Chapter Four
Mai's morning was extra busy. She overslept and had to rush to make it to work. By the time she arrived at the office, Lin was already on the patio, taking his nine o'clock smoke break. Naru was in the kitchen, making his own tea. He gave up as soon as he saw her.
"You're late." He handed her the kettle.
"My alarm didn't wake me up. I'm sorry." Mai rushed to make his tea. Bringing it to him, she sat down at her desk across from Kuroda. "What have I missed?"
"Nothing much. I've been going through these potential cases, but I'm not sure about the ones I've vetoed."
Mai took the stack from her. She went through them much quicker than Kuroda likely did, knowing which keywords to watch for. "This one looks promising."
She handed the stack back, leaving the best one at the top. Opening her laptop, she opened her work email.
"My dad has agreed studying abroad will be good for me." Kuroda smiled.
"Does he still not know what you're studying?"
She deflated. "No...I can't tell him. You know how religious he is. He'd do everything in his power to keep me from going to the program."
Mai felt bad dragging up the sensitive topic. She tried to change the subject. "How are things going with Hiro?"
"Really good." Kuroda's smile returned. Our date was magical. He hasn't asked me to be his girlfriend, yet, but I feel like he might during our next date. He's taking me to a concert."
"Oh, cool! What band?"
"I can't remember, but it's supposed to be his favorite. I'm sure it'll be fun."
Kuroda got up to get herself a drink after that. Taking the moment to herself, Mai checked her phone. Her heart sank.
Private Message:
What? -Kimoi31
Private Message:
Since when do you have a boyfriend? Is it a member of your team? Why didn't you tell me? -Kimoi31
Private Message:
Big surprise, you keeping this a secret. You must get some kick out of hurting men. -Kimoi31
Private Message:
I'm sorry...It's just a shock. I thought we were really connecting. -Kimoi31
Private Message:
I KNOW we were connecting. You can't fake that kind of chemistry. Tell me you felt it, too! -Kimoi31
Private Message:
I still think we should meet. If you knew me better, you might see that you're happier with me. -Kimoi31
Private Message:
Answer me! -Kimoi31
Mai's hands started shaking so badly, she dropped her phone. Fumbling to catch it, she hit her head on her desk.
"Ow..."
Kuroda hurried over to check on her. "That looked like it hurt. You okay?"
"Yeah, yeah." Mai waved her off, embarrassed. Picking up her phone, she looked back over at the messages. She felt her eyes prick with tears. Looks like she's messed up...This guy isn't the type she should be talking to. He isn't a friend.
She blocked him, not sure what else to do. Naru would probably be annoyed if she told him. Worse, he might think her childish for not realizing something was amiss. Best not to tell him. Besides, it's taken care of. He's blocked.
Kuroda gave Mai a cup of tea. "Have something to drink. You look a little pale."
Mai smiled gratefully. Sad as it is to find her new friend is too unstable to talk to, she has plenty of others. And she gets to work with all of them! She took a sip of oolong tea.
"Thank you. That's just what I needed." Mai glanced at Naru's office. "Can you keep a secret?"
"Of course."
Mai pulled out the chat log with Kimoi and let Kuroda read it. It took her the better part of half an hour to get through the messages. When she finished, she looked horrified.
Mai blushed. "I should have been more careful about talking to a stranger."
"He sounds very scary. I can't believe how quickly he turned on you." Kuroda handed Mai her phone back. "It reminds me of my cousin's ex boyfriend. He didn't take the break up well and texted her like that. It took going to the police to get him to stop."
Mai waved her hands. "It's not that serious. And if I did go to the police, I'd have to tell everyone. Besides, it's over."
"If you say so."
They went back to talking about work after that.
Later that evening, Mai prepared to leave work. She'd stayed an extra hour, to make up for being late. Seeing Kuroda to the door, Mai stopped in Naru's office to say goodbye.
"I'll be going." Mai threw her purse strap over her shoulder. He offered his hand. She took it, allowing him to guide her around his desk. He pulled her down for a quick kiss. She smiled into it.
"Be safe. I'm not a fan of you riding the bus as night." He stroked her cheek.
"I'm very safe. I have pepper spray." Mai assured him. It had been a gift from Ayako shortly after she moved in with her.
