Case File #1: Skeletons in the Closet
Part 5
July
Day 2
7:20 AM
Amid the gasps let out by girls, John, and Yasu, Takigawa let out a low whistle that echoed over the chaos as the group stood in stunned observation.
The construction site was a disaster.
"This is worse than the mess from yesterday," the monk observed quietly. The others could only nod numbly in agreement. Chains were strewn about as if they'd been flung; ropes were knotted and woven into intricate patterns, their ends dangling several floors above. Supports beams were either broken or thrown violently aside, and the pile of sheetrock Katsu had hidden her bag under the previous evening was in total disarray. Equipment – both theirs and that of Tomei Construction Company – had apparently tossed from the windows. One of the night vision cameras was dangling by its cord from the second story.
"It's a good thing Kazuya has insurance on his equipment," Yasu muttered, casting a glance in the eighteen-year-old's direction.
Naru said nothing. He seemed to be too absorbed in surveying the ruined jobsite to really pay any attention to what they were saying.
"Oh no… not again…" the group turned in the direction of the groan. Umehito Sendo, the jobsite foreman, had arrived. Right behind him were Kazehiro Otonashi and Obitsu Katagiri, the CEO wide-eyed and stunned at the disaster before them. The secretary merely narrowed his eyes in clear disapproval.
"Sorry about the mess, Mr. Sendo and Mr. Otonashi," Mai apologized nervously.
It took the foreman a minute to process her words. "No… no, it isn't your fault," he said, sounding dazed. "I know you kids didn't do this…"
"Whoa… well I know the local bōsōzoku didn't do all this," a new voice joined in. Katsu Shinomori had appeared just behind the two business suit-clad men, and was gawking at the mess from under a large pair of sunglasses perched atop her beanie. "They've been too busy hanging around the – eep!"
Obitsu Katagiri had her by the collar of the unbuttoned plaid shirt she wore over a pale grey tank, not in the least amused.
"I thought you were told to stay off this site," he told the girl gruffly. Katsu glared at him.
"I'll have you know that I'm –"
"She's with us," Naru interrupted. Everyone within hearing range looked at him incredulously.
"This little tramp works for Shibuya Psychic Research?" the secretary looked at him in evident disbelief. Katsu's glare intensified at the insult.
"She's a volunteer," clarified the narcissist. "Miss Shinomori has offered her assistance by aiding us in research and data collecting. Seeing as one of our team members met with an unfortunate accident the other day and is not to stress themselves too much, I saw no harm in accepting her proposal."
Mai winced at her boss's unspoken accusation. The only reason he'd let Katsu in wasn't just for whatever information she might have had (although he had kept her notes, "for investigation purposes," as he'd said) – it was because she was the reason Takigawa's face was bruised and swollen, there was a long cut on his head, and he had been caught by Ayako the previous evening in an attempt to take two more pills of arthritis strength acetaminophen while the SPR director continued his interrogation. The bassist could still walk around (and was doing so out of pure obstinacy and unwillingness to remain cooped up in the hotel room during a case), but it was pretty obvious that he was still in a lot of pain.
And now Katsu was Kazuya Shibuya's lackey for the duration of this case.
'Poor Katsu,' the brunette couldn't help but think as she watched the girl. 'I hope she relaxes soon. She looks like she's on the edge. And Naru isn't helping matters.'
Indeed, SPR's director had only further increased Katsu's unease after being caught trespassing. Mai hadn't been permitted to hear the entire conversation (quite the contrary: with the exception of Takigawa, who'd been confined to his bed at the hotel after Lin dropped him off with John to keep an eye on him, the rest of the team had been promptly sent back to exploring), but she knew from experience that Naru could be a harsh interviewer when he saw fit. And judging from the intermittent anxious glances the interloper would send in his direction if they were in the same vicinity, Mai could tell he hadn't held back.
And now there was Mr. Katagiri – "Old Hawkeye", as Sendo had called him – to contend with. And Katsu didn't look any easier being held by the scruff like a naughty kitten.
Mr. Otonashi's hawkish secretary looked down at the girl he still had by the collar, studying her with an unwavering gaze. The girl in question merely glared back in defiance, though it was fairly obvious that she'd liked to have been elsewhere at the moment.
