ღLast time on Picking up the Piecesღ
The back of my neck stood and felt prickles dance along my skin as I read. I skipped to the part where I had attacked Rai. The stalker was describing the scene as if he was observing it, so it must've been someone in the room at the time. It was not that slut, or Rai. They wouldn't have sent me these files if they knew that I could apparently find out more about myself. I paused and wondered, was the part where I killed my father in this file. If so, did that mean the person who sent this to me was using this as blackmail? I thought before flipping back to where it dated a year and three months previous. My eyes skimmed the page and found the words 'laudanum' and 'not guilty'. My eyes widened. Laudanum is a drug that works as a painkiller, much stronger than morphine. If given too much, the laudanum would work its way through the body and temporarily knock it out. Given a huge dosage could kill you. The amount placed in brackets was not nearly enough to kill someone. I skipped back a paragraph and began to read. It was like a detailed police report. First stating the crime scene, then it began to go back, saying that it was when my father and I were getting lunch. It says that I slipped out for a few minutes angered before going back in and screaming. There had been no proof to link it back to me.
Scoffing I skipped a few more lines and saw that in big bold letters it said, 'Actual Report'. I was broke off from reading when a sharp blaring cut through the cold air. "Haruhi-san," an old man I hadn't seen before stepped out and bowed deeply before indicating the door. "Morinozuka-sama explained that I should pick up the brunette girl by the telephone booth," he said as if confirming to himself that the girl that Sakura was describing was me. I shifted to my feet and carefully placed the folders into the backpack. After a small bow, I thanked him before climbing it. I was finally going back to the Morinozuka residence; the exact place that I would soon find out would help me uncover the truth.
ღ Now ღ
I chewed lightly on my lip as the car drove towards the end of the driveway. A million and one things ran through my mind. What would happen if Rai figured out I was here and we weren't prepared? I mean, they were Kendo champions, but I was still afraid. A gun could move faster than muscles could. They were known for reacting immediately to things, but if someone was in fatal danger, they would think things through.
"Haruhi-san? We've arrived," the chauffer announced easing the limousine to a halt in front of the cement steps. I took a deep breath before unbuckling my seat belt and pulling my bag closer. Another breath, tightening my grip on the bag again. Pushing open the car door open, I glanced at the front doors. I stepped out and watched the same door I was watching open. Sakura stepped out and held her hands together, smiling at me.
"Welcome home Haruhi. I have tea ready; I could sense you wanted to tell me something. Mothers intuition you know," Sakura said smiling before holding her hand out to me, I smiled slightly and nodded. I wanted to discuss it with everyone after I got Sakura's help. I couldn't risk making it sound to over exaggerated if these files were nothing. I just needed someone's help with processing all these to make sense. I couldn't get Takashi's help since…well I could trust him. I just couldn't…I just couldn't. End of story.
I placed my hand in Sakura's hand and followed her into the tearoom. I yanked off my shoes before entering and sitting down across from her. After pouring tea for the both of us, I chewed on my lip again. She sipped lightly on her tea before glancing down at my bag. "Haruhi, why did you come here? Not that I don't love that you did. I'm just…curious as to why you would change your mind so suddenly. Twice." Sakura asked placing the cup back onto the table.
"I got these…files…on my family. I need your help going through them. I-If you don't mind." I muttered softly into the rim of the cup. Sakura stared at me for a moment before smiling and nodding.
"Haruhi, I consider you my daughter, if you need help I'll be glad to give it. Now let's see these files, darling," Sakura said waving her arm telling me to continue. I nodded, thanking her before pulling the three thick manila folders out and placing them gently on the table. I began to explain to her about the folders and how I obtained them. She stared at the three folders with confusion and listened to me speak. "Haruhi, that was dangerous. Though, if it helps you figure out your past. I'm happy you did. Now. Why did you want me to help?" she asked sliding my folder towards herself.
"These folders are too large for me to get through as fast as I want too." I whispered softly and opened Rai's folder and sipped on the tea lightly. "Could you read through the files with me? I don't want to get Takashi or Mitsukuni-kun to help since...well if these folders don't show me anything. They'll think I'm overreacting then me asking them to help would not help me at all." Sakura looked at me strangely.
"Well, I'm sure they wouldn't mind, after all they are your friends;" she explained before nodding, I took that as a yes she would agree to help me. "So, which file would you like me to help you with first?" Sakura said warmly sipping on the tea. "Though, I think we should move on to the study first. That why we will be left alone," Sakura said standing up and gathering the files onto one pile. I stood up along with her and placed the files back into my bag in case someone spotted us. We proceeded down the halls. I kept my head down.