Kissing him once more, she left and went to catch her bus. Getting home shortly after eight, she made dinner and put a serving of it in a to-go container for Ayako. After she ate and washed the dishes, she went to sit on the couch. She found another message waiting for her on her blog.
Private Message:
Did you just block me? -User1234
Mai shivered. That must be Kimoi on another account. She immediately blocked him. It took him less than five minutes to realize it, this time.
Private Message:
Mai, please don't block me. I'm sorry I freaked out. I swear it won't happen again. -User5678
She blocked that account, too. That set the tone for the remainder of her evening. Kimoi made another five accounts, trying to get through to her. Giving up on trying, Mai set her blog to private. Kimoi would have to be listed as her friend in order to send her further private messages.
Disappointed and more than a little freaked out, Mai settled herself down for sleep.
Mai dragged herself out of bed and got herself to work on time. Kuroda has the day off, meaning any filing will fall on Mai's shoulders. Waving to Lin as he slipped into his office, Mai fell onto her desk chair. She must have looked especially bad, because Naru stopped to stare at her as he arrived for the day.
"What happened?" He went to place a hand on her forehead.
She grimaced. "Nothing."
"It's not 'nothing'. Tell me." He searched her eyes. "Please."
His tacked on plea made her cave. She really shouldn't be keeping secrets from him. "I...made a mistake."
"What kind of mistake?" He raised a brow.
"My blog got a lot of followers. One sent me a private message and I replied. We've been talking for over a week. Then, he got creepy."
His eyes hardened. "What do you mean?"
Mai handed him her phone with the chat log pulled up before burying her face in her hands. When she chanced a look at his face, he looked absolutely furious.
Mai stammered. "As soon as I realized he was getting weird, I blocked him, but he keeps making new accounts. I had to set my entire blog to private just to avoid him."
Naru appeared to be getting angrier the long he read. Mai tried to take the phone back. He kept a firm grip on it. When he'd finally finished reading, he locked the screen.
"We're going to the police."
Mai blanched. "We can't just go to the police! He hasn't done anything to warrant it."
"So, we should wait until he does?"
Mai stood up and put her hands on his shoulders, trying to calm him down. "Please, it's okay. If anything else happens, we'll go to the police. For now, I've managed to avoid any more messages. It's been eight hours since his last message. I think I've finally managed to stop him."
Naru looked like he'd rather set the guy on fire than ignore this. But, he relented. "The police will want more evidence than this, I suppose. But, you should contact the site. You can get his IP address banned. It will prevent him from making any more accounts."
"Oh." Mai hadn't thought of that. Taking her phone back, she turned to her computer and did just that, sending some screen captures of the messages for emphasis. When it was sent, Naru relaxed a little.
Mai looked down. "I"m sorry. If I had known he was going to get so weird..."
"This isn't your fault. But, I'd prefer if you kept your account on private after today. If any of your other readers begin talking like this, tell me."
"I will." Mai took his hand. He squeezed it.
"Why didn't you tell me before this?" He searched her eyes.
She blushed. "I guess I was afraid you'd think I'm stupid..."
"I don't think you're stupid. I think you're overly trusting."
"That's just as bad." Mai grimaced. "I should have seen this coming."
"If you weren't the type to give the world the benefit of the doubt, you wouldn't be Mai." He smirked. "Now...tea."
Relieved to get back to normalcy, Mai hopped up and hugged him. "Right away."
The next couple weeks flew by. By the time Monk returned from tour, she'd just about forgotten about Kimoi and his creepy messages. Monk stopped by Ayako's apartment. After some initial hesitation, Ayako hugged him. He hugged Mai next.
"What have I missed?"
"Two ultrasounds." Ayako crossed her arms.
Monk smiled sheepishly. "I'm here, now. I'll go to every last one, going forward. If you'll have me."
"I suppose..."
"Anything else?"
"We took a case, but it ended very quickly. I'm missing the long cases." Mai said.
"Should you be taking cases in your condition?" Monk frowned at Ayako.
"I was very safe. It was just the ghost of a kind old man. Speaking of, Mai, did you ever find out what was in that safety deposit box?"
"She emailed to share. He left his will and some cash. It was enough to pay his family back for his burial, and then some."
"That's great to hear. It feels like we did a good deed."
