind him for a second then back to the five hunters, "show me what you got."
~~~*~~~
"This is Santeria," Grimmjow muttered, after just a brief glance at the objects Momo and Renji had found that morning. "Are you sure?" Kurosaki queried, his brown eyes scrutinizing the teal-haired policeman's face while he spoke. "Yeah, I'm sure. Ever heard of Dr. Buzzard, famous in the States, predominantly the American South with the blacks?"
"But isn't Santeria a South American religion?" Momo leaned forward on the table, her expression curious. "It's all the same thing. The Afro-Magico religious systems of Santeria, Voudon and Palo were taken to the new world with the slaves then adapted to fit other cultures. Some of the Catholic Saints, St. Barbara for instance is equated with Chango, the orisha for love. You're a Catholic aren't you?" Grimmjow demanded to which Momo ducked her head modestly, "Christian for sure but not a Catholic. Sorry but I don't know anything about the Saints."
"Most of Solomon's hunters are Christian," Rukia explained, three heads swiveled to her and Kurosaki nodded, "that's right. Anyone familiar with the Biblical quote: thou shalt not suffer a witch to live?" Grimmjow looked thoughtful, "a bit harsh, no? I mean I don't fancy the idea of there being people out there with these unnatural abilities but…"
"But what?" Kurosaki prompted, his brown eyes glinting malevolently. "—But I don't exactly agree with most of Solomon's principles," Grimmjow finished shooting a challenging glare to his rival. "Well spoken!" Rangiku clapped from her chair on the other side of the room. Sheepishly Renji approached the table, his expression apologetic, "I—well, what do you think of the Voodoo doll? Is it the real thing?"
Grimmjow slid the plastic baggie that the waxen figure had been placed in out from under the empty wrappers of the sachet powders, "Mitsuo Kobayashi," he read, a frown line creasing his broad brow, "who is he?"
~~~*~~~
"Mitsuo Kobayashi, age thirty-four. Litigator for the City of Tokyo in the case brought against Miguel Ayala, diviner and Mystic…with the charge of unlawful business practices and breaking the law. Grimm," Rangiku looked over at him, "is there a law that prohibits fortunetellers from operating?"
The teal-haired Policeman thought a moment, "not that I can think of," he answered carefully. "Article one nine-five," interrupted a male voice from the doorway.
"Chief!" Rangiku cried, halfway standing up from her stool. Hitsugaya sported a tiny white bandage over the cut on his cheek, his turquoise green eyes passed over all the hunters in turn until he landed on Rukia, then his mouth quirked a little in a facsimile of a smile, "I'm fine, Matsumoto. Thank you for your concern. Anyway as I was saying before, article one nine-five prohibits the practice of fortune telling and false prophesizing. Meaning quite simply to open a shop that contains a so-called psychic is against the law."
"How the hell do you know?" Grimmjow asked, a scowl touching his face.
"I called Tosen and asked him," Hitsugaya said nonchalantly, freezing Grimmjow with a slight grin. A shiver went through the policeman's body, his teal eyes going wide. "He also said to tell you to get your ass back to the station…but I told him I had no idea where you were," Hitsugaya's grin widened as he saw the relief break out over Grimm's expression.
"Thank God…I'm saved!"
"With you that's an understatement," Hitsugaya said dryly, Kurosaki shook his head at this, "never mind. Let's just get back to the case at hand. At seven am this morning we received a call from the coroner's office and a tip to check the trashcans belonging to a-we suspect-Santero Priest by the name of Miguel Ayala. The victim laid out in the morgue was positively identified as that of Mitsuo Kobayashi as Rangiku said before, a city Litigator bringing a case against Mr. Ayala."
"So…maybe a motive for murder?" Momo theorized her chin propped up in her hand. "Was he…a seed?" questioned Rukia; Kurosaki glanced toward her and said, "I'm having Hanataro check that out as we speak. But it's safe to assume he might at least have a strain of Pertho in his background. That's why I want you and Momo to drop by his shop…Grimm can you spare the time? I'd like you to go with them, get your fortunes told or something."
