Days Without Sun
Chapter Two: Vanished
Akihiko was pacing the apartment. It had been just over twenty-four hours since Misaki had gone missing and the police had been no fucking help at all.
For the first time perhaps, Akihiko fully understood that despite his complicated family dynamics, he had been blessed with rare privilege too. It was terrible being in another country where the Usami name held no power. Here, he was just another rich, queer, tourist whose "boy toy" had probably hooked up with some other young guy to go party for a while.
At least this was certainly the impression he'd gotten from the authorities. Of course, it didn't help that he'd pissed them off by trying to bribe them for speedier by this, the police had coldly advised him to come back if Misaki didn't show up after forty-eight hours. Only then they would help him file a missing person's report.
Akihiko looked down contemplatively at the cigarette in his hand. The other one he ran through his thick silver hair. He had smoked so many fags since this morning he'd lost count. His body hummed with worry and nicotine.
In his mind Akihiko could hear his young lover reprimanding him for such excess.
How many times has Misaki begged me to stop smoking? He made a promise in that moment that if Misaki was returned to him that he would quit without hesitation.
Ah, Misaki... Where are you? For a man who never cried, Akihiko's eyes felt precariously wet.
Looking at his cell phone again, Akihiko told himself it was just to check the time, but to be honest, in the last twenty-four hours he'd developed a nervous tic, flipping his phone open every five minutes to make sure it was still functioning.
The private investigator the police had reluctantly recommended when he had become all but unmanageable should be arriving anytime now. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding when a sudden knock at the door broke into his thoughts.
"It's about bloody god damn time," Akihiko muttered, realizing as he said this that the knock was actually ten minutes early.
He opened the door to find a handsome, caramel-skinned man in his mid-thirties, wearing crisp but casual attire standing in the hallway.
"Akihiko Usami?" The man's English was heavily accented but at least understandable.
Akihiko nodded.
"I am Augusto Santo Justino, Private Investigator."
Akihiko invited the P.I. in with a sweep of a broad hand.
"Quite a place," Augusto stepped into the entry. This was the length of his informal courtesy it seemed, since he got right down to business with his next words.
"So how long has your uh…"
"Partner."
Akihiko's eyes narrowed, challenging the detective. He had already spoken with Santo Justino on the phone once when he described his situation but here, in person, he felt better able to truly read the man.
"Is our sexuality going to be an issue for you?"
Santo Justino shook his head. "No, Sir. It's not."
"Good." Akihiko issued a soft sigh of relief seeing truth in the detective's eyes. He also liked the simplicity of the Santo Justino's speech, it spoke of efficiency.
"So how long has your partner…" Augusto flipped open a small notebook he'd pulled from his pocket and studied it. "Misaki Takahashi been missing?"
Akihiko motioned them over to the living room. He took a seat on the couch while Augusto perched himself in a nearby chair.
"I left him at the beach yesterday at about ten thirty to come back here. My laptop was on the desk and I needed to send some documents to my editor." Akihiko stubbed his cigarette into a full ashtray on one of the end tables and took a new one from the pack in his breast pocket.
"Misaki was supposed to be back here at the condo shortly after noon to make lunch. When he didn't show up I began trying to call him. He never answered."
"You tried to call him? That means he has a cell phone." Augusto took a pack of his own cigarettes from his pocket. He raised his eyebrows at Akihiko in question. It was the author's place after all, and just because Usami smoked, he wasn't going to make any assumptions.
Akihiko nodded giving Santo Justino permission to light up. Based on the detective's careful conduct, he was forming a good impression of the man so far.
"Yes, I have called numerous numbers and providers but so far no one is willing to track the GPS in Misaki's phone."
Augusto's eyebrows rose. He lit his cigarette and puffed pensively. That Usami had thought of this showed him that guy had some intelligence.
"I know someone who can help with that. If you'll give me Mr. Takahashi's number; I'll call my contact right now."
Augusto took down the information Akihiko gave him and then stood and paced the apartment. After a ten minute conversation in rapid Portuguese, he flipped his phone shut and returned to his seat by his new client.
"Okay, Mr. Usami, he'll get back to me as soon as he has something and I'll get on it."
"Good and just so you know, Mr. Santo Justino, I have called for another detective who works for my family." Akihiko measured the other man's reaction. "He is flying in from Japan but couldn't get in until tomorrow."
"Mr. Usami, please call me Augusto. I am pleased to see you certainly haven't seemed to waste any time." Santo Justino cocked his head slightly and looked at Akihiko intently."I don't mean any disrespect, Sir, but are you sure he isn't just off sight-seeing or something?"