"How would you two like to go to an art walk in downtown Shibuya district?" Monk asked. Fishing through his messenger bag, he pulled out some tickets. "I got free passes. We can check out everything, get some food and even attend the live music show. I don't know any of the bands, but it looks cool."
Mai looked at the tickets. "Sounds like fun. Ayako?"
Ayako sighed. "I guess. I am pretty hungry. Think they'll have popcorn?"
"Awesome. Everything's my treat." Monk threw an arm around Ayako. She didn't immediately shake it off, so he kissed her cheek as well.
"You'll regret that offer." Ayako teased him. "I'm always hungry, lately."
"Unless it's fish." Mai said.
"Don't bring up fish!" Ayako looked slightly nauseous for a moment. It passed.
"Sorry." Mai smiled apologetically.
They left after that, taking Monk's vintage car to the art walk. The next few hours were a blur of independent artists, booth games, music and all the food one could think of. Mai even managed to win a drawing for a gift card.
As the sun set, they headed further downtown, towards a row of shops. A man in a black hoodie stepped out of a shop just ahead, nearly barreling into her. She was so preoccupied with jumping out of the way, she didn't even get a look at his face.
"Sorry!" Mai exclaimed.
"Not a problem." His voice was low, gruff. He quickly walked away, not even turning around to look at her.
Ayako glared. "That was rude of him. He's the one that bumped into you."
"It was an accident." Mai waved the encounter off. "Let's check out that shop."
Later that night, Monk dropped Ayako and Mai off at their apartment. Mai checked her phone as they were coming inside. She had a message from Naru, informing her there's a new case.
Ayako looked at her phone over her shoulder. "Can't that boy take a day off? Seriously..."
"He's just dedicated." Mai defended. "I'm honestly looking forward to a new case. The last one was so boring."
"Whatever it is, I'll find out later. I'm going to bed." Ayako went to her room.
Sending a quick text to Naru, Mai went to bed as well.
Mai got into work early, finding Kuroda was already there. The two looked over the new case file. The new owner of a house wishes for them to investigate a haunting that began after the prior owners died in a horrific murder-suicide.
"It's a wonder anyone would want to live there after that." Kuroda said.
"I agree." Mai shivered.
Naru came out of his office to hand Mai his empty tea cup. "We'll be leaving to investigate this case in a couple days. Are you prepared, Miss Naoko?"
"Yes." She smiled. "However long this case takes, I'll be ready."
"With Takigawa returned, he'll be joining us."
Mai got up to make Naru his tea, making enough for everyone. Taking it to him, she sipped on her own while continuing to read the particulars of the upcoming case. The story was enough to make her sick. A man, after losing his job, murdered his wife and son, then turned the gun on himself.
Mai shivered. "This is very dark."
Reading over her shoulder, Kuroda pointed. "It says the haunting mainly entails the wife and son appearing. The man's only been seen once."
Mai felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. Pulling it out, she checked it. It was a text from an unfamiliar number.
Message:
You're even prettier in person.
She furrowed her brows, confused. She replied.
Message:
I think you have the wrong number. -Mai
Message:
There's something about those cinnamon eyes that captivate me. I'd love a closer look. I'd run my fingers through that auburn hair.
Mai looked at Naru's office, raising a brow. He's not usually the flirtatious type, but he could be playing some sort of prank on her. She got up and opened Naru's office door, letting herself in. She smiled at him. "Did you get a new number?"
He raised a brow. "My number hasn't changed."
The first seeds of worry prickled. Whoever sent this seems to know what she looks like. She nervously handed him the phone. He read the messages, his eyes narrowing.
Mai bit her lip. "I don't know who they are but they seem to know me. Should I ask who it is?"
Naru typed for her.
Message:
Who is this and how did you get this number?
Whoever it is replied almost immediately.
Message:
If you haven't figured it out yet, I'll be very surprised. You were very easy to find as soon as I discovered where you work. There are only so many paranormal investigation companies in the city.
Mai let out a sound of distress. "It's Kimoi!"
Naru glared at the phone. "Your number isn't listed on the website for SPR. How did he get it?"
Naru quickly pulled up the SPR page. He scrolled down to staff mentions. Mai's first and last name was listed, along with a picture of her taken just after she graduated. Naru cursed and quickly edited the page, taking down the section.
Mai felt her legs start to shake. "He knows my full name and what I look like, Naru..."
