Chapter 6: Not Quite
Toichi followed the little girl and waiter closely, disappearing with them into the back hallways, down a second corridor, and through a waiting room before finally stopping just outside of a final room. Toichi waited by the door after they went through, pressing his body closely to the door and listening intently. Ever-so-slowly, he began to push the door open, long seconds creeping by with his heart beating just a few beats faster than was usual as he reminded himself to keep his pulse in-check.
Crawling at a snail's pace, he managed to push the door open until there was a crack wide enough for him to see through. He kept one eye trained on the hallway behind him as he peeked into the room, still listening to pick up on what was being said.
There was another man in there, with scruff on his face and a dirty brown jacket on. He was kneeling before the little girl, the server waiting quietly off to the side, observing.
"I know sweetie," the man in the brown jacket with the scruff on his face whispered, "but I can't come home right now. Mommy and I are... Working some things out... But I promise, as soon as Daddy gets a good job, I'll be back."
The little girl sniffed, trying to hold back tears. With a wet, trembling voice, she insisted: "You promise?"
He nodded. "I promise," he clarified sternly before pulling her into a hug. She hugged him back, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding tightly.
'This... Definitely doesn't look like a kidnapping case,' Toichi thought. 'Or at least it's nothing like the cases I've been investigating.' Still, he watched as the girl and who he presumed was her jobless father separated, ducking behind another door in the hallway as the server led her back towards the party.
He continued to follow until the waiter and girl separated amongst the other party-goers, to ensure that the server truly wasn't the culprit. He didn't notice as the back-exit door finished swinging the last little bit into place, closing shut with a quiet and disheartening 'click'.