Grimmjow shrugged, "alright. I'll go with the girls…you two had better not get me into trouble like that last time," he muttered, casting dark looks around. Momo giggled, batting her lashes at him. "So what'll we do?" Rangiku interrupted, glancing toward her partner. Kurosaki tapped the screen of the computer, putting it on stationary mode, "oh, you have the best job of all."
When he didn't elaborate she prompted, "and what is that?"
"Talking with Mrs. Kobayashi and family. See if Mitsuo had any enemies other than the supernatural kind."
"Marvelous," Rangiku muttered, "but where might you be going, my liege?"
"None of your damn business. But if you must know, I'm going to pick somebody up from the airport," Kurosaki said flippantly, standing up. The others followed his example, Rangiku hesitated, her blond eyebrows rose, "who might that be?"
"Like I said before. None of your damned business," he repeated with a faint smile.
~~~*~~~
"Here we are, Mystical eye down on the back street behind 45th," Momo said, guiding the car to a stop in a narrow parking space between a dusty van and battered truck that had seen better days. Grimmjow glanced out the tinted window of the backseat; his teal eyes narrowing, "looks like one of the barrios from where we used to live."
Rukia turned around in her seat to look at him, "barrio? That's like a Spanish community right? Did you live in Spain or something, before?" Momo cut in before Grimmjow could answer, "he's actually half Japanese. His father was a Spaniard, his mother a widely traveled resident of Japan. They married and lived in some region in Spain for a while before coming back here to settle. His—" she paused and shared a brief nod in acquiescence with him then continuing, "—his sister Airi was born here. Grimm was ten years older than her. She—"
"Was murdered," Grimmjow finished, "kidnapped by a witch during a standoff and died as a result. It was…" he smiled bitterly, "Kurosaki's first case. Tore him up inside when he wasn't able to save her. I don't blame him for what happened. Sometimes I think that maybe if I hadn't let her go by herself that day…"
"It's not your fault."
His teal eyes looked up and met steady violet, "that's what everybody keeps saying."
"It isn't." Rukia reached between the spaces and patted his arm; "believe me."
They shared a brief moment then Grimmjow smiled, "okay how're we going to do this?"
~~~*~~~
He stood beside Rukia on the front step, lifting his fist to rap the metal triangular doorknocker. A couple, Momo had decided was the least that attracted attention. And who better to pose as a respective young couple worried about their future than Rukia and him?
Grimmjow chewed his lip nervously, feeling the shorter female at his side, fumbling for his hand. "It's okay, dear," he managed to say before the inner gray screen of the door cracked open revealing a mocha-skinned man wearing spectacles. "I'm sure we'll get a favorable reading."
"Yes? How may I help you?" the man asked politely.
Grimmjow squeezed Rukia's fingers gently, "um we're wondering if maybe you still did Tarot card readings? My girlfriend," he flashed her a grin, "and I would like to know our futures."
The man's expression lightened, "come in! I am known around here as El Elefante. You are?" Rukia stepped forward, remembering the fake names to give, "Ruka Shirabuki. And he is Yagari Kuran."
"Ruka-san and Yagari-kun, come right this way," the man waved toward a room down the hall, dimly lit but for the parted curtains enclosing it and a few candles in burners placed throughout. Rukia took note of the blackened glass of one, reading the name silently, Courtcase. Grimmjow saw and waggled his eyebrows, Santeria, he mouthed.
She nodded, taking a seat at the chair Ayala drew for her. "Now which spread would you like? The Celtic cross or perhaps…something more detailed?" he asked, getting right down to business. His pack of cards, she saw were not Rider Waite but rather had different artwork. "The Seventeen card spread, please." Grimmjow glanced at her funny but she paid him no mind. The seventeen-card spread she'd seen once demonstrated by a captured witch who could manipulate the cards.
But now she watched without trepidation as Ayala fanned the deck, mumbling prayers in some indecipherable language. His gnarled brown hands smoothly cut the cards and then began placing them right side up on the table. He scanned them once then sighed heavily, "ay Ruka-san. Witchcraft abounds in this reading." Grimmjow who stood behind her nearly snorted but a glance from her stifled his amusement.
"How so?" she asked, her voice steady.
