Chapter 4 (Dai 4-shō)

The next morning was rough for me. I didn't get much sleep and my head ached. It felt so heavy on my shoulders and my eyes appeared as though they had sunken deep into my sockets. I placed my hand on the cold glass door that led into the building. I waved at Kyoko lazily and placed one of the two coffees I held in my hand on her desk. She thanked me and asked me how I slept. ‘’I feel like someone punched me in the face.’’ She giggled mindlessly and returned back to her work. I waited for the elevator and sipped my coffee. My father had emailed me something about an article that was being made about the previous night. He told me to jot down some questions about it and bring them into him first thing in the morning. I speed into the waiting elevator and pondered more about the case. What was really going on here? It’s obvious people just don't go missing out of the blue and girls don't disappear inside of alley ways. But how does this all connect? What will the end result be? The elevator ride only made my head hurt more. I stumbled out and headed for my fathers office. A figure stood in front of the frosted glass door. I didn't bother to knock and simply came in. Akio was there with my father. I greeted him, shaking his hand that was free for the other one help a light blue folder. I then lay a kiss upon my father’s cheek.

‘’Ohayō Akane. How was your night.’’ I placed my coffee on the desk and took a seat. ‘’Irrelevant. Why did you want these questions again?’’ I pulled the paper from my satchel wrapped neatly around my shoulder and rested comfortably on my hip. ‘’We are doing some, ‘surveys’ as you may take it. People of getting more and more curious about this case. I was hoping to keep it covert until we had a solid understanding of what this really is about. But sadly, social media has stricken us again with their harsh misconceptions and futile hypothesis.’’ My fathered scanned over the questions and tucked them away in his binder. ‘’Akio would like to take you on a tour.’’ I peered up at the slim man standing beside me. ‘’What fun.’’ I spoke. He gave me a wide grin and reached for my hand. I grabbed it willingly and rose to my aching feet. ‘’Take notes and learn a little something from this. Wonderful information for the future Akane.’’ I slipped out of his office along side of Akio. He stepped towards the stairs and opened the door for me. I nodded his way and proceeded forward. We started down the three flights of stairs. ‘’Do you enjoy working down there all by yourself?’’ I asked curiously. ‘’I feel the loneliness has made you mute.’’ He chucked in disagreement and assured me he enjoyed the peace. ‘’A busy, crowded office isn't for everyone you know.’’ I pondered on his response. ‘’I know, I know. I just think that you should come up more. Meet your colleagues. Get a feel for them. There are some beautiful ladies who work in my division.’’ His cheeks flared red and his eyes twinkled. ‘’Perhaps I'll join you one day. But for now, im happy in my withdrawal from the crowd.’’

The large metal door to his office opened with a loud squeak. I stepped in cautiously and admired the hundreds of bottles scattered about the wall. The were paint blotches that had been leisurely splotched all over the wall. ‘’Impressive. I can see you take pride in your equipment.’’ Microscopes, probes, thermometers, and other instruments were in a row neatly on a large wooden table. The floor was sectioned into two halfs. One was hardwood, the other concrete. Cabinets faced each other on opposite walls and two computers were running in the back of the room. Shelves were placed high on the white walls and they were decked with cases of needled, pipettes, and latex gloves. There was a small room in the left corner of the room. It contained a desk, a filing cabinet, and a messy pile of paper work. ‘’Wagaya e yōkoso.’’ I stepped in further and ran my fingers across the smooth black table pressed against the wall. ‘’Ill be back. Please wait here.’’ I did as i was told and waited there patiently. He came back with some charts and graphs. ‘’At the scene last night, the people on the scene had collected samples of hair. It wasn't very much but it was enough for us to work with.’’ Under the table was a miniature refrigerator. He reached inside and pulled out a test tube rack. It was accompanied by five test tubes all holding a similar purple substance. I peered over his shoulder as he slipped gloves onto his hands. ‘’Im going to show you how to collect DNA from these samples.’’ I laughed softly and looked at him with questioning brows. ‘’This is all very interesting, but why?’’ He placed his glasses over his eyes and removed the tubes from the rack.’’I want to give you a feel for other jobs in this building. Yours isn't the only job. Dont be so selfish.’’ I laughed and crossed my arms. ‘’Nonsense. But, this is your job so I'll Let you do it. Go on and continue.’’ He smiled and looked back at me. ‘’Wonderful. Now, the first step...’’