After a moment he sighed and let her go, and took a step back. "Very well, then. But know this, Mr. Shibuya –" He narrowed his piercing gaze upon the raven-haired youth. "This hooligan has been breaking into this complex for well over a week now, and I'm sure Mr. Otonashi has already informed you of materials going missing. I'd keep an eye on her if I were you. And count your supplies at the end of the day."
Naru's own gaze was as cold as a Siberian winter as he watched the girl storm to the back of the group, placing herself right behind Takigawa as if to hide herself before his eyes returned to Hawkeye. "I'll take that into consideration."
Luckily, Mr. Otonashi had recovered enough to break through the uncomfortable tension that permeated the air.
"Mr. Shibuya, I apologize for any damage done to your equipment, and am willing to compensate for your losses."
The youth's arctic gaze slid slowly away from the secretary. "That won't be necessary, seeing as insurance covers a majority of the equipment we use."
Mr. Otonashi blinked. "Ah, well… I must say, Mr. Shibuya: you certainly think things through." He chuckled nervously. "Most impressive."
Sendo coughed, bringing attention to himself. "Excuse me, but if it's all right with you guys, I took the liberty of making today a sort of free day for the men. They'll be coming in soon, but the most I'll be having them do is cleaning up the mess, so feel free to ask for help."
"If we had a need for it, we will."
"Right. Anyways, we figured you'd want to interview everyone as soon as possible, and I brought the work roster with me so you know who you'll be speaking with. Hawkeye – I mean Mr. Katagiri – has the company's pass codes with him so you can have access to the jobsite database."
The secretary's mouth twitched at the nickname, but swept past as he pulled a thin grey folder from his briefcase.
"I ought to have provided this the other day," he said as he pored over the folder's contents, "but I was too preoccupied to do so at the time. Whenever you require them, I will enter the pass codes for you so that you will have access; however, I will not give you these codes under any circumstances. Is that agreeable, Mr. Shibuya?"
"That would be fine. Lin will look into the databases after the interview process." The Chinese man nodded in the secretary's direction. Katagiri simply frowned in return. "And seeing as the three of you are here, would you care to give your statements at this time?" He turned in the CEO's direction. "Mr. Otonashi, you would be exempt from this process; however, we'll need Mr. Katagiri and Mr. Sendo, if you don't mind."
"Oh, no. Certainly not," the older man assured him. "Actually, I feel it would be best if I helped out a bit on the site myself. It won't do me any good just sitting around in an office when everyone else is out cleaning up."
"You need to watch your blood pressure," Katagiri intoned.
"Don't worry about me, Obitsu. If anything happens, I'll quit. In the meantime, let me do something other than paperwork."
The secretary shrugged. "If that is what you wish. So long as you are careful, I will not argue."
"Good," the CEO laughed. "All right, then, what do we do first?"
"I would like for both Mr. Sendo and Mr. Katagiri to come with me," Naru stated. "I will speak with Mr. Sendo first. Mr. Katagiri, if you would please wait in the trailer attached to the one we're using as base, we'll talk to you once we're finished."
"That would be a workable arrangement," the secretary concurred. He strode towards the SPR director in an effortless gait, but did not hesitate to send a scathing look in Katsu's direction and muttering the word, "mutt."
The sudden freeze in the group indicated that everyone had heard it.
"Hey, that was rude!" Mai protested. Katagiri spared her only one very dry look before turning around again. Angered by the man's unsavory demeanor, Mai looked to see what Katsu's reaction was, but the interloper's face was mostly hidden by her dark bangs as she readjusted the shoulder strap of her bag and began walking towards the building.
Mai frowned worriedly. "Hey, Katsu? You okay?"
"What was all that about?" Monk asked, sidling up alongside the girl.
"Just the usual old geezer diatribe," she responded tersely, pulling her sunglasses over her already hidden eyes. "Don't worry about it, 'cause I sure don't. Go, go, beauty, round, round, nothing's gonna stop."
Monk and Mai shared a look upon hearing the recognized spoken song lyrics. "Wait, what does –?"
"Miss Shinomori. Yasuhara." The two aforementioned teens looked up in their leader's direction. Naru was several feet away from base, Katagiri and Sendo walking just behind Lin, who was currently opening the door. "I want the both of you to talk to everyone living around this area. See if you can find out anything about the building that used to stand here, and if it held any significance. For the best coverage, I recommend you split up for this endeavor."
