Check 38 - It's the unexpected that changes our lives

The majority of the mess in the kitchen was centered near the staff table, as expected. Not much had changed since those who'd been dining at the time of the quake had left. Some minor aftershocks had moved some of the broken dishes around, but not much else had changed. Unfortunately, any food that had not been consumed was also now inedible.

"Right," Cass said as she reached for the apron nearest her. "Let's do this."

In next to no time, Cass had organized Hoshino and Suzue into carefully cleaning up the broken dishware and taking any that had survived to the sink. There, Cass carefully inspected each piece before washing it and putting on a rack to dry. Once the area was relatively safe, she then went to work scrubbing the table.

Hoshino put the dust pan back where the other kitchen cleaning supplies were kept. He'd had to ask Suzue for their location. After righting a few chairs that had been knocked over in the initial rush, he sat down to watch Cass at work on the spilled Alfredo. "You're really efficient," he observed.

Checking her wash cloth, Cass looked up at the comment. "Running a café that's open twelve or more hours a day, I've had to be." Deciding the cloth needed a good rinse, she went over to the sink and swirled it in the soapy water she'd yet to drain. "I'm used to dealing with these kinds of situations," she added. "It's normal for at least one customer to drop and break something."

If there was any compliment Hoshino had to give her, it was that she was hard working. Suzue was also hard working, though he doubted her strengths went to the usual domestic labors. He'd noticed her slipping out of the room after doing her part of the cleaning.

"This whole trip must have been quite the experience for you," the cop said as Cass made her way back to the table with a cleaner dish towel. She seemed almost serene as she wiped any residual mess away.

Cass paused, glancing down at the nearest table leg to her. They'd missed a shard of broken crockery and she reached down to pick it up, pulling back as she accidentally stabbed herself with it instead. She instinctually sucked in her breath as she looked at the small puncture wound. "Drat."

Realizing she'd injured herself, Hoshino got up and walked over. A decent bit of blood had welled up around the wound as he looked around for a first aide box. "You should get that treated right away," he stated.

She walked over to the sink and ran water over her finger. "It's fine," she protested. "But would you mind sweeping up that last bit before someone else stabs their finger on it?" The shard had punctured deep enough that it took a bit for the blood to stop. Cass had to look for a paper towel to use until she could get to a bandage.

Hoshino took out the broom and dustpan again, making a more thorough sweep of the area, just in case. He found two more fragments hiding in a corner before sweeping them up and returning the cleaning implements to their closet.

By the time he'd finished, Cass had moved to one of the chairs and sat down, part of a paper towel wrapped around her finger like a cast. "Well, it's not a vacation without at least one injury to all parties," she sighed. It took her a moment to realize they were alone in the kitchen. "Where's Suzue?"

The detective glanced around, in the off-chance the younger Kambe had returned. She had not. "No idea. Maybe she went to check on the rest of the mansion."

"Maybe," Cass echoed. She'd more likely gone to check on Daisuke, or maybe gone down to that giant computer room to check on things down there. If they'd left their tools out from earlier, they might have gotten scattered in the quake. She ran a hand through her hair, realizing she still had the apron on but found she was too tired to immediately remove it. "What a day."

Not wanting to stand over the café owner, Hoshino pulled up a second chair and sat down near her. "From the sounds of things, it's been more than an eventful last couple of years."

A humorless laugh escaped Cass' lips. "There's never any real dull moments," she admitted. "But then I knew that going into being a legal guardian. I can't consider myself a mom, but I've done my best to be an amazing aunt."

"I heard about your other nephew's death." Hoshino resisted the urge to put out a comforting hand, not sure how she'd take it.

Cass sat up, leaning forward enough that she could loosen the apron strings and take it off. "Yes, well… that was several years ago. And while things have been rough, I can't complain."

This was going nowhere and fast, the cop decided. Perhaps it had been a bad idea to try and get information from her when she was alone. From her answers, he gathered she was used to deflecting when necessary, though he wasn't sure why she felt the need, unless it was out of habit. "I understand Hiro has taken more than his fair share of fame."

Now looking pointedly at the detective, Cass frowned. "I understand why you're asking," she stated, "but I don't know that I feel comfortable talking about that right now. Is Hiro something special? Yes. Has he gotten himself into a lot of trouble over the years? Definitely. But I'm not entirely sure why you seem to be interested in him. I thought everyone decided I was the main target."

"I'm just trying to look at all the possibilities," Hoshino assured. "There are rumors going around that Kambe wants to make Hiro his heir, which could put him in the crosshairs of anyone who might stand to lose as a result."