Someone knocked on Naru's office door. Opening it, Lin came in carrying a glass vase of flowers. "I found these on the doorstep when I went out to smoke. I'm assuming they're from you for Miss Taniyama."
Naru stood up so abruptly, he knocked his chair over. Circling the desk, he grabbed the vase, looking it over. Mai hurried to join them.
"Spider lilies." Mai said. Big pink ones.
Spotting a card, Naru dug it out and handed the vase back to Lin. He tore the card open.
These made me think of you. The vivid pink petals remind me of your lips. Though I imagine your kiss is far sweeter.
Love, Kimoi
Naru looked ready to torch the flowers. "Now, we're going to the police."
He took Mai's hand and dragged her from the office. Giving Kuroda and Lin instructions to stay and monitor for more deliveries, Naru took Mai to the police station, a stack of printed messages in hand. As Mai feared, the police didn't take it seriously.
"He hasn't threatened you." The offer looked over the texts. "It sounds like you might know him."
"I don't, sir, I swear." Mai leaned over the counter. "Please tell me what to do."
"There's nothing that can be done unless he poses a real threat."
Naru glared. "He found her number without her giving it. He's doxxing her for her information."
The officer held up a hand. "Calm down. I can see that. But, you have nothing to go on. Just a first name that could be fake and some mildly uncomfortable messages. You'll have to come back when you have more to give us."
Naru pinched the bridge of his nose. Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes. "Can we get this on paper, at least?"
"You're welcome to fill out a report." The officer sighed, looking bored. He handed Mai a paper and a pen. "Write everything you can from memory and leave the copies of the messages with me."
Defeated, Mai did as she was told. They left the station a short time later. They both sat on a bench at the park across the street. Naru looked far too irritated to drive them back to the office.
She put a comforting hand on his arm. "Are you okay?"
"I should be asking you that." Naru scowled at the ground. "I should be taking care of this for you. But, I can't."
Mai leaned against his shoulder. "You're doing everything you can. Please don't worry."
Naru looked up at her, his eyes showing the depth of his frustration. "I should be doing more."
Mai sighed, unsure what to do or say to comfort him. He's more upset about this than she is. She leaned in and kissed him. It seemed to help a little. Within a few minutes, he was calmed down enough to drive them back.
Once they returned, Naru asked for Mai's phone. She handed it over.
"How'd it go?" Kuroda asked carefully.
"Not well. The police want more evidence. I'm not sure what else I can do."
"We'll change your number." Naru determined.
"If he found my number before, he'll find it again." Mai sighed sadly.
Lin looked over Naru's shoulder. "Perhaps, the better bet is to let him incriminate himself."
"Let him continue to harass her?" Naru practically balked at the suggestion.
"Keep the phone on your person, Noll. When enough is said, you can return to the police and they may be able to find him."
Mai looked up at Naru miserably. "I'm going to have to tell everyone, aren't I?"
Kuroda, looking somber, nodded. "I'm afraid so. I'll be with you when you do. Don't worry."
Mai had to do just that. She chose to tell Ayako and Monk together, when they came to pick her up from work. Ayako's face went through every shade of red in the book.
"You're literally being stalked and you didn't tell me? Mai!"
Mai bowed her head. "I'm so sorry."
"She's right, Mai. You should have told us when the messages first started."
Mai's eyes welled up with tears. "You've both been so busy. Not to mention the baby. I can't keep adding to your plate."
"Oh, Mai!" Ayako pulled her in for a big hug. "You silly thing. You're like a daughter to me. I want you to be able to talk to me about anything."
Mai sniffed. "I'm sorry."
Monk had moved over to the computer, to read the log of the messages Naru had made. He made a disgusted look. "He sounds like a teenage boy. Who is this kid?"
"We don't know. He calls himself Kimoi. That could be an alias." Mai wrapped her arms around herself.
"Let me do my own research. It will require your computer, Miss Taniyama." Lin held out a hand.
Mai readily gave the computer over to him. "Thank you, Lin. Please, don't go to too much trouble."
Lin, hands down, has the most experience with computers in the group. Maybe, he can find out who Kimoi is.
"You won't be riding the bus, anymore." Naru told her firmly.
"How will I—?"
"I'll drive you to work on my way to work." Ayako offered.
"And I'll drive you home." Naru continued.
