Days Without Sun
Chapter Nineteen: Trace
Back at Santo Justino's office, Flynn yawned and stretched her lean arms. Aikawa and Augusto, who had been quietly talking drew up alongside her.
"Any change?" Santo Justino asked. He peered over the reporter's shoulder at the blip on the screen that Flynn had been watching for the last three hours.
"Not a bit. The machine says he's still in the bedroom." Flynn sighed as she reached for her half-empty cup of coffee. "He must have gone back to his apartment and crashed, like he said he was going to."
Flynn glanced back at the screen and then she looked carefully at Aikawa as she ran her fingers through her short cropped hair. "Are you sure he didn't notice the tracking device you attached to the locket?"
Santo Justino frowned at Aikawa. "I still think that it was an unnecessary precaution. My men have the place staked out."
"Yes, but you don't know my author," Aikawa said firmly. "When it comes to Misaki, Usami-sensei is crazy. Surely you've noticed?"
Ignoring Santo Justino for a moment, Aikawa nodded her head slowly at Flynn. Her large eyes were serious. "I'm certain of it. He was too distraught to be paying that close of attention and besides the bug was minute."
"I was there," Santo Justino seconded. "I'm sure he didn't know. He's got a good pokerface, but not that good, especially when it comes to Eri," the P.I. mumbled.
Flynn offered Santo Justino a wry grin. "Yeah, she seems to affect a lot of men that way." The reporter's smile widened when her comment made both Aikawa and the detective blush.
"Look, Eri, why don't you get your things and I'll take you home," Santo Justino offered. "You've been going non-stop since yesterday and you could use some rest." He nodded at the screen in front of Flynn. "Besides then you can check on your sleeping author as well. Unless he's taken off that morbid token of his and flown the coop," Santo Justino's voice contained just a trace of jest.
"Not, likely," Aikawa said soberly. "He swore to me any number of times that until he found Misaki, the only thing that would separate him from that locket was death." She sighed after saying this and rubbed her forehead tiredly. "Augusto, I think I will go home for a bit, but you don't have to take me. I can catch a cab. I'm sure you have a million things to do here."
"Nonsense," Santo Justino growled. "I'll have my best man, Alvares, take over. We're playing a waiting game at the moment and I could use a bit of air."
Aikawa blushed a bit at this, but eventually nodded her head. "Let me get my purse."
As she walked over to one of the small conference rooms where she'd set her bag and light jacket earlier. On her way, she looked back over her shoulder and gave the detective a warm smile. Augusto simply nodded in return, but his eyes were glinting with pleasure.
Flynn caught the nonverbal exchange between the pair.
"So, Santo Justino," she murmured , breaking the man from his reverie. She paused a minute to sip her lukewarm coffee and then looked at the detective curiously. "You know, that's not a very Brazilian name."
"It's Spanish," the detective offered as he watched Aikawa traverse the room his eyes following the bounce of her chestnut hair and that of some other parts a bit lower. He looked over and saw the reporter had been watching him. He shrugged as if to say, Yeah, I'm guilty.
Seeing that Flynn was still curious he sighed. "My mother went on a trip to Spain as a college student. She met my father there. When she told him she could never leave her family, the place of her birth, despite the fact she cared for him, he followed her home."
"That's sweet," Flynn looked less feral now that her ever-present curiosity had been momentarily satisfied.
"My father always said my mother took his heart with her. He would have followed her anywhere. Otherwise how else would he know that he was even alive?" Augusto glanced at the reporter. "Love is always worth pursuing."
Flynn watched Aikawa returning with her things. "Even if it takes you all the way to Japan?" She asked slyly.
Augusto offered the woman a vague smile and shrugged again "When one follows his heart, who knows where it will take him?" He nodded at Aikawa and stepped away from the desk Flynn was sitting at. "You should go home too, Flynn, and get some rest."
Flynn gave the detective a toothy smile, "And miss out on the story of a lifetime? No fucking way! I'm staying here until the cavalry charges!"
"American women," Santo Justino chuckled lightly, shaking his head.
After transferring temporary control of the office to Alvares, Santo Justino not only drove Aikawa home, he escorted her up to the condo. He nodded at his men in the main lobby. "Any movement?" he asked as they waited for the elevator.
"None, Sir. He hasn't been down since he returned and we have another man watching his door upstairs."
"Good, good." Santo-Justino murmured as he stepped into the elevator. When he saw that they were the only people in the car he moved over closer to Aikawa.
Aikawa looked at him, then she dropped her eyes slightly as he reached out his hand to brush a loose strand of hair from her forehead and traced his fingers down her cheek. The caramel tones of his long fingers were made richer in contrast with her pale skin.
"Stop, Augusto," Aikawa said softly placing a hand over the one that was now tenderly cupping her cheek. "Please."
She raised her eyes fearing irritation and saw only questioning.
"I just feel so guilty when your touch feels so good… not knowing where Misaki is for sure or what he's going through at this moment," Aikawa murmured; tears filled her large dark eyes.
With the thumb of his hand resting against Aikawa's pinking cheek, Santo Justino brushed away the single tear that she had allowed to escape.
"I understand, Eri, but in life we have only the certainty of this moment. And from what you have told me of Takahashi, I think he would be very sad to know that you were putting off your own happiness, when you have done all you can for him already." Santo Justino's tone was exceedingly gentle as he said this.
Aikawa dropped her gaze. She bit her bottom lip uncharacteristically to hold back the sob that had risen in her throat at the thought of her poor Misaki.
Santo Justino slid his hand down to Aikawa's delicate jaw and lifted her chin. He leaned in and kissed her lightly on the lips.