"Sure thing, Boss," Yasu replied, tipping his hardhat back.
"We're on it," said Katsu, and the two walked off, Yasuhara attempting to converse with his newly acquired partner lowly. Whatever it was he was trying to say to her, Mai couldn't hear. And she didn't have time to wonder, thanks to Naru's next order:
"The rest of you will check the equipment and make notes on whatever is damaged and reset everything that's still operational. No one is to travel alone – make sure that you're with someone at all times and that you have a communication device. Mai, tea. And make it hot."
She looked at him incredulously. "What? In this heat? Are you kidding me?"
He turned a slightly amused glance in her direction. "Mai, do I look like I'm joking to you?"
'No, but you look like you're making fun of me – again!' She sighed. "Tea coming right up, Your Highness."
His eyes narrowed slightly. "Need I remind you who signs your paycheck…?"
"I'm going! I'm going!" 'Stupid tea-addicted, workaholic, narcissist jerk!'
She missed the self-satisfied smirk that appeared on his face while her back was turned.
…
Mai's sour disposition brought on by the already sweltering heat and disdain of having to have endured a boiling tea kettle on top of it was quickly forced back down her throat upon entering the trailer being used as base. Upon entering, she found herself coming into the questioning somewhere in the middle. As she placed Naru's tea in front of him and placed a glass of cold water in front of Sendo, she did her best to keep up before heading in Lin's direction with another glass of water.
"We were told that several of your workers have turned up with unusual injuries," Naru continued, taking a black notebook and opening it up, presumably to consult his notes. "According to Mr. Otonashi, you've had a few instances of workers suffering from frostbite, one of whom was sent to the hospital with hypothermia."
"Enichi Yamada," Sendo said, shaking his head. "It was nearly one hundred degrees outside that day, and if that wasn't enough, the air conditioning in the office trailers went out! I was about to give everyone half an hour to keep them from overdoing it, when Yamada came out from the basement level of the business section, shivering like crazy and holding his shirt against him. At first I thought the heat had gotten to him, but when I actually touched his skin, it felt like he'd been dunked in ice! I didn't know how to react when I got a phone call from his wife that night, telling me that he was being kept in the hospital for hypothermia and frost bite. We don't have anything cold on this site except for the ice used for keeping the drinks cool and whatever's on the food cart, and Yamada always brings his lunch from home."
"Did Mr. Yamada say anything strange either before or after this incident?"
Sendo nodded emphatically. "Sure did. Kept going on about getting shoved in a closet and winding up in the freezing cold. Even after he'd calmed down some, he said the exact same thing: he was working up on the third level with the rest of the guys, when suddenly he felt someone push him on the small of his back. Next thing he knew, he was freezing cold and pounding on the door, yelling at the top of his lungs for someone to let him out. After talking around, I found out that it was Jun Furukawa who'd found him locked up somehow in one of the storage bins down in the basement. And then he took off running, and that's when I found out he was like an icicle."
"Is Mr. Furukawa available to confirm your story?"
"I'm sure he'd be willing to give you a statement if you gave him a call, but the last I heard he wasn't able to talk. Furukawa was the worst of the injuries: burn marks and lacerations running up his back. He's still stuck in the hospital for third-degree burns." Sendo frowned. "Now that I think on it, Furukawa'd been found in the basement level of the business section, too. And the other guys that'd gone to the hospital. But Furukawa was the only one who went for heat-related injuries. Can't even lie on his back now."
"Poor guy…" Mai muttered sadly. Even if she hadn't met the man, she couldn't help feel awful for him and the other crew members who'd been injured.
Naru jotted something down in his notebook. "That concludes my questioning, Mr. Sendo. Thank you for your cooperation. If you'd be so kind as to ask Mr. Katagiri to come in, I'd appreciate it."
"Sure thing, Mr. Shibuya. Let me know if you anything else." The foreman rose and quickly downed the remains of his drink, the ice having already melted. He gave Mai a smile before walking to the door. "And thank you for the drink, Miss Taniyama. I needed it."
"It was my pleasure," she returned, bowing. Sendo smiled and exited.