I spent all morning and afternoon with Akio. The steps he took were time consuming and tedious, yet, he found a way to balance science with entertainment. A forensic detective seemed like a job that required a lot of patience and motivation. I now see why Akio was chosen for the job. It was a pleasure assisting him and i thanked him repeatedly throughout the day. Once we were finished, we headed upstairs to get a snack from the machine and wrap up the day. ‘’Thank you for making my day enjoyable.’’ We entered the lobby and headed for the machine. Akio searched through his pocket for change. ‘’That must be the, oh, I dont know. The hundredth time you've thanked me?’’ I laughed and pulled my wallet from my satchel. ‘’I'm just trying to be kind.’’ He let me step in front of him when we got to the machine.’’You don't need to try. Youre kind enough.’’ I fed my Yen into the slot and smiled to myself. Akio was so sweet and it made me sad to think of him being in that office alone all day. I punched in the number that corresponded to the candy bar i wanted and waited for it to fall to the bottom. ‘’Ah, rats. I forgot, i have to email something to someone. It is kind of important. I will have to wait for my snack. You take care of yourself Akane.’’ His lips pressed onto my cheek, kissing it almost...intimately. Then, nothing. I was in too much shock to turn around. Once I did, he was already gone. I didn't know what to feel. Should I be angry because of the kiss? Was it just a friendly peck or something more? But, for some reason, it was impossible for me to feel any distinguishable emotions. In fact, I didn't know how to feel. Seconds later, i jumped at a thud that sounded in the deadly quiet breakroom . Then I realized, it was only my candy bar.

The next morning, I had stepped out of the shower and began to get dressed. Then, I heard my phone buzz against the counter. It was a text from Hikaru. ‘’Come outside’’ Seconds later, I heard knocking on my door. Rap Rap. ‘‘Tōrai’!’’ I yelled as I leaned my head from behind the open door. The knocks increased in number and volume. Tap tap tap tap. ‘’Shibaraku Omachi Kudasai!’’ I took a large basu taoru and wrapped it tightly around my body. Water flew from my legs as i jogged to the door. I looked into the small peeping hole. It was indeed Hikaru. I open the door just a bit and smiled slightly. ‘’Yes? May I help you?’’ He handed me a folded slip of paper. ‘’Go here before you come into work.’’ The statement was brief and efficient,just like my brother. ‘’Why?’’ I asked looking down at the crinkled sticky note in my hand. ‘’It is an address. It is only a ways down from here. The residents there are Mr and Mrs.Sayuri. Their grandson is Mr.Utagawashī. Treat them kind. Akio should have sent you an email with further instructions.’’ He conducted the information to me so quickly. My brain was mush. ‘’Um, yeah. Ok. I will get right on that.’’ He nodded and walked away. I closed and locked my door all while clutching the small sheet of paper in my hand.

I repeated the names of the couple over and over again in my head. Then aloud. ‘’Sayuri, Sayuri, Sayuri...’’ The house could be seen from where i was walking. It was a little brick house that was placed in between two bigger brink structures that erected high in the air. Smoke crawled out from the chimney and climbed a ladder into the atmosphere. The steps leading up to the door were crippled and decrepit I took deep breathes in and out all while clutching the sticky note in my warm hands. I took one last look at the paper to confirm that this was the right address.’’24あやアベニューウエストサイド’’ I leaped up the old stairs and stood in front of the door. I opened the screen part and knocked on the wooden beast. The wait was long and eerie. Akio’s instructions were to ask them about their granddaughter, Etsuko. Akio had presented me with a set of simple questions to ask them and a few questions other questions.

The door opened slowly. On the other side, there was a small elderly lady bundled up in an orange, thick knit sweater. Her hair was short and adeyaka. It was shiny and streaks of gray crawled through the patches of black in her hair. Wrinkles were marked deep into her face and he eyes were yellow and aged. She was a little plump and stoop at chest height compared to me. I smiled at her sweetly and held my hand out. ‘‘Konnichiwa. Are you Sayuri-san?’’ My hand was ignored. She looked to both sides of me and motioned me to come in. She stepped in short bursts and huffed heavily as she walked. I closed the large door behind me and followed her into her home.