"Always so strong, always looking after others. Why don't you let someone look after you for a while, Eri?" Santo Justino whispered before he claimed her lips in another tender embrace.
Aikawa felt more tears rise to the surface of her eyes. Santo Justino's words had touched a deep and aching place in her heart. As his mouth brushed hers, she opened herself to him hesitantly as she had the previous evening and once again felt her body flush at the man's warmth.
Just then two things happened simultaneously, the elevator door opened and Santo Justino's phone rang.
The detective pulled away from Aikawa reluctantly. He grimaced when he pulled out his phone and saw the number. "God damn it!" He muttered. "S.J. here. What have you got Alvares?"
Aikawa wiped her eyes with her hand as she stepped out into the quiet hallway. Santo Justino followed talking on the phone.
The detective's posted guard on the author's apartment was nowhere visible. Aikawa was grateful that no one was there when the elevator door had opened. It didn't matter how much she delighted in those moments when she'd happened unexpectedly on Misaki and Usami-Sensei, she had no desire to experience that kind of embarrassment herself. Not that it ever really seemed to embarrass Usami-san.
Aikawa wandered down the hall to the condo; Augusto trailed behind her, making concerned noises and speaking rapidly in Portuguese. Once she'd unlocked the door and they'd stepped in to the dark, quiet apartment she turned on a small light. Then she turned to Santo Justino with a worried expression.
The man held up his hand to her, indicating he wished for her to hold her questions.
Aikawa's eyes widened when she saw how grave the detective's face had become. "What's wrong, Augusto?" she whispered as soon as Santo Justino had closed his phone.
"The fingerprints Flynn nabbed came back already."
"But that's good right?" Aikawa asked nervously. "You had thought originally that it was going to take much longer."
Santo Justino shook his head. "The prints came back so quickly because they belong to a very bad man, Eri," he said soberly.
"How bad?" Aikawa breathed.
Santo Justino had always been a very straightforward man. "One of the worst. He's an international fugitive wanted in Russia, several countries in Europe, and Japan."
Aikawa's face went pale at this news. "What is he wanted for?"
The P.I. looked down at the ground for a moment, unable to meet her gaze. He raised his eyes when he felt Aikawa's delicate fingers suddenly grasp his wrist and tighten around it in a surprisingly iron grip.
"What is Villinski wanted for, Augusto?" Aikawa repeated in her editor's voice. Her volume was low but the demand in her tones let him know she would not tolerate his silence.
"His name isn't Villinski," the detective sighed. "It's Valdimir Korovin and he's wanted for the unauthorized construction of chemical weapons, bio terrorism, genetic manipulation, the production of illegal drugs and crimes against humanity which include kidnapping, unlawful medical experimentation, rape, mutilation, and torture." Santo Justino recited the list without emotion as it had been relayed to him by Alvares.
Aikawa's hands had flown to cover her mouth as she gasped in horror not even a third of the way through the tally of Korovin's offenses. "Misaki," she said in a strangled voice as her eyes filled with new tears.
"Go wake up your author! We need to get back to the office as soon as possible!" Santo Justino said nodding in the direction of Akihiko's room. "This is way out of our league. Alvares has called higher authorities and they're already on their way. Mr. Usami is going to get the firestorm he wanted, a lot earlier than any of us imagined."
Aikawa immediately stumbled towards Akihiko's room without even bothering to take off her shoes. She moved mechanically, knowing that if she stopped her motions she would simply collapse. She opened the door to the darkened bedroom. She could hardly see through her tears.
"Usami Sensei!" Aikawa choked as she turned on the light.
She wiped her eyes as she saw the clothes the man had been wearing earlier laid out on the bed. She stepped cautiously over to Akihiko's "Misaki" space, half expecting to see him curled there on the floor, naked as she'd found him the first day she'd arrived.
"Usami Sensei?"
Nothing: the room was empty.
As she turned in confusion, a rising sense of fear gripped her chest. Aikawa's gaze fell on the dresser. "No!" She cried, rushing up to it and picking up the locket.
Santo Justino had stayed in the entry and lit up a cigarette, believing Aikawa would know how best to manage Usami. He imagined she would bring the author out and allow him to break this terrible news.
Hearing the woman's strained voice, however, Santo Justino dashed to the bedroom door. "Eri?" he shouted, worriedly.
Coming in he saw Aikawa sitting on the edge of the bed, a sheaf of papers in one hand, Akihiko's locket in the other.
"What?" Augusto barked in confusion.
Aikawa looked up at him through her tears. She dangled the locket from thin fingers and rattled the papers softly. "He's gone… this is his will!" she gasped.
"What do you mean he's gone? My men!... The tracer!... I had every exit covered!" No sooner had he said this than the breeze from the open balcony door stirred his raven hair. Santo Justino turned slowly.
"Oh, fuck!" He breathed as he lurched for the apartment's balcony.
Realizing what the detective had deduced, Aikawa wailed "No!" and dashed after him.
In an instant the pair found themselves staring in stunned silence at the dangling ropes that were skillfully tied to the steel railing. "That stupid, arrogant fuck!" Santo Justino growled as he ran his fingers over one of the strong cords.
Aikawa looked at Augusto. "What did you say?" she asked since the P.I.'s curse had been in Portuguese.
Santo Justino looked at Aikawa's tear-stained face, then down at the ground below the balcony.
His mind filled suddenly with all the things he'd told Flynn earlier. How is a man to know if he is even alive if his heart isn't with him? Love is always worth pursuing. When one follows his heart, who knows where it will take him?
Usami Akihiko had gone in search of his heart.
Santo Justino raised his weary eyes to Aikawa. "I said: the poor bastard has absolutely no idea what he's gotten himself into."
Thank you for reading and please review.