It has been almost a month since Emily has seen the Mysterious Thief, Baba, and it made her somewhat disappointed. When the door opened, she would glance at it but it would always be another mobster to see his group or to spend a few hours there drinking and talking to her as she worked. It was a Friday night and it was pretty slow for a night that starts off the weekend so she was playing poker at the bar counter with a mob boss and a few of his subordinates.
"Full house," the mob boss said as he laid down his cards. He has been on a roll all night but finally Emily got the upper hand in this game. But, that could also mean trouble. As much as this is a game, it's still a competition to the mobsters and so they could take it well or they can take it very wrong.
"Straight flush," Emily said, kind of mumbling as she placed down her cards. The mob boss noticed that her usual demeanor is different than usual. Emily usually faces them face to face but is instead looking down, with a sad expression.
"Hey, wait, it's the third weekend of the month. Shouldn't you be with your son?" The mob boss asked and it seemed to catch the attention of all the others in the bar, even Ayo, her best friend from college.
"Yes but his father took them overseas for the summer. I decided that I would rather work than sit at home alone," Emily admitted to the man. She couldn't believe the face he was making, thinking that mobsters can only have their usual one expression but she noticed him looking at sympathetically.
"I don't mind but it's been 2 months and last I checked, summers in Japan don't last long for school like they do in America," she said, taking the cards and shuffling them for the next round. She was about to pass out the cards when a very calloused hand stopped her from doing so.
"I think we had enough of poker," the mob boss said before they all cashed out and left, sympathetic looks on their faces. Emily watched them leave the bar before she sighed and placed the cards into its package.
"Do you wanna take a break?" Ayo said behind Emily, doing some bar work so she could focus on the game. Emily nodded her head before taking off her apron and heading upstairs to Ayo's living quarters. It was a simple lay out and actually looked bigger than it did from the outside. Emily sat down on his couch and took out her phone to check on her ex-husband's twitter. There were pictures with him and his wife where they were walking around the town and him holding her son in his arms, sleeping. She let herself enjoy the moment and smile at how cute her son was being in the picture. She was really missing her son and if she had the money, she could definitely take him to court to get her son back permanently. Her sweet moment was short lived when a text message from Ayo came up on the screen and it shocked her that he did when he could have just walked upstairs.
'Your Mystery Man is here with some friends. You have been requested' was what the text said. Emily furrowed her eyebrows before standing up and making her way back downstairs to the bar to see 5 men seated at the bar and ordering drinks. She recognized a few because of the news here in Japan and in America but there were two that she didn't know. As she headed over to the waist high door that leads into the bar, Baba called out to her and she waved before heading behind and walking over to him and his friends.
"Hello Baba. It's been awhile since the last time we saw one another," Emily said, taking her apron from Ayo and putting it on. She noticed each one ordered the whiskey she gave Baba the first time they met.
"It has been. How are you milady?" Baba asked, giving me his signature wink. All I do is roll my eyes before deciding that I need to respond to him.
"I'm fine," was all I said before looking at Ayo with a glare. He only shrugged before grabbing a tray with alcohol and leaving the bar area.
"So, friends? I didn't realize that Eisuke Ichinomiya and Ota Kisaki was your friend," She said, looking towards them with a side glance. She met them a few times at some formal events but other than that, really didn't associate with them.
"Of course. Why else would I bring them here?" Baba asked after a sip of his whiskey. Emily only shook her head before gesturing to the two men who she never met. One was in a gray jacket and has his hair slicked back and the other with some crazy hair and smoking a cigarette.
"The scary one is Soryu, or Sor as I like to call him and the one with the cigarette is Mamoru, or Mamo for short,' Baba said, describing them slightly for her to know who is who. The name Soryu really sounded familiar but she never actually met him before.
"Wait, Soryu? Like Soryu Oh from the Ice Dragons?" Emily asked, looking over at him and they all looked at her shocked. Soryu was about to reach into his jacket pocket but Emily stopped him with her words.
"I wouldn't do that. We are in a room of mobsters who all are giving me protection," She said with a smirk, one that could give any normal person a chill but it had no effect of these men in front of her.
"How do you know who I am?" Soryu asked in a pretty threatening tone. Emily didn't even flinch at it or shrink from it, she just stood there confidently.
"I'm loved by many Mafia Bosses and Organizations because either their subordinates told them about me and how I helped them out or they treat me like a family member. I do get a few bosses every now and then they come to me to ask for my opinion on how to handle certain deals. Your organization came up a few times and judging how they came here after the deal, they went pretty well," Emily said, leaning on the counter halfway through her little speech to be eye to eye with him. He only glared at her and she smiled back, not being effected by him in any way.
"Oh, you don't have to worry about me telling the police about anything, I prefer to keep secrets then to blab about with others. You don't gain anything when spreading rumors around," Emily finished off before standing up from her leaning position and heading over to the sink back there with her to wash her hands so she can serve people again.
"Aww, not Sor and Emi are friends now!" Baba said in a sing song voice, smiling happily at our exchange. Both Soryu and Emily grunted in sync before Eisuke asked a question that made Emily freeze.
"Don't I know you from somewhere?" Eisuke asked, giving her a questioning but bored look. Emily dried her hand on a clean towel before walking over grab the empty whiskey glasses.
"Which part do you know me more from? A performance in America or the politician divorce?" Emily asked, grabbing the usual whiskey bottle and filling up the empty glasses carefully.