Lavender eyes bored into the detective. "When it comes to having meals together Misaki is very punctual." Akihiko lit the new cigarette and took a deep pull on it. "Nor is he one to wander, especially in a strange country where he doesn't speak the language. To be completely honest, since we've been here, we have rarely been apart. "
Augusto considered the way that Usami said this. Despite the author's calm tone it was obvious to him that the man was completely distraught.
"Do you have a picture?"
Akihiko had countless pictures of Misaki. Many of them taken with his cell phone when Misaki was in his more vulnerable moments and without the boy's permission (just after sex was a favorite, though Akihiko had a few taken during as well).
The third time he had followed Misaki's path from the beach, before starting his search again he had pulled up a picture that he'd previously downloaded on his computer (one that was of a more appropriate nature) and had printed out copies to give to the various vendors along the way, offering a hefty reward if they helped him locate Misaki.
Akihiko stood and went over to the kitchen table and picked up a copy from the most recent batch of pictures he'd printed.
"Cute kid," Santo Justino observed studying the picture. Misaki was smiling, his dark brown hair tousled, green eyes shining with the particular innocence that he had. Glancing up at Akihiko, Santo Justino couldn't help but add, "he looks awfully young."
"He's twenty," Akihiko said softly, thinking about how tender Misaki still was despite the fact he was no longer a teenager. He would be twenty-one in a few months … as long as… He stopped the thought before it went any further, the dread gripping his heart all but unbearable.
Akihiko looked down and saw that Augusto was regarding him with raised brows.
"There's a decade between us. Again, is this going to cause a problem?"
This time it seemed to take the detective a few moments before finding his resolution.
"No, Sir, Mr. Usami," Santo Justino said finally but with conviction. "I'll take this picture and trace his trail from the beach if you'll lay it out for me. I'll ask around and see if I can find anyone who saw what happened to him."
"I have already done that a dozen times," Akihiko growled angrily. "The last place he was seen, as far as I can ascertain was the Surfboard rental shop!"
Santo Justino was again impressed with the other man's pro-activity, still he knew that Usami was a foreigner and even with the reward he was offering, as a native he might be able to get some people to talk who might not otherwise.
"And you have more of these printed?"
Akihiko walked back over to the table and picked up a big stack of pictures with text at the bottom containing all the pertinent information. He handed these to Santo Justino and then moved over towards the condo's balcony.
"Wow, you're thorough." The detective couldn't help but sound impressed.
"Misaki is my everything," Akihiko looked out the sliding glass door to the busy world outside the apartment; his eyes took on a glistening appearance.
"Look, Mr. Usami, if I am going to help you have to be completely transparent with me. Do you have any enemies? Anyone who would might try and take him?" Santo Justino leaned forward and stubbed out his cigarette in the full ashtray on the coffee table.
"Well, there are a few people I can think of," Akihiko said grimly remembering his recent history. "But I hardly think they would come all the way to Brazil get him. And my contacts in Japan are currently working on getting their whereabouts, just to be sure."
"Well, can you tell me who these people are?" Santo Justino's eyes lit up with a particular intensity.
"One is my half-brother, Usami Haruhiko, the other is Misaki's older brother, Takahashi Takahiro."
"Why would either of them want to take Mr. Takahashi?"
"Haruhiko simply because Misaki is mine," Akihiko growled coldly. "And he has made some ridiculous claims that he loves him." He paused and his voice changed completely, his tone was warm and filled with regret. "Takahiro because he doesn't approve of the relationship Misaki and I have."
"So you'll call me as soon as your contacts let you know that neither of these guys has left Japan?" Santo Justino thought a moment and added," but is it at all possible that even if they're there, they could have hired someone to take him?
You know kidnapping is big business in this country." The detective fervently hoped that Takahashi had not been kidnapped, as while the groups that did this were often highly organized, they were also ruthless.
"No, I wasn't aware," Akihiko murmured. He shivered involuntarily at the thought of Misaki being held somewhere. He prayed in that moment, though previously not a big believer in the concept of a higher power, that his dear boy was okay.
"Well, if it is a kidnapping…" Santo Justino tried to sound hopeful, "you will most likely hear from them within the next twenty-four hours.
I have a tracking device and a recorder we should hook up to your cell phone and the condo's land line."
"And if we don't hear from anyone?" Akihiko could barely bring himself to ask the question.
Santo Justino looked at him. He did not want to dash Usami's hopes; however, neither could he dare to raise them. He stood up and pulled a new cigarette from his pack. He lit up and drew a deep breath. His words accompanied his smoky exhale.
"We'll have to wait and cross that bridge when we come to it, Mr. Usami."
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