Cass stood, wadding up the apron in front of her. "While I can appreciate that, there's been absolutely no discussion about the possibility. We just came to Japan to remember my sister."

Hoshino also stood. "And while I can appreciate that, rumors don't care about the truth. You of all people should understand that." He paused at the look she gave him. "I know how you had to field all kinds of reporters and the like when your nephew graduated early from high school. The attention couldn't have been appreciated."

"It wasn't. And it took a while for the attention to die down. But I had my ways of discouraging the reporters and occasional creeps." She clenched her fists before looking down at her paper-towel-wrapped finger. "I got really good at wielding a rolling pin."

The thought of Cass swinging around the kitchen tool was a bit amusing and Hoshino had to hide a smile at the thought. "All the same, I'd like you to try and convince Kambe to allow some officers on the property, just as a precautionary matter."

Cass gave a chuckle. "Is that what this was all about? Trying to get me to convince Daisuke to beef up security? Well, I can't say I really have any sway over his decisions. He is the head of the Kambe family. And you already heard Suzue's answer when you strongly suggested protective custody. Don't take this the wrong way, but we've had bad experiences with that."

That seemed to give the detective pause. "I wasn't aware of that," he admitted. "Though I wouldn't mind the details."

Back turned to Hoshino while she returned the apron to its hook, Cass rolled her eyes. "I'm not in the mood to talk about the past," she stated, turning around. "And if you really want to add to the security, you're going to have to talk to Daisuke yourself. As I said, I really don't have much say in the matter." Having said that, Cass made her way out into the hallway.

Hoshino hurried to catch up. He knew he'd lost his chance there, sure Daisuke wasn't about to grant permission for officers to patrol the grounds. The man was stubborn, and as much an enigma as ever. "Please tell your nephew I'll likely call again tomorrow," he instructed as he followed her down the hall and towards the front of the mansion. "I should probably get back to the precinct and finish up some paperwork before it gets too late."

Cass reached for her back pocket where she normally kept her cell phone, remembering at the last second that she didn't have it. Maybe it would be a good idea to suggest to Daisuke that he at least tell Hoshino about the tracking apps, she mused as she watched the man continue down the hallway without her. Part of her thought it would be wise to escort him all the way to the front but she chose not to. Instead, she headed towards the nearest elevator, intent on checking in on Hiro, assuming he was now in his room.

After having heard Baymax state that his body had reached its limit, she couldn't help but worry about him. The last time he'd drained his batteries, in a manner of speaking, it had taken a while for him to recover.

…..

When Hoshino reached the main doors, he found they wouldn't open, no matter how hard he pushed against them. "What in the world?" He turned to face the large room, not sure what to do. There were likely other exits, though he didn't know where they were. But if he couldn't get out, there was no way he could do the research he'd intended.

"Mr. Hoshino," Suzue called out as she appeared from seemingly nowhere. At least it looked like she'd come out of nowhere, though he couldn't be sure.

The officer looked, understandably, confused and a bit unhappy. "Why won't the door open?" he asked, knowing it was a silly question. The answer was obvious. It was locked in such a way that no one could open it without the key.

Suzue approached him, her heels clicking on the tiles until she reached the carpeted section. "Master Daisuke has locked the manor down for the night. If you had left earlier, this wouldn't have been an issue. However, since you didn't, I'm afraid you'll have to spend the night."

Eyes going wide, Ryo Hoshino wasn't sure what to do. "It's barely eight in the evening," he protested. "Where exactly does Kambe expect me to sleep?" There were, of course, other concerns, but those were certainly ones that needed to be addressed.

"I'm very sorry," Suzue said with a slight bow. "Master Daisuke anticipated this and asked that I prepare a room for you while you were helping Cass clean the kitchen. If you follow me, I can show you to it."

With no other real choice, unless he decided to try and break out, Hoshino fell in step behind Suzue as she led him towards the massive set of stairs and the second floor. "I don't understand why you can't just let me out. Isn't it far too early to lock things down for the night?"

The carpet muffled both of their steps as they climbed the stairs but Suzue didn't look back. "With everyone pretty much ready to turn in for the night, or not planning on going anywhere, Master Daisuke deemed it best to lock up early. If you would like, I can take your complaints to him about the matter."

Hoshino resisted the urge to do something irrational. In a way, it did make sense. Hiro and Katou were out for the count. Daisuke appeared to be somehow injured, and he doubted Suzue or Cass planned on going anywhere. That and, as far as he knew, the inhabitants were still in a state of lockdown, with the staff on leave for who knew how long. He released a sigh. "No. That won't be necessary. I just didn't come prepared to spend the night."