"The abundance of Swords," he stabbed a crooked index finger down on one. The five of swords, she read as from her vantage point it was upside down. "What does that one mean?" Rukia indicated the five. "Quarrels in the sector of your happiness. It could be that someone," he glanced at Grimmjow explicitly, "has problems with you and may or may not wish to confront them. Also I see a lot of men, authority figures from the looks of it. This one here is an older man like a father figure. A professional, good at what he does but he's also very discriminating and doesn't make friends very easily. Sound like anyone you know?"
Father Byakuya, Rukia thought with a faint smile, "yes. I know who it is. But who is that other King? The King of—cups?"
Ayala studied it for a moment, "A Cancer."
"Excuse me?"
"Oh. I'm sorry, I don't know if you're at all familiar with the astrological signs? Cancer the crab, Gemini the twins?"
"No."
"I see…well this man is cold, uncaring and doesn't nurture others. His emotions are sublimated through loss and…he's very ruthless. Not very nice at all."
Grimmjow shifted, "what are the dates?"
"June 22nd to July 23rd. Though I see him in this reading as having an impact in your future, Ruka-san. Not your present…so perhaps you have yet to meet him."
~~~*~~~
"Who was it?" Rukia asked as she and Grimmjow exited the gate. His lips were curled in a slight smile and had been ever since the King of Cups had appeared in her reading. He shook his head, "nah. I can't tell you." She frowned and entwined her arm through his; Momo passed them on the opposite side of the street, her brown hair loose and she was wearing tinted DK sunglasses. Her blazer had been left in the car, obviously in anticipation of her reading and the fact that on the back of the jacket was printed in faint embroidery: SCG-J.
Grimmjow yawned, casting a glance up at the dusky sky, "say, how about you and I stop over at that little Café across the way and grab a bite while Momo's with Mr. Hoodoo?" Rukia looked up at him exchanging a brief smirk, "that might not be such a bad idea. If you pay." He snorted about to retort something smart when suddenly his eyes were drawn to a solid white Police car cruising slowly up toward them. He went stiff with fright, his teal hair standing up on end.
"I-It's him!"
"Huh? Who's—""Never mind! Just move!" He tugged her arm, averting his face from the street. The swing glass door of the Café was close…she risked a glance back over her shoulder as they went in. The police car had stopped at the curb, the window lowering to reveal a black man wearing wide Aviator shades.
"Kaname Tosen," Grimmjow muttered, pulling her to the counter. "The strictest, despot ruler of the Police force. Unfortunately he's the Police chief and…my boss," he added darkly. Rukia swallowed her smile, Grimm's horror stories of life behind the desk and mountains of paperwork doled out to him by this man were fast becoming the new water cooler in Raven's 13.
Though she had to wonder if he was all that bad or if it was just Grimm and his problems adhering to those men like Kurosaki and Tosen who wielded either power and-or-influence. Hitsugaya had certainly seemed to have no trouble in calling up that man. She glanced out the door, seeing the police car finally pull away. "He's gone," she informed her sweaty companion.
The teal-eyed Policeman twitched, his head dropping onto his chest, "phew! That was close—"
"May I take your order?"
"Huh?" Grimmjow raised his head, recalling just then that they were inside a Café. "Oh…sorry." He narrowed his eyes at the pimply youth behind the counter ogling Rukia. He pulled her a little closer, glaring dangerously, "ahem. My girlfriend and I would like two club specials, Hoshi," he read the plastic nametag scathingly.
The boy tore his eyes from the petite hunter, hitting the buttons on the register quickly, "right away, sir!" Grimmjow took out his wallet and flipped a twenty onto the counter, Rukia tried not to show her amusement at Grimm's sudden possessiveness but failing when he all but hauled her to the farthest table from the front. "Little shit," he muttered, sending daggers across the room.
~~~To be continued in pt.2 of Voodoo moon~~~
A/N: I just didn't have the patience to write anymore though it might be a little GrimmRuki-ish. Just like in Chapter 7 it'll be a little UlquiRuki with Ichi getting a jealousy attack. Note: Hotfoot powder is to make people leave such as bad neighbors or something. Get away powder is much the same. Also Madame Vera's products don't exist.