"So you are, or were, that man's wife. Must have had your hands full in court judging by how you're working at a bar,"Eisuke said, a hint of amusement in his voice. Emily knew he wanted to rile her up but it wasn't working. Actually, he was completely right and that she's not even mad by that fact. She just shrugged before returning the glasses to the appropriate person.
"You're right. Not only was he born here in Japan and I wasn't, he is a politician and when I divorced him, I received half of his assets, however, he is making sure the government holds onto it so I don't get it and I don't get to see my son for more then a weekend. I work here so I can give something to the Japanese economy and keep my visa so I can see my son for that one weekend. Any other questions?" Emily asked, raising a brow at him at the end to see if he has any other smart remarks. He doesn't respond and takes a drink of his whiskey.
"Wait, can he even do that?" Ota said, looking over at her with shock on his face. Emily turned to him and was about to respond before her phone started vibrating. She took out her phone and gave it a disgusted look.
"If you work for the government, you can do anything with the correct power," Emily responded before making her leave to answer the call. She made it to behind the bar before hitting answer and had a scowl.
"Yes?" She answered before hearing a cry her son's cry behind the phone. He spoke to his wife in her native language, which was Russian, before switching back to Japanese.
"Hey, I know this is short notice but think you can come to England? Keiji was in an accident with Akihiko at the hotel we are currently staying in and Keiji really wants you here with him. Think you can come by tomorrow? I'll send a car and everything to the airport to take you immediately to the hospital," her ex-husband said in one breath, speaking quickly that it took a bit for Emily to respond. She was sick to her stomach and she felt all the color drain from her face.
"Yeah. Do you have his insurance card or should I bring mine?" Emily asked, turning around to head inside. She quickly walked past the cook and made it to outside the bar. She heard him explain what she should bring to comfort Keiji and to bring his insurance card along with some ID so they can identify her as his mother. Usually Emily and her ex-husband don't converse this much on the phone but since this is the first time her son has been injured, they made conversation so each one is on the same page. He may be mean to her but he really loves Keiji just as much as she does. When she made it into the bar, Ayo was showing the men a video on his phone but Emily didn't have time to worry about it. She grabbed his sleeve before point to the stairs. Ayo got the hint and nodded before Emily left and made her way up the stairs quickly.
"Okay. I'm at Ayo's computer. I'll book a flight and a hotel tonight and I'll text you when I should be there in England and if I get held up at the airport," Emily said before they both got off the phone. She looked at the next time she can get a direct flight from Tokyo to London.
"I see. I can't leave here until noon tomorrow morning. So I won't land until around 5:30, maybe closer to 6 there, if my math is correct. Now all I need is a hotel," Emily said, mumbling to herself. She was scrolling through the list of hotels in the area when she felt a presence behind her. She turned and jumped a little when she saw Baba there.
"Wow. Going to London? What for?" He asked, leaning down to see the computer screen better. Emily turned and continued on her journey to find a place to stay for the week.
"My son got injured in London and my ex-husband called me and asked me to fly out there," she said, skipping over the Tres Spades for something cheaper.
"I can give you a room for free there in London," Baba said, placing a hand over hers to make her go back up to the Tres Spades.
"Hey! What are you doing? I can't afford Tres Spades," Emily said, trying to get his hand off of hers. Baba chuckled at her before clicking on and put in his information.
"Why are you doing this? I don't need your help," she said as she watched him type in his name for a VIP room but not putting his credit card number in.
"Here in Tokyo, I have a room at the Tres Spades and it's no different in London. I am giving you my room for the week for a comfortable stay while going back and forth between there and the hospital. I can guarantee not only your safety there but the service is fantastic. And I'm not saying there because I'm friends with the owner," Baba said, taking off his hat and putting it to his chest with a wink.
"Um, thanks. Really. We hardly know one another but you did this for me," Emily said, relaxing her shoulders and is thinking up ways to pay him back.
"Hey, you lied to the police for me and kept the painting safe while I was here. I say I paid my deb back to you," he said, putting back on his hat and looked down at her.
"I have to tell Ayo and head home to pack. I have a flight tomorrow at noon so that gives me time to pack, eat breakfast and head out early to get to the airport," Emily said more to herself than Baba before proceeding to stand up. She turned and noticed him in front of her and she never realized how tall he was until he was in front of her.
"I'll let the manager there know of you arrive and to give you the key card. Don't worry though, you'll be the only one there unless Lulu is there," Baba said with a smile to his tone. Emily gave him a look at the name.
"Lulu?" She asked with a question in her tone but she did giggle at the stupid name. Baba noticed his mistake and looked at her with a small blush to his face.
"Luke. He is friends with Soryu and Boss, uh, I mean Eisuke. Don't be frightened by him but he could help you with anything medical for your son if you need it," Baba said, taking out his phone to show her a picture of Luke. He had blonde hair and look very thin for someone who was a physician but Emily was a physician before her debut as a stage performer.
"Thanks but believe it or not, I was a doctor before my performer days so I think I can handle what happened to my son," she said, noting what Luke looked like before looking back up at Baba.
"Well, you're full of surprises, aren't you? Well, you have my card so if you need someone to cry to, go ahead and give me a call and I'll listen," Baba said sweetly. Emily only nodded before grabbing him by the sleeve and escorting him down the stairs so she can talk to Ayo about her plans. She got the go ahead and said by to everyone in the bar before leaving quickly to head home. She was quite prepared for the travel but not for what she will see at the hospital and the story for it.