Disclaimer: I do not own Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4, Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3, or most of the characters within this story as they belong to Atlus.

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Veluti In Speculum

Chapter 9: Smudges

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Several days after the hot spring (and apologizing to Mitsuru and the others), Naoto was taking her time after school to try figuring out more about, well, everything. Yukari and Aigis told her more about Minato; how he came to Iwatodai, awakened, gathered everyone together, and then faced a being known as Nyx. She frowned, sighing as she closed the drawer in her grandfather's study, "There's nothing in here. Any ideas, Gouto?"

The black cat sat up in her grandfather's chair, his ears pointed up as he blinked.

"I've known your grandfather for years now. He wouldn't dare throw anything away even if he was covering up tracks. Where haven't we checked Naoto?"

"Well, we haven't checked the basement or the attic," Naoto said, standing up, "But Yakushiji-san might have locked them shut and he's been on guard duty ever since. The attic is our best option so we'll have to make a distraction that pulls him away long enough to open it and search."

"Distract Yakushiji? Heh… leave that to me… he should be cooking dinner at the moment so just get ready to pick the lock into the attic."

Naoto walked out of the room, watching as Gouto ran down the hall. He padded into the kitchen, ducking low and pulling his ears back as Yakushiji paced around the room. The cat wanted to sweat drop. Why the hell would someone cook with their sunglasses on? He shook his head as Yakushiji whistled and wiped his hands on a towel, leaving the kitchen for a moment. Gouto sniffed and grinned. Something was cooking in the oven.

He walked over to the oven and his ears twitched, listening for the secretary/butler for a moment before jumping up on the counter. He crept close to the edge where the oven and counter were adjacent and crouched. His paw was outstretched, trying to hit the temperature knob, but he couldn't… 'Guh… damn this cat body…' he thought angrily, paw twitching as he tried to bat the heat up. Gouto slunk closer, paw touching the edge of the knob now and his tail wagged. 'Just a little more…'

His furry body slipped and he almost yowled, startled. His paw turned the temperature to high and he twisted his body, landing on his paws. He could feel the oven's heat rising and ran out of the room. It wasn't long before black smoke billowed out of the kitchen and the fire alarm started going off that Yakushiji ran back in, yelling, "My roast!"

Gouto ran up to Naoto who was crouched inside the spare room closest to the attic entryway on the second floor.

"I hope you don't mind an alternative for dinner."

"It doesn't matter. Come on," Naoto whispered. She stood up, dashing out of hiding and up the final set of stairs that lead to the Estate's attic. She lowered to the ground again, listening to make sure that Yakushiji and the other servants were still preoccupied. Gouto's ears twitched and he nodded.

"We still have clearance…"

She nodded and fished in her pocket, pulling out a lock pick and a flashlight. The beam illuminated the pitch black just as thunder rolled outside. She walked forward as quietly as possible, stopping before the door a few feet away from the stairs. The lock needed rattling a few times before it clicked allowing the door to swing open.

There was a single window in the attic and a burst of lightning flooded light into the black room. Boxes and old antiques flickered in the light before being consumed again by darkness. Naoto stood, looking around slowly while rain pounded against the window. Carefully, she closed the door and then walked forward. Gouto was bounding over the boxes and artifacts, sniffing around, but then sneezed.

"Ugh… when was the last time everything was dusted?"

"It's been a few years…" Naoto replied, walking up to the first box and opening it up. Nothing, but baby and toddler clothes were in it. She shook her head and closed it, moving onto the next one. Gouto, on the other hand, was sniffing around, blinking. His eyes seemed to glow in the darkness as he looked over at Naoto.

"Anything?"

Naoto shook her head, closing a box with old china. Gouto turned his head and leapt down, landing on a stack of books. The flashlight struck the bottom and she stared, looking up. He just leapt down and meowed softly.

"Try that pile… they might just be more detective novels, but no harm, no foul…"

She sighed, "Right…" Unfortunately, she isn't sure how to go about this. The stack is too high and to get a stool now… She shook her head and looked for several sturdy boxes to stand on. One by one, she scanned the books, but they were just novels.

"My father and I waited in the Capital today for the plane from Britain to land… none of these books are going to help," Naoto sighed under her breath and was ready to toss the book aside, but Gouto meowed again.

"Wait… Keep reading that."

Naoto paused, but then reopened the book and sat down, illuminated the page with the flashlight. She looked for the line she had been reading and continued…

He tilted his hat, frowning, but a hand clasped his shoulder firmly.

"Toshihiro… you know why this must be done," his father said. Toshihiro rolled his eyes and nodded. His arms retreated under his cloak as he crossed them. He might be acting childish, but he was only 18. His great-great-grandfather had waited, but then his great-grandfather had to make sure the line continued after World War II with arranged marriages… this didn't mean his father continue that now. At least let him complete college or wrap up his current case instead of be here… Arranged marriages were so old fashioned…

"Stop fidgeting. She's here…"

Toshihiro looked up, his steely gray eyes gazing silently forward. His father must be talking about the woman walking forward. He tilted his head a bit, expressionless as he looked at her. Her head was bowed to the ground, face obscured by a straw summer hat. Dark blue strands tumbled from the brim like waterfall and glistened in the sunlight falling through the airport's windows. Her blue summer dress flowed with her flawless legs as she walked forward, her black heels clicking against the linoleum tiles. She stopped before the two of them, her hands folded neatly before her and she bowed deeply, "Good afternoon, Shirogane-sama… I'm Maria Miller. You and my father came to a… cordial agreement for my engagement to your son."