Acknowledging his concerns, Suzue now walked down a long hallway. "I managed to find some clothes that will hopefully be suitable until the morning," she stated. "I've left them on the bed for you." She stopped next to a door, giving a slight bow.

Ryo paused, knowing this was likely not her usual job. "Thank you," he said, giving her a slight bow in return. "I apologize for adding to your load. Please give Kambe my thanks."

The door opened and Hoshino entered the room. It wasn't as large as some of the others, but was far larger than he was used to using. He turned to look back out the doorway at Suzue, but she'd already left. Apparently she had other things to do, he guessed as he closed the door and headed to the bed where a set of sweat pants and a t-shirt had been laid out. He wasn't sure who they belonged to, though part of him couldn't help but wonder. But it was better than staying in his current suit and tie.

He took a quick look around, realizing there was a bathroom off to one side. Were all of the guest rooms the same, he wondered. Deciding it didn't matter, he gathered up the borrowed clothes and made his way to the smaller room to change.

…

It took a while for Katou to decide he had enough in him to move, though part of him was tempted to just sleep where he was. He was certainly tired enough for it. But, knowing it would likely cause some issues, he forced himself to his feet and made his way out of the formal sitting room and into the hallway.

On the way, he ran into Suzue. "Hey," the detective greeted. "Hoshino leave yet?"

The question seemed to give the woman pause as she gave him a bit of a blank stare before coming back to herself. "Actually, I just showed Mr. Hoshino his room for the night."

"He's staying?" That was news to him and he had to brace his ribs to help ward off some of the shock. He'd hitched his breath, which had twinged his ribs in a most uncomfortable manner.

Suzue fell into step with Katou as she pushed her hair back behind her ear. "Yes. Master Daisuke already locked things down for the night so he's here until the morning." She made her way into a back room where she found a wheeled cart, pushing it back to the sitting room.

"What are you doing now?" Katou wondered out loud as he continued to follow her.

Returning to the sitting room, Suzue began arranging the boxes Katou and Hoshino had brought earlier. One had managed to fall onto its side from the quake, having been stacked on top of another. "I'm taking these down to the library," she stated.

Realization dawned on him like a spring rain. "Oh." It made sense. It wouldn't do to just leave them sitting out where just anyone could get them. That and they were supposed to take them to the library anyway. "I hope you don't mind my not helping."

"Not at all," Suzue assured. "I know the extent of your injuries thanks to Baymax reporting them earlier." She finished lifting the last box onto the cart and pushed it towards the nearest elevator.

The mention of the medical robot gave Katou some pause. "Baymax? I don't recall him saying anything."

Suzue pushed the elevator call button. "It was before you returned. Apparently Hiro programmed in a protocol allowing him to access the medical databases of any hospital in case he needed the information."

The man nodded, and then just as quickly jerked as realization at the breech of confidentially that represented. "Wait! That's technically illegal!" He let out a sound of pain as his ribs constricted again and he had to wrap one arm around his mid-section.

Suzue smiled, knowing a lot of Daisuke's methods of getting information were technically in the gray area of the law. She also knew Katou knew that. "He only mentioned it because no one had given us an update. Hiro assured us Baymax doesn't share any information he receives with just anyone."

Now rubbing the back of his neck, and probably wishing for a heating pad, Katou followed Suzue into the elevator. "All the same, I wished I'd know that was a thing beforehand. I wasn't purposely trying to keep anything from you."

The elevator descended, opening a few seconds later on the lower floor. Suzue pushed the cart out, pausing momentarily to see if Katou was going to keep following her. "I can ask him not to inform us next time," she said in a placating tone.

Katou briefly closed his eyes as he gathered his thoughts. There were worse things, he supposed. "It's fine," he said in a tone of defeat. "Just so long as he doesn't do it with just anyone."

"I'm sure he doesn't," Suzue responded as she turned the cart around so that her back faced the door she wanted. Thankfully it was the kind that didn't require turning a knob and she could just push against it to open it. She then pulled the cart in behind her.

The room she entered was long and filled with tall shelves along one side. There was also a long table opposite them. The shelves were the type that could be pushed together to allow maximum usage of the space, with wheeled ladders to reach the higher shelves. The last time Katou had been in this room was when he was looking up any leads on the Third Lab.

Following Suzue in, he noticed the table was all but clear, minus the first box she'd already placed on the surface. All four boxes easily fit along the table's length, with plenty of room to spare. There was the one wheeled chair visible and he headed towards it.

"I don't think Master Daisuke expects you to start on this tonight," Suzue commented, noticing him reaching for one of the boxes. "In fact, I think it might be wise, in light of your injuries, to rest. I'm sure he intends to help with this tomorrow."