Once the door was shut, Mai looked over to her employer. "So, Naru… did you find out anything new?"
"Nothing much," he replied without looking up, reaching out for his cup of tea and taking a drink. "If anything, he's only confirmed what Mr. Otonashi told us initially. Although he's given me reason to look further into the basement underneath the business section. And then there are the closets…"
Mai frowned. "It's really weird how that came up. Do you think it's tied into what we saw on the monitor last night?"
Naru looked up at her for a moment, taking in her words as he set his cup back on the saucer. "At the moment, it's too soon to say; however, I won't discount anything just yet. We don't have enough to work with yet for me to make a call on that one."
"Oh…" A sharp knock on the door caught their attention, and before Naru could give the person permission to enter, Obitsu Katagiri swiftly entered the business trailer.
"Mr. Katagiri," the youth acknowledged, the irritation Mai was certain he was feeling carefully tucked away.
"If you don't mind, Mr. Shibuya, I would like to make this brief," said the secretary as he promptly sat in the chair across from the SPR director. "I am fully prepared to provide the pass codes into the Tomei Construction Company's employee records for this jobsite, and am willing to allow you the privilege of reviewing all of the incident reports filed since work began.
"Just for the record, however, I do not believe in the supernatural, nor do I believe there is anything paranormal about whatever it is that is going on around here." Mai had to bite her lip to keep from speaking out. 'The nerve of this guy!'
"And what explanation might you have, Mr. Katagiri?" Naru inquired coolly.
"Local hooligans," Katagiri answered. "This site has been targeted by resident teenage troublemakers and vandal several times now."
"And among them was Miss Katsu Shinomori?" Mai looked at her boss incredulously upon hearing their newest member's name.
Katagiri's snorted. "The young lady you claim 'volunteered' to assist you in your research has been caught on this property on multiple occasions this past week alone. Mr. Sendo has been kind in asking her to refrain from sneaking onto the site, but nothing he'd said ever seemed to have touched a nerve. A few days ago, I took it upon myself to speak to the girl as well. I told her quite firmly that should I ever find her breaking onto private property again, I would not hesitate to call the police. Given the damages done primarily at night, I feel I was justified in my position."
Mai wanted desperately to snap at the older man's accusations, but Naru quickly intervened before her mouth could open.
"Has Miss Shinomori ever been caught damaging the equipment on this site or stealing construction materials?"
The secretary faltered a bit. "Well… no. But –"
A shrill cry pierced through the walls of the trailer, causing them all to give a start. In a flash, all of them – Mai, Naru, Lin, and even Katagiri – were out in the blazing sunlight and darting towards the apartment side of the complex. At the base, Sendo was barking out orders and men were scrambling about fervently, chaos taking reign.
"What's going on here?" Naru demanded. The foreman snapped his head in the youth's direction, his weathered face blanching.
Another shriek answered him, and they looked up. On the fifth level, where scaffolding ran around the perimeter of the unfinished floor, dangled Masako, jean-clad legs kicking about fiercely. She was clinging onto John's outstretch arm; the young priest himself was making a desperate attempt to pull her up while grasping the metal railing of the scaffolding. Several workmen were yanking at John's shirt and one was holding onto his torso while Takigawa and two others were attempting to pull Masako up. Otonashi was behind them, calling out for Masako to hang on.
"Oh, my god!" Mai made break for the building, but was roughly yanked back by the wrist. She glared at the person who'd stopped her.
Naru returned the glare, his eyes daring her to yell at him.
There was a loud cracking sound, and Masako screamed again, this time with John's loud yelp piercing the air in a terrifying duet. The group below watched as the wooden blanks under the Australian exorcist splintered.
CRACK!
Almost as if in slow motion, the boards snapped, and the medium's grip on John's arm was broken. The priest made an attempt to grab at her again, but was pulled back before he plunged as well. Even from her vantage point, Mai could see Masako's eyes widen in sheer terror as her short black hair whipped about her pale face, hand outstretched as if she could grab at John again as she fell…
A/N: Oh, no, Masako! :O What'll happen next?
Special thanks goes out to Aoi Kitsukawa, Foxgrl18, and YummyCake for your reviews to the last chapter, and to everyone who added this story to their alerts and favorites list – thank you so much! Feedback is wonderful! Until the next chapter! ^_^