"Yes…" his father said, but Toshihiro was still staring at Maria curiously. She has to be his age and all he could sense was how uncomfortable she was. She rose, but didn't raise her head, keeping her face concealed. He closed his eyes, knowing his father really only cared about the engagement ring on her finger. It was an heirloom like all of the Shirogane items. The hat and damn cloak Toshihiro currently wore were both heirlooms as well, and really, he wanted to take the cloak off. It was too hot to wear it right now, but he still had his holster on. Couldn't cause a panic in the airport…

"I had a house built for you and my son to live in until the ceremony. Afterwards, you two are free to move or keep living there," his father continued, but neither Toshihiro or Maria listened, looking elsewhere as his father walked them to the baggage claim. Maria only had one suitcase and Toshihiro grabbed it. Together, they all walked out of the airport.

Naoto paused in her reading, hearing footsteps approaching the room. She closed the book and pocketed it, turning off the flashlight and ducked behind the boxes. Gouto hid somewhere else as the door opened. Naoto held her breath as whoever it was walked forward with their own flashlight. She could hear the rain pound against the roof as she waited for the person to leave. She had to tuck her knees against her chest as the flashlight illuminated the area next to her feet. Hopefully, where ever Gouto was, he wouldn't get caught.

The person scoffed and turned, walking back towards the door and Naoto let out a low breath. The danger had passed.

Pi, pi, pi!

Pi, pi, pi!

'Oh God! My cell phone!' she thought angrily. She pulled it out and opened it, briefly seeing Chie's name on the caller ID as she hung up.

"Ahem…"

Naoto froze. That wasn't Yakushiji…

Nervously, she swallowed, looking up slowly before whispering, "H-Hello Grampa…"

"Hello indeed…" her grandfather replied, his sharp eyes watching her like a hawk. Lightning flashed again and she wanted to shrink. Naoto feared very few people, but her grandfather was at the top of that small list. As aged as he was, he was still hard in the face and she couldn't remember the last time his eyes had been warm. He was the detective she wanted to be, but at the moment, she wished she could really be in her room or doing something else. "Get up," he said suddenly and she obeyed, rising to her feet.

Together, they walked out of the attic and down to the second floor.

"What were you doing in the attic?" he asked, walking towards her room leisurely, but in calculated step. Naoto opened her mouth, but closed it when she didn't know what to say. Her eyes darted around as she thought, but he spoke again. "What were you hoping to find?"

"I was… just some more about mother and father…" Naoto replied. It wasn't a complete lie, but it wasn't the total truth. She frowned. They had walked passed her room… where was her grandfather leading her?

"More about their accident in the city? I told you what happened already so why must you look?" he asked. There was a certain edge to his voice that made her pause in her answer while, at the same time, his words struck a nerve.

The words slipped, "I wanted to know about Minato."

He stopped.

She stopped behind him, standing firm, "I wanted to know about my brother… I wanted to know why I couldn't see him and why you kept his death a secret from me."

"… Minato isn't a part of this family…" her grandfather muttered darkly, picking up his step where he left off.

"What did he do to be removed from our family tree?" Naoto asked, now annoyed. It was true. He had been lying, but for how long?

"That is none of your concern… forget that name. You have the murder case to worry about," he hissed. Her phone started ringing again, but she ignored it this time, glaring at her grandfather's back.

"Grampa, I won't forget about my brother. Why are you lying to me?"

"Naoto…"

"Why did you take me away from mom and dad? What are you keeping from me?"

"Silence!"

Her eyes widened and she stepped back. He rarely raised his voice. The whole house seemed to fall silent while thunder roared furiously outside again. He opened a door, eyes locked with Naoto's as he growled, "Enter…"

She obeyed again, walking down another flight of stairs, but then paused. Did she just walked into the basement?

Naoto spun around as the door closed and locked, leaving her in the darkness. She gasped and ran up the steps, grabbing the door. She tried to open it even though she knew it was futile, "Grampa? Grampa!"

"Yakushiji-san will bring you dinner when it's ready. You'll only be allowed out for school and I expect you to come home immediately after. You are to remain in the basement until you learn, Naoto…"

"Grampa! I don't understand! Grampa!"

His footsteps were receding and she rattled the door again, "Grampa! O-open the door!"

"Tadashi! What is the meaning of this!?"

"I will not allow the same thing that happened twelve years ago repeat!"

"That was then, this is now! Tadashi!"

"Gouto!" Naoto cried, noticing the cat pawing under the door. There was a snarl as he was wrenched away though. Her phone was ringing again, but she didn't care. This was insane! What would make her grandfather do this!?

"Someone let me out of here!"

She continued pounding at the door while her grandfather walked down the hall. He had Gouto by the scruff of his neck in one hand and Naoto's cell phone in his other. The messages started to play.

Two new messages…

"Naoto-kun? Where are you!? Souji was just taken into the station by his uncle! He got another threatening letter too! Come on! Pick up!"

Beep…

"Naoto-kun! N-Nanako-chan is missing! There's a delivery truck and it's owned by Taro Namatame! He was the one kidnapping people and tossing them into the TV! We're going to meet up at Junes tomorrow to see if they're in there! Call me back when you get this!"

Tadashi frowned. He tossed Gouto into the spare room and locked it shut before removing the battery from Naoto's phone, throwing it away.

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Me: Touchy, touchy… review please…