Their house was very clean but smelled of cat. It wasn't necessarily unpleasant but it was very strong. Blankets in the den were neatly folded on the couch. Vases and beautiful china was placed on shelves up high. Curtains draped over windows and dimmed the house. Cat toys were scattered on the floor. I think i accidently stepped on one on my way in. She led me into the kitchen and pointed to a stool at the breakfast bar.’’Arigatō.’’ She picked up a red kettle from off of the stove and pour boiling water into two floral tea cups. The steam rose up into her face and created a film of vapor. Her veiny, trembling hands dropped a tea bag and each cup. ‘’Well. Ask me the questions.’’ Her voice was small and raspy. She sat down at a chair that was tucked under a round table next to me. I was guessing it was the dining room table. ‘’Well, Mrs.Rayuri, Im here to ask you about your granddaughter. These questions aren't too complex and I’ll try to keep my visit short.’’ The questions ranged from how old she was, what she does in her free time, and other stuff about her and her life. Mrs.Sayuri answered in short answers and she never really looked at me. I suddenly heard the front door open and close with force. A tall, young man walked in and stopped in the walkway to the kitchen. I swallowed and smiled at him. He just looked. ‘’Hello there. Are you, Kenta?’’ He nodded slowly and acted a if he were in trouble. I smiled softly and help out my hand to him. ‘’I'm Akane. I work with Hanzai Diga Corporation. I came to ask you and your family about Etsuko. Please, come join us.’’ I smiled at him once more. He looked at me with a confused stare. Suddenly, his confusion turned to rage. He stomped out the the kitchen and ran up the stairs, each step making a loud thud. I sighed and turned to Mrs. Sayuri. ‘’May I go up to talk to him?’’ She nodded and returned to the kitchen to retrieve an item from the fridge. I stepped up the stairs softly and examined the hallway. There were a lot of pictures and portraits strung from the wall. I walked to the end of the hallway. There was only one closed door. I knocked softly on the door and listened soon after. ‘’Kenta? Watashi ga de kuru koto ga dekiru?’’ No reply. I turned the handle slowly and stepped in.

It was a tiny room that contained a small bed and two drawers The window was open and it made the room warm and bright. Kenta was sitting on the edge of the bed twiddling his thumbs. I knocked on the door softly with two fingers and splayed a smile across my face. ‘’I uh, I was wondering if I could ask you some questions as well.’’ He sighed and looked up at me after what felt like an eternity. ‘’Why are you here? Why are you bother the peace of my family?’’ I stepped in closer and looked at him puzzled. ‘’With the way you're acting, it doesn't seem like your family is at peace. Look, i know that you probably miss your sister and-’’ He jumped up in a rage, towering over me, his large shadow engulfing my brittle frame. ‘’And what?! Why does that give you the right to come in my house all high and mighty and question my family’s personal business?!’’ His fists were clenched and his breath against my face was warm. ‘’I don't mean any harm. I’m just trying to help.’’ I stood with my back straight, trying to mask the fear. ‘’You don't think i know how you feel? You're worried and scared.’’ His eyes widened. ‘’Yes, scared. You feel like a part of you has been lost.’’ I saw hope swimming in his eyes but it soon caught fire. ‘’You don't understa-’’ I felt my height grow and my face became hot. ‘’Shut up! I do know how you feel because i use to be worried and scared! I know how it feels to miss someone and worry sick about them every night! Not being able to see them or hold them!’’ The tears poured from my eyes. They made my face numb and my chest felt like it was caving in. He looked at me with shallow eyes. I calmed down and i could feel the wetness of the tears on my cheeks. He stepped back and turned to look out of the window. He squinted because of the sun. ‘’You love your sister a lot, i know you do. You love her Kenta, you love her, right?’’ He nodded slowly. ‘’I lost my mother when i was little. We had no idea where she was or if she was alright. I was fearful that she had been hurt. But, i was more fearful that people had given up on her.’’ I stepped even closer to him. ‘’Its ok Kenta. Im here to help.’’ He looked at me and took in a deep breath. He then took his seat back on the bed. ‘’What’s the first question?’’

Author's Note

Don't be afraid to comment or give critique!

Reviews

[AderaShamira]

(The boy's name is Kenta)