"I can't expect everyone to change around their schedules for me." Mai frowned. This has become such a mess.
"You're not asking, Mai. We're offering." Monk pulled her in for a hug. "None of us wants you to get hurt."
Mai had to pause and think. Hurt...That's hard to wrap her head around. Could Kimoi be that unstable? Could he wait for her to leave work? What would she do, then. Pepper spray helps, but it's not a guarantee.
"Thank you." Mai hugged Monk back.
"I go into work early on Wednesdays." Ayako remembered.
"I'll drive her on those days. Now that tour is over, I have some down time." Monk let Mai go.
"The case will take us to a house in another district. It will get her away from the area he knows to target her in." Naru reached over and took Mai's hand.
"What should we do with these?" Kuroda looked over at the vase of flowers.
Grabbing them, Naru dropped them in the trashcan beside Mai's desk.
Mai felt almost immediate relief when they left Shibuya district and headed for the far North side of Tokyo, in the Itabashi district. Seeing this beautiful historic area almost distracted her from the details of their case. That all crashed as they reached the old looking house.
Something about it feels...off. Like a sad energy that won't go away. Mai touched her heart as the van stopped. Waiting for them in front of the house was a man in his sixties. He bowed his head as the team emerged from the van.
"Good morning. My name is Daiki Higashi. It's an honor to meet you and your team, Mr Shibuya." The man shook Naru's hand. "I suppose there's no need to go into detail about why you're here. The copy of the police report should have told you all about the tragedy that occurred in these walls."
"If I may ask, why did you buy it, knowing what happened?" Ayako asked him.
"I'm old. I didn't believe in ghosts and needed a nice, affordable home to live out my retirement years. Sadly, that's not been possible. These spirits are active all through the night. I never get any sleep. I've taken to living with my son and daughter in law. But, they have a baby on the way. I need to be independent. I figured this was my only choice. I hope you're able to cleanse this home of these spirits."
Mister Higashi showed them into the house after that, giving them a full tour. He knew all the details of the case and was even able to point out the room the murders took place in.
Ayako shivered. "This is so tragic."
"He shot himself in the attic." Mister Higashi pointed to a retractable door in the ceiling on the second floor. "I won't go up there, even if my hip allowed me to."
"We'll do everything we can." Naru paused right underneath the attic door, looking up at it. Mai wondered if he could sense the heaviness she could feel. This entire house feels so saturated with grief.
"I'll leave you to it, then." Mister Higashi handed Naru a key. "This is a copy of the house key. I'll be returning to my son's house. Keep me updated."
He left after that. As soon as he was gone, the team got to work unloading the van. They chose a room that looked like a study for the monitors. They dragged a little table and chair set from the living room into the study, for people to sit at. After some searching, Lin found another desk chair to put in front of the monitors.
Cameras came out of boxes next. They were set up all over the house, including the attic. Mai and Monk were charged with that task. As Monk pulled the cord, lowering the stairs to the attic, Mai shivered.
"This house is so..."
"Creepy? Yeah, it is."
"Sad." Mai corrected. "Like a permanent feeling of misery has settled into the walls."
"Let's just get this part over with." Grabbing the camera, Monk climbed the ladder. Mai followed with the tripod. It wasn't a particularly big attic. The walls only went up about five feet before the A frame roof took over. Monk had to be in the middle of the room, due to his height. While Monk set up the camera, Mai looked around. The whole space was devoid of any furnishings, save for an old chair in the corner of the room.
Mai gasped as he registered the dried specs of blood on the chair. "Look!"
Monk's normally sun kissed skin went several shades paler. "That's disturbing...They didn't even remove the chair he did it in?"
Mai followed the blood spatter with her eyes. It was clear someone tried to scrub the evidence off the walls, but several droplets were missed. She backed away, nearly running into Monk.
"Let's go back downstairs."
They quickly left the attic. Back in the makeshift base, they found Ayako passing around tea cups. Mai took one of them and brought it over to Naru. He took it. "Everything is set up?"
"Yes." Mai shivered a little. "In every single room, except the bathroom."
"Good. I want a manual reading of each room. If any particular area gets a reading, move the cameras to face them."
"Sure." Mai grimaced, not looking forward to returning to the attic.