Katou gave a bit of an eye roll. "That'll be a first," he said under his breath but slowly stood. Rest was likely a good suggestion. The doctor had told him he needed to take things easy. "Maybe I can convince Hoshino to help." The other detective was more likely to assist than Daisuke was. Probably.

Perhaps ignoring his initial comment, Suzue chose to place the cart against the wall behind the table instead of respond. She turned towards her current companion with a slight bow. "I bid you good night, Mr. Katou." With that, she left the room.

There was a small part of him that was tempted to ignore her advice and get to work looking at the files, but he knew she was right. He slipped his hand into his pocket, feeling the prescription bottle. He'd taken some at dinner, but wasn't sure how well they were working. Then again, after the excitement of the quake, he supposed it was likely he'd managed to add a bit to the damage. With a sigh, he headed to the door. Chances were good he'd feel better after some actual rest, if he could sleep that was.

...

After having locked down the manor for the night, Daisuke made his way back to his room. There, he divested himself of his waistcoat. He was momentarily tempted to go out on the veranda but chose not to. He'd have to unlock the back door to do so and didn't want to put in the effort. Instead, he made his way into the bathroom, where he removed his shirt and looked in the mirror at the damage.

Cass had given him a decent bruise, he noted. The skin around the bottom of his rib cage had purpled nicely, though not as darkly as his jaw had gone after Katou had punched him. He'd definitely had worse and could only thank the stars for that small grace. All the same, it did hurt, but was thankfully not too tender to the touch, nor was it hotter than the skin around it, a sure sign of complications if it had been.

Deciding it best to take Baymax's suggestion of heat to help heal quicker, he filled the tub, cleaning himself off before getting into the warmed water. He'd thought to add some Epsom salts to the bath, knowing they were good for sprains and bruises. He'd just have to remember to rinse the salt off before he was done.

Now leaning back against the slight incline, Daisuke let his thoughts wander. He almost laughed at the expression he imagined on Hoshino's face when he realized he'd been locked in for the night. He doubted the detective would be happy about it, but he knew Suzue could handle the situation. He also felt certain the majority of their party would retire early for the night. Again, Suzue might be the exception. Not knowing Hoshino as well, he wasn't sure what he'd do.

If nothing else, the day had been action-packed. He didn't blame Hiro's body for being done after everything he'd been through. The man could only imagine what it must have been like; not having seen the teen in possession of whatever energy had taken out the power with it, at least nothing more than the tail end. He'd have to compare it to being electrocuted until he knew otherwise. And he knew, from experience, that such jolting was never fun.

Chances were good Hiro had also somehow slipped enough into the future to predict the quake moments before it happened. It was the only thing that made sense, despite his telling the others the teen had likely just sensed the change in the atmosphere. While there were indeed people who supposedly could do so, he doubted that had been the case here. And, after all that, plus the previous days' events, there was no way Hiro was going to just jump back up and be good to go.

Thinking about the teen, Daisuke couldn't help but wonder just how involved he'd been with the terrorist bombings. Not to mention what all had gone on with his various other incidents over the past few years. He knew he'd only been given a glimpse of the smallest parts of what had forged Hiro into what he was now. And there was a part of him that definitely wanted to learn more. There was also a part of him that couldn't help but fear that knowledge and what it might mean. He wasn't even sure if Hiro understood the full depth of what he was becoming, let alone what.

Hoshino had theorized that Hiro was a target because of at least some of those events. Without knowing about the teen's prediction about Cass being shot sometime in the probably not too distant future, he could understand that logic. He'd have thought the same. But, without definitive proof, he couldn't say Hiro was the main target, though chances were good he was still on the list.

Daisuke filled his lungs to capacity and slowly let the air out, willing the tension in his muscles out with it. There were still too many unknowns. Not to mention the incident that had resulted in Cass Hamada and her parents moving to American in the first place. He couldn't help but feel that was somehow part of the puzzle, and whatever memories she'd locked away, or had locked away by whatever trauma had caused them.

In the morning, he knew he was going to be really busy. It was just as well that he had HEUSC digging in new directions. He knew he'd overlooked things with the Los Angeles incident the moment Cass had mentioned the murder. How he'd missed that, he wasn't sure, but he'd definitely correct that soon.

Realizing he was starting to doze off, Daisuke drained the tub, rinsing it out of any residual salt, as well as rinsing it off his skin before dressing for bed. He yawned hugely on his way back to the bedroom. Hopefully they'd make a major breakthrough in the morning. At the very least, something had to give.

With those thoughts running through his head, he slipped between the covers and fell asleep.