Familiar footsteps walked down the hallway, Sakura looked up before glancing at a door. "Haruhi, could you step in here for a moment?" She asked softly opening the door. I looked at the empty room before stepping in when a familiar cough was heard. The door closed a second later and I held my breath and pressed myself flat against the wall beside the door. "Good evening son."
"Mother. Is it true? Haruhi's in the mansion?" A familiar deep tone droned as the footsteps grew closer.
"Takashi…If Haruhi was here. You'd be the first to know, now go see your father. He wants to talk to you. I'll talk to you if you still have doubts." Sakura's warm voice, followed by footsteps as Takashi walked towards the door. "Takashi, you're father wants to see you." He grunted and the footsteps eased.
"I need to grab something from my room." He hummed before opening the door. I pressed flatter against the wall. The door swung open and slowed to a stop a few inches from my toes. I heard two sets of footsteps as Sakura walked into the room as well. "Mother?" Takashi asked. I heard a few more rustles before the door was pushed lightly against my toes.
"Takashi. When I say you're father wants to see you. You go. Now go," she said firmly there was a moment of silence before Takashi hesitantly walked out the door and Sakura followed him. Closing the door behind her. I stayed still for a moment before stepping away from the wall and looking around. It was indeed Takashi's room. I walked around before hearing the door open. Sakura made a motion for me to follow her. We made our way quickly down the hall and entered the study.
As soon as we sat down, we divided and started reading. I was working on my folder; she was reading my uncles folder. It had been three hours after we started. I had just gotten to the part where my father had been murdered. When Sakura pulled away roughly from the page, she had been bent over a minute ago. I looked up at her and brought my eyebrows together. Shaking her head, she bent back over it and seemed to re-read the section over again, before waving me over. "Haruhi. I think you should read this. It's from you're uncles folder," I stood up and walked around the table and pulled the sheet towards me.
Fujioka Rai and Katayama Kotoko dated from 1987-1991. During which time she studied to become a lawyer and ended up a newbie lawyer at a big firm that handled clients like the Suou family, Hitachiin family, Ootori family, Haninozuka family, as well as the Morinozuka family. Fujioka Rai went on a short business trip and during the time Fujioka Ryouji, the younger brother of seven years ended up wooing Katayama Kotoko. Katayama broke it off with Fujioka Rai when he got back and ended up getting married to Ryouji within the next few months. Fujioka Rai was not seen at the wedding as he was extremely jealous of the marriage and...
The study door opened, causing me to turn and looking at the door. Takashi stared at me, which I returned the stare. After a moment, his eyes shifted down towards his mother before stepping forward into the study and closing the door. He crossed his arms. I turned back towards the table, moving back to my seat and sitting down. Takashi stepped closer to me and gave me a questioning look.
"Mother…you said that she wasn't here," Takashi said, his eyes sliding over towards his mother. The look was accusing, but his mask was up. "Also, father said that he didn't need to see me. You were lying to me," he stated…well, the obvious. His mother nodded before crossing her arms softly.
"Takashi, Haruhi does not need her presence alerted. So, unless you want to be risking her safety. You will sit down and wait until Haruhi has gathered everything she needs," Sakura said firmly, pointing towards an Easy Boy chair. Takashi gave her a confused look before sitting down. Okay, so she was over exaggerating a bit on this. Though if Rai found out, then this would be risking my safety a bit. Not to the point of killing though…would it?
"I can't believe it took you three hours to figure that out," I commented teasingly, as I pulled Rai's folder over towards me and continued to read. My finger trailed along the page until I reached the section I was reading before Takashi burst into the room. My eyes widened as I continued to read. Then I leant back in my chair and stared blankly at the books. "This can't be possible," I said running a hand through my hair before leaning forward again and grabbing my father's file and placing it on top of the papers. I moved the history section out of the way and picked up the relationship file. I put my finger on my grandfather's name before trailing down to where it said "Rai and Ryouji Fujioka."
My finger trailed sideways beside Ryouji and found 'Katayama Kotoko'. Though, it the family tree stopped there. I pulled my finger away and stared at the family tree. "No…" I muttered before looking over at Rai's name and saw Katayama Kotoko beside his name two. Though below it, stated clearly it was my name. I grabbed my folder and pulled my mother's hospital history report out of it. I went to the back of the report and trailed my fingers down the selection of things that happened around 17-18 years ago.