The day dragged by slowly as they waited for some sign of the paranormal. Eventually, late in the afternoon, something happened. Mai was on her way from the bathroom when she passed by the master bedroom. She thought she could hear a woman crying.
Spinning towards the sound, she fumbled for her walkie talkie. "Are you picking this up?"
Naru responded. "No. What do you see?"
"I hear crying coming from this bedroom."
"I'll send Matsuzaki."
Ayako came to join Mai on the landing. The crying was still going strong. Ayako wrapped her arms around herself. "That is the creepiest thing I've heard in a long time."
"She sounds so heartbroken." Mai's heart reached out for this woman. Even after death, she's grieving the loss of her life and that of her family.
They tried to record the crying, only for it not to register on the recorder. When it suddenly stopped, they headed back to the base.
"It appears the hauntings may not register on our equipment." Naru stared at the monitors in thought. "With this in mind, we'll have to go to where the haunting is strongest. Tonight, we'll all set up to sleep in the master bedroom."
Everyone stared at Naru, horrified. "Sleep where they died?"
"It's our best bet."
"I guess he's right." Monk crossed his arms. "We need to experience the haunting to document it."
"I'll cleanse the house before we sleep." Ayako determined.
Kuroda went to stand with Mai. "I can't believe we'll be sleeping up there."
"Look on the bright side. At least we're not sleeping in the attic." Mai joked.
"No. That's tomorrow night." Naru smirked slightly.
That started another wave of arguing. By the time it got late enough for everyone to head upstairs, Ayako was on the verge of threatening to go home. In the end, Naru agreed to accept volunteers for the second night in the attic. Mai reluctantly agreed. If she wants to solve this case, she can't shy away from it.
"According to the case file, the wife and son are seen primarily in the bedroom. The husband is seen in the attic on rare occasion." Kuroda read through the case file as they headed upstairs.
"How old was the son?" Mai asked.
"Ten."
Mai's heart broke all over, again. "That poor boy..."
Entering the master bedroom, they found Ayako and Lin in the process of setting up futons. Mai chose one by the window, between Ayako and Kuroda. She sat with her back against the wall, too keyed up to sleep.
"I'll stay in the base, just in case something is picked up on the monitors." Lin offered.
"I'll come to relieve you in a few hours." Monk said.
Everyone agreed what their shifts would be. In the end, Mai got saddled with the ten pm to midnight shift for tomorrow night, putting her in bed in the attic shortly after that. Her other shifts would be during the day.
Naru paused by Mai's futon to look at her. "Try to get some sleep."
She nodded. "I'll do my best...Are there any new text messages?"
"Don't concern yourself with that. I'll let you know if anything happens."
Naru went to his own pallet. Shutting off the light, everyone settled down. Despite her paranoia, Mai eventually managed to sleep.
Mai sobbed into her hands, her entire body shaking. Looking up around the room, she looked at the body of a young boy, lying in a pool of his own blood. She shook him.
"Oh god! Please! This can't be happening! My poor baby! Gakuto, what have you done!"
Mai froze as she heard the sound of a gun being cocked. She felt the steel against the back of her head, the barrel still hot. She shut her eyes in surrender, knowing she'd see her beloved son again, soon.
The sound of the gun blast resounded through the room.
Mai woke up, practically choking on her tears. Rolling over, she sobbed. She felt Ayako's hand on her back.
"Mai, it's okay. Ssh."
Mai nodded, trying to shake off the dream. "It was like I was her..."
She looked around, to find everyone else still asleep. She tried to settle herself, to keep from waking anyone else.
"It's over. You're safe." Ayako rubbed soothing circles on Mai's back.
Mai felt the hairs on her body stand on end. Looking back out to the rest of the room, she saw a shadow creep through the door. She could just barely make out the silhouette of a small child, running towards the closet. Something seemed to be dragging him back by his little leg. Falling to the ground in front of the door, he stilled before vanishing.
"D-did you see that?" Mai whispered.
"Yes." Ayako got up and fished through her bag, pulling out a few charms. She laid them around the room. "The cleansing ceremony didn't work."
Ayako handed the last charm to Mai before climbing back into her futon. Mai curled up and shut her eyes, trying her best to sleep.
The next morning, everyone ordered a quick breakfast and got to work adding charms around the house. Monk put wards on the base, to give them one room they could run to. Mai relayed her dream.
