"So it's a fishing job if the culprits are veterans . . . and if it's amateurs, it's a cult?"
Kurama chuckled. "For lack of a better word. The fishing job would have a collector of sorts hiring the culprits, if you will. If it's what we're calling a cult, it's a group dedicated to something they'd get from these artifacts." He smiled as Botan pouted.
"I need more paper. Big paper." She flipped her tiny notebook over to its front. "But I didn't bring any."
"Here." Kurama yanked his page of notes from its coil and held out the thick pad to her. "I'm done with my tests, anyway."
She argued a bit before graciously taking it. "I should copy these notes to the bigger paper, shouldn't I?"
He leaned over to look. "You did write tiny."
"I was saving room. This'll take a few minutes."
"Take your time," he said as he hung up his lab coat. "I'll be right back." As he closed the lab door behind him, his three most dedicated stalkers stood before him with worried eyes.
"Suichi!"
"Uh . . . hello, ladies."
"Who's that? What's her name? What's she doing here?"
He wasn't sure who'd asked which question, so he looked at them all and said as little as possible in reply: "She's a good friend who needs some tutoring. That's all." He bypassed them and went around the corner to the vending machines. When he returned carrying two pretzel packs and lemonade cans, the girls seemed to stiffen.
"Are you sure she's only a friend?" asked Miki.
Kurama smiled and excused himself from their company.
"I hope you don't mind," he said to Botan after he'd closed the door again, "I was vague about the nature of our relationship with . . . what'd you call them? My fangirls?"
Botan waved him off without looking back at him, scribbling feverishly. "Whatever will keep you sane. You'd think they'd be used to you by now."
Kurama set her half of the snacks in front of her and leaned an arm on the cold, black tabletop. "They don't work with me, Botan. You've even seen my blood. To you and yours, I'm only an ex-con—an extra hand for the Spirit Detective's work."
Botan gave him a grumpy look. "And how do these followers of yours see you? I was never blind to you, Kurama, but there's a time and place for those things, and it's nowhere in my job description."
Kurama apologized with mirth in his eyes.
"Thanks for the snacks," Botan grumbled. She set down her pen and opened her pretzels.
"All caught up, then?" Kurama asked, and Botan nodded. "Good. Now, have there been any recent discharges or breakouts?"
"Discharges don't come until January," she said after a sip of lemonade. "But there was one breakout. Let me see . . . a fellow named Rushiyo."
Kurama suddenly looked serious. "Do you know his charges?"
Botan flipped a page in the file. "Just a small-time thug, really. He was arrested a while ago for two murders, but this time he was in for armed robbery. Oh, wow."
Kurama raised his eyebrows in question.
"Well," said Botan, "it looks like he tried to rob the Lamota estate a few months ago. How'd you know?"
"Just starting from somewhere. This doesn't mean he was there that night—he could have been paid for the Lamota house layout. That's how some people do things."
"But not you?"
He shook his head. "I relied on my own information. Fewer traces."
Botan watched him drink. "Do you miss it?"
"It began as a means to an end. The better I got, the bigger the end was supposed to be. I'm not ungrateful for the experience it gave me, but now, it seems the grandiose 'ends' were always . . . empty."
This made her eyes sting with a sob locked behind a smile. "I'm glad your mother showed you something more substantial than treasures," she said with a hand on his. They smiled at each other for a moment until Botan exclaimed at the time on Kurama's watch.
"Please, don't worry!" Kurama laughed. "I'm often here until seven."
"I can't believe that, Kurama. Not for a second."
Kurama smirked. "I'm not Yusuke."
He packed up the lab equipment, and she helped where she could.
"That wasn't the end of your questions," Kurama said as he slung his bag over his shoulder.
Botan's stomach rumbled, protesting the inadequate snack. "Looks like your kindness wasn't enough for my tummy."
"That's no problem," Kurama said. "We can get a couple of plates at my house and talk. No one would bother us on the porch."
As Kurama guided her out and through the halls with hand on her back, Botan noticed the trio of fangirls were very close behind them. She made sure, to Kurama's delight, to say loud enough for her words to echo in the deserted school, "I bet Mrs. Minamino is a great cook."
#
"Your mother's very nice," Botan said as Kurama pulled out a patio chair from the table.
"She's always thrilled to meet a friend of mine. She's been less occupied with my social life since she married Mr. Hata—Kazuya. I know it concerns her when I don't do normal, high-school things." He sat beside her, his back to the kitchen window. "If she's watching us still, it means she really likes you."
Botan peeked over, met eyes with Shiori Minamino-Hatanaka, and giggled. "I like her, too."
"Then you'll have to stop by more often. If nothing else, to keep her from asking me what ever happened to you."
"Don't try to hide your adoration!" Botan laughed.
Kurama smiled as he ate, but silence settled between them. Botan found the little white lights wrapped up the umbrella pole pleasing, and the glow of it cocooned them both in the warmth of solitude. The garden, he told her, was actually tended by his mother and step-father, who liked to grow beautiful things together. "They liken it to raising Kokoda and me to be well-rounded gentlemen."
"That's very sweet! I'd love to have a garden someday. Genkai always tells me to work on hers, but I'm too afraid to touch anything on her property."
"Genkai loves you," Kurama said with a grin. "I stayed with her a weekend last month, and she only spoke of you. Well, you and Yusuke, but in very different ways."
"Poor Yusuke! They share a strange love, don't they?"
"Mm," Kurama said, tipping his cup of tea to his mouth. "I saw Kuwabara the other day."
"Oh? I ran into him last week but couldn't really stop to talk."
"It seems he's trying to round everyone up for his birthday party. He told me I could tell Hiei, but not to let him near his cat."
Botan snickered. "I forgot all about Eikitchi! That sounds fun. I think I'll go, invitation or not!"
"I'm sure he'd have you there before Hiei. I'll tell him I saw you. He'll probably ask me to deliver the details to you, once he decides them."
Botan began to say something but was interrupted by her Communication Mirror. "Oh, Koenma. Hi."
Kurama pretended not to hear the frantic squeaking coming from Koenma's end.
"Have you gotten anything? You've been gone for hours! Ogre! Tell my father that Botan's getting spankings!"
Botan put her hand over Koenma's face in miniature and smiled sheepishly at Kurama. "I think I have to go."
"It would look that way."
"You listen to me when I yell at you, Botan! Get back here right now and tell me what you've learned! And make sure Kurama doesn't think we suspect him!"
"Oh dear. Be there soon, Koenma, bye!" Botan hung up on him and hid her blush in her palm. "I'm so sorry about that, Kurama."
He only smiled. "Can I walk you out?"
Botan thanked him but said no, too embarrassed to remain in his company any longer than necessary. "I'll just go down the street and duck into an alley to leave. Thanks so much for your help, and I'll see you at the party!"
"I'm sure he'll send you back soon," Kurama said. "Then we can finish your notes."