Katayama Kotoko
Raped and Beaten June 1-6 1991
No charges pressed.
I stared at the page; my mother…would have pressed charges. She is…was after all a lawyer. It wasn't like her…she must've pressed charges at one point of her life. I mean. Honestly. It was in a report that she was raped and beaten. That must mean she told somebody. I pushed the hospital reports and family tree out of the way and flipped to the part where Ryouji knew Kotoko was pregnant. I felt a hand on my back. "Haruhi?" Takashi asked leaning down so he was staring at the files that were on the desk. I bit my lip lightly and pointed at the part I had just read. I looked at him and watched his eyes move side to side as he read the paragraph.
"My mother knew that Rai was angry at her for dumping him for his brother. She did it because of Rai's history. He was a gambler and a heavy drinker. Though she secretly still loved him when dating Ryouji, after a while Kotoko ran off with Rai. When she came back, she was pregnant with me and reported to the hospital that she was raped and beaten. In case, anyone was looking up something like this. Though...when I was given birth," I flipped a few more pages and pointed at another paragraph his eyes scanned it quickly. His mask up. "I couldn't be distinguished between Rai and Ryouji because they looked so much alike as children and looked so much alike even as adults. Until Ryouji became Ranka." I explained before leaning against the back of the chair and looking up at Sakura who was staring at me.
"So, that means. Your father…tried to kill you in our house the other day…" Sakura said slowly before standing up and walking around the table and placed her arms around my neck and hugged me gently. "Haruhi…" she started. I pulled away and stood up.
"My father is still Ranka." I stated firmly before sighing and apologizing for being rude. "I'm just a little shocked, Sakura-san. I-I just…" I rubbed my head gently and sat back down.
"I know, dear," She whispered running her fingers gently through my hair before placing her hand on Takashi's arm. "Takashi and I'll go and leave you for a moment. I have to discuss something with him anyways," Sakura said before bowing softly and giving me another soft hug and turning and walking out the door. Takashi looked down from me to his mother before kissing my temple.
"It'll be alright," he whispered touching my cheek before turning and following his mother. The door clicked shut, signalling their absence.
I reached down and picked up my bag from the floor and pulled out a file that said real version across the front. I walked around the table and sat down where Sakura was sitting. Facing towards the door, in case someone came in while I was reading. That way I could hide it before they could read it. I wanted to be the first to read the entire thing.
I skipped the first few paragraphs, since I had already read it before the limo driver had interrupted me. I leaned back and put my feet on the table. Ready to read the file. My eyes skimmed across the paper quickly. Already being there for the first part, I knew what had happen.
"So kiddo. What's your dad up to today?" Rai asked me, leaning on the table and sipping from his beer can. I shrugged, not caring.
"Don't call me kiddo," I stated firmly before watching Ryouji step into the room and place plane tickets onto the table and sit beside his brother. "What are those for?" I asked him, using my pencil to turn the ticket so it was facing me.
"Those are for you my daughter! I bought you and a friend tickets to Hawaii!" Ranka announced proudly smiling at me and putting his chin into his hands. I stared at him before picking up the tickets, checking to see if they were real. "It's so you'll forgive me for being such a jerk," he said I glanced up at him. Was he for real? Around seven years of being blamed for my mother's death, and every other little thing, and he just expects me to drop it?
"Wow..." I mumbled stretching. "I'm still mad at you though." I pushed away the plane tickets.
"It's not my fault!" my father complained. I glared at him before tossing the tickets at Rai. Ranka grabbed them and shoved them in his pocket. "Fine. If you're not going to accept them, then I'm going to go with a friend." He said standing up and walking into the kitchen. I rolled my eyes and continued on my homework.
"Your dad's really…something," Rai said smirking before looking down at my homework I shrugged. I absolutely hated Rai. Refusing to talk to him, unless he calls me a nickname I don't like. "Are you thirsty?" he asked before taking my cup of tea and filling it up with tea.
That's the end of what was true apparently. I continued to read. My eyebrows pulled together as I continued to read. "This person knew all along what happened…" I whispered and dropped the file onto the table and stared at the roof. "Not once did they step forward and explain this to the police." I whispered before slamming my fist onto the table. "Fucking hell!" I shouted causing Takashi to come back into the room.
"Haruhi?" he asked walking over and touching my forehead. "What's wrong?" He questioned looking down at the papers, probably confused to which one I was just reading.
"I think I can answer that."