Kuroda looked positively sick. "To think you have to experience that, Mai. That's awful."
"It's part of case life for me. As soon as I'm in an area with a strong connection to death, I can either see from an outside perspective or through the eyes of a victim."
"I wonder if I'll ever have psychic dreams. I can feel when something is near, of course. But dreaming of what happened is something else entirely." Kuroda mused.
"Eventually, with enough training, you may." Mai encouraged her. Not that she wants anyone to see the terrible things she has.
"Noll." Lin said softly. He was holding Mai's cellphone. He handed it to Naru, who glared.
Mai stood up and walked over to them. "Let me see."
Naru looked like he wanted to stop her. In the end, he handed her the phone. It was a text message.
Message:
I hope your day is going well. Mine would go better if I had a word from you. Even a hello would make my week. -Kimoi
Mai handed the phone back, her skin covered in goosebumps. Everything about this guy makes her feel ill.
"Any leads on who he is?" Naru asked Lin.
"I tracked his I.P. Address to an internet cafe. He's not currently using a home internet, so it's a dead end."
"We could question the employees."
"I already called. They respect the privacy of their patrons too much."
Mai grimaced. "So, there's no hope."
"Let me keep trying, Miss Taniyama. I'll check his phone number, next."
Mai nodded. "Thank you."
Later that evening, at ten, Mai settled herself down for her shift in front of the monitors. With the room so well warded, she didn't mind being in there alone. Unlike the other rooms, this one feels comforting. She stared blankly at the screens in front of her, a little bored.
Just when she thought she might accidentally fall asleep, Naru surprised her by coming to join her. He took the other desk chair. "I know it's a thankless task, but we have to try something."
He reached over and ran his fingers down the length of her ponytail. She smiled. "I don't mind."
He smirked. "Would you still say that if I left you alone?"
She grabbed his hand, pouting. "Stay."
He settled himself in, stretching his legs and crossing his ankles. "Very well."
The next two hours went by much quicker. When Monk came to take the next shift, Mai and Naru headed up to sleep in the attic, along with Lin. Ayako and Kuroda would remain in the master bedroom.
On the way, Mai noticed Naru pause at the top of the stairs. She looked back at him. His eyes were staring past Mai. Turning her head, she found another shadow forming in the upstairs hallway. This one was much larger than the last one she'd seen. It darted forward, diving straight toward Naru.
Mai screamed as the shadow seemed to fuse with Naru. It woke everyone up, sending them running to them. Naru's eyes were glowing a bright white. He raised his arms, as if he were carrying a shot gun.
Looking scared to death, Kuroda ran into the master bedroom. Naru aimed the imaginary gun at her and fired. The sound of a shot echoed through the house. Mai gasped. "Naru, fight it! You can't let it in!"
Naru stared ahead, unseeing. Aiming the invisible gun at Mai, next, he fired. Despite knowing it's not real, she still flinched. Lowering his arms, Naru headed for the attic. Everyone quickly followed him up the stairs. They found him sitting in the chair in the corner. He opened his mouth and lowered his head, his arms reaching, as if they were in search of a trigger. He fired again.
Naru slumped his head. When he looked back up, his eyes were back to normal. He looked around. "What happened?"
Monk looked him over carefully. "You just pantomimed the entire murder-suicide. You pretended to shoot Kuroda and Mai, then yourself."
Naru furrowed his brows. "I don't remember anything."
Mai rushed to his side. "Are you alright? You should let Ayako perform a cleansing ritual."
"Listen to her, Noll."
Naru sighed. "Very well. Let's head downstairs."
No one had to be told twice to vacate the creepy attic. Down in the base, Ayako put a charm around Naru's neck and shook her gohei wand over his head, speaking a few words. Afterward, Naru stood.
"How do you feel?" Mai asked.
"I feel nothing unusual. Now, it's time to get to sleep. We'll stick to the master bedroom, going forward."
The next night, everyone piled in the small base, either working or avoiding going upstairs. The past two nights, something creepy has happened. Tonight will likely be the same.
"What must be keeping them here?" Ayako rested her chin on her hand, propping her elbow on the table. I doubt it's some kind of talisman, like the onsen case."
"If John were here, he could perform an exorcism. That may help." Monk pointed out.
"My rituals aren't cleansing enough, huh?" Ayako scowled.
Monk held up his hands in mock surrender. "Your rituals are fine."
"Maybe, we're thinking too technically." Mai thought out loud. "What if we remove that chair from the attic?"
"It seems unlikely. But, we could use it as the focal point in the next cleansing." Ayako shrugged.
"I've already emailed Father Brown. He's agreed to cut his trip short and meet us here in a couple days." Naru explained. "I'd rather not drag this case out any longer than necessary."
Mai smiled. It will be great to see John, again. She's missed him.
John ended up arriving early, late the next night. He came already dressed in his robes, rosary beads around his neck. The chair was pulled to the center of the attic. Everyone watched through the cameras as John performed his exorcism, throwing holy water at the chair. After John was finished, the chair was dragged outside and burned in the fire bit just off the patio.
This, to Mai's surprise, seemed to work. She felt the horrible sadness lift as the spirits of the family were finally sent on to the afterlife. She looked to Kuroda. "Can you feel it?"
She nodded, eyes wide. "It worked. I can't believe it."
"Not every case needs to be difficult." Naru circled the fire pit, to stand by Mai. "We'll do another sweep through the house. It's too late to drive back, so we'll sleep here one more night. I'll call our client in the morning."
Everyone went to bed in better cheer. Mai paused to give John a big hug as soon as they were inside. "Hey! How has Australia been?"
"Beautiful. I forgot how much I miss the crystal clear water." John smiled. "What about you? Has your Summer been enjoyable?"
Mai's smile became strained. With one large exception...But, it's a bit late to bring that up. She'll inform him on the drive back to SPR.
"It's been great. Ayako's doing really well in her pregnancy. Monk's gonna be taking a break from traveling with his band until she gives birth."
"That's great." Reaching into his pocket, John brought out a little charm and handed it to Ayako. "A gift for the baby. It's an old practice in my home country. Hang it above the crib."
Mai's mirth was short lived as she noticed Naru's expression, his eyes on her phone. He immediately tried to pocket it. Mai hurried over and grabbed his wrist.
"Show me. Please."
"You don't need to see this one." He frowned.
Mai felt herself getting impatient. "I respect that you're trying to protect me, but not knowing is worse, I promise you."
Naru sighed. "Mai..."
He didn't stop her as she grabbed her phone.
Message:
I was thinking of us, last night. Of the way you and I connect so well. Of the way we will connect, once we meet face to face. I long to know the sound of your voice, the way you feel, the way you taste. It all fuels my desire for our first meeting. Soon, Mai.
Love, Kimoi
Her throat tightened. She handed the phone back, horrified. She shut her eyes, trying to will the mental images to go away. It feels as violating as anything she's ever felt, knowing someone like this guy is thinking of her in this way.
"Are you alright?" Ayako came to check on Mai.
Glaring at the floor, Mai grabbed her phone and hurried to the other side of the room with it. She quickly typed a message and sent it before anyone could stop her.
Message:
I want you to leave me alone! I don't know you and I don't want to! You're unwell! Get help and stay out of my life! -Mai
Naru snatched the phone. Reading what she sent, he sighed. "You'll only antagonize him."
"I have to do something!" Mai sniffed.
With her terrible mood now noticed by the rest of the room, it became necessary to tell John the details of Mai's stalker. He looked horrified.
"Mai, oh no...You must be terrified." He hurried to hug her. Mai hugged him back, appreciating the comfort. He asked many questions. Eventually, the topic became too upsetting and Mai had to go rest.
As restless as she is, Mai did try to lay down after that. In the end, she couldn't sleep. By the time the sun rose, she could personally inform the room there were no incidents with the spirits returning.
As the monitors and other equipment were loaded back in the van, Mai stood aside, yawning. Ayako put a hand on her back. "You didn't get a wink of sleep, did you?"
"No." Mai bit her lip. "I could use some tea."
Naru offered Mai his own thermos. "Drink this."
Mai smiled gratefully. "Thank you."
"Go straight home after this." Naru ordered. He didn't have to. Mai would have requested to either way.
Heading back to Shibuya district, they stopped at SPR long enough for everyone to get in their own cars. Mai rode home with Ayako. Getting out of the car with her bag, she hurried inside and up the stairs.
Mai dropped her bag, nausea rising up. Sitting at Ayako's front door, adorned with a red bow, was another vase of flowers.