^ Thanks for the comment. I'll try to put the other chapters up as well.
CHAPTER 3
There isn't a day where the crowded office such as this were not hectic, but on this certain day things were twice as chaotic for head chief officer Yoshizawa Hitomi. This job did have its down falls and even its upside. For one, Yossie enjoyed busting the crook and locking him or her into jail forever if possible, but what she did not enjoy was letting the crook slip easily right through her fingers. No one got passed her, except this particular case, she’s spended weeks on and the days on this case continued to grow. A groan full of rage came out from the flustered officer.
Her angry eyes scanned the stack of files she’s gone over more than she can count. The light night killings had been going on endlessly and yet she still was not able to pin point this killer. This killer was very careful and skilled with each kill. No evidence was left behind, there were no eyewitnesses, Yossie had nothing to work with. The only evidence provided was that this victim wasn’t an ordinary man to be killed.
He belonged to a highly organized and powerful gang. Fed up reading the same information over and over, Yossie pressed the talk button to her intercom.
“Takahashi!”
“Yes, Yoshizawa-san?” Ai weakly replied through the intercom.
“Get in here.”
The front door to the aggravated cop’s door opened seconds later. Ai stood in the door way timidly. She shrunk back from her boss’s heating gaze. It was her first time on the job and she didn’t know what to expect either from the office and her boss the most. Her boss seemed to have a short fuse all the time.
It made Ai all the more afraid to speak. She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.
“I’ll need all the files that are related to today’s crime scene.” Yossie demanded.
Yossie sighed and leaned back into her office chair. This case was becoming relentless. It was like trying to track a ghost. Even with her experience and knowledge she wasn’t able to find anything.
“Yoshizawa-san, if…you don’t mind me saying…I’ve been looking over the case you have been working on for quite a while now and uh…I realized something,” Ai hesitated to continue. Yossie motioned for her to go on. “All those men they have one relation.” Ai began to shake. Yossie’s glare was even more terrifying to the rookie the more she went into detail.
“And what’s that Takahashi?” Yossie ordered.
“Uh…they work for this man. Suzuki Rinji is his name. I um…have his file if you want it.” Ai replied, cautiously.
“Well of course I want it! Now go get it.” Yossie yelled.
Ai flinched and scurried out the door to retrieve the file that lay messily on her small desk. Gathering all the scattered papers, she quickly came back and handed the tanned folder over. Yossie skimmed through it briefly. She looked back up to her new worker.
“What are you doing just standing there?! Get out.” Yossie growled.
Ai didn’t need to be told twice. She rushed out to the safety of her desk. Working for someone who had little tolerant for anything was harder than she thought. The longer she stayed here, the more she was looking forward to her lunch break.
***
“Come on Miya, hurry up!” Airi yelled.
“Hey wait for me! I don’t know the garden that good.” Miyabi cried, running to catch up with her small brunette friend.
Miyabi was pushing several bushes side to side to make some sort of small passage way through the dense plants. The further she walked the harder it became to push leaves and twigs away started to become branches. Miyabi had been here many times before, but it seemed each time she came back the plants would grow and more bushes would be planted. It was like walking through a maze and this garden was big enough to be just that.
Peeking out from between the leaves, Miyabi could make out the soft pink sweater Airi wore just as she turned the corner. If Miyabi lost sight of her best friend, there was no way she was coming out. The tall teenager ran through the twigs and bushes eager to catch up.
“Airi, wait!” Miyabi shouted.
She ran faster, when she lost the sight of the brunette. Sharply, Miyabi turned the corner and ran right into Airi face fist. The both of them fell to the pavement. Miyabi looked down to her friend with a shy smile. A tint of pink showed in her cheeks.
“I’m sorry. A-are you ok, Airi?” Miyabi stumbled.
In a straining voice Airi spoke barely above a whisper, “Can’t…breath.” She squeaked.
Miyabi jolted to her two feet, quickly helping Airi back up. She patted down any wrinkles in her sweater, wiping away the dirt. The blush in her face was even bigger. She began to mutter nervously under her breath.
“It’s ok Miyabi. Just be careful next time? Come on let’s go inside.” Airi dismissed.
Airi grabbed Miyabi’s hand into her own and walked her to the entrance of her luxurious mansion. Miyabi gulped as she looked at their joined hands together. Airi didn’t seem to notice. She kept walking through the garden, until they reached the exit and walked up the driveway path. The door to the side of the house opened and two large men in black suits stepped out. They were arguing with each other.
“Will you hurry up?! Suzuki-san told us to be quick. We have to find his daughter before he doesn’t get so happy.” The fat man in the suit growled.
He turned around to guide his men and was met face to face with the girl they were supposed to be looking for. Airi looked to the men curiously. Miyabi on the other hand, looked more on the offensive side.
“What’s wrong?” Airi asked.
“Airi, your dad is worried sick about you. You were supposed to be home twenty minutes ago. Why didn’t you take the limo he sent you?” The second man questioned.
Airi began to fiddle with the ends of her soft pink sweater. She knew her dad wasn’t going to be happy with her breaking the rules he’s set. He’s a very strict man about rules when it came to her.
“I’m sorry, I just wanted to walk home for a change with, Miyabi.” Airi answered.
“You better get inside before your father goes looking for you himself.” The fat guy suggested.
Airi nodded and hurried inside. She knew her father was going to have a serious talk when Miyabi left to go back home. She tried not to focus on that at the moment though. Once inside the luxrious mansion, both girls were greeted by one of the maids.
“Airi, you’re home. Your father is very upset with you. Be careful when you talk to him. It’s good to see you again Miyabi.” The Maid warned.
Airi thanked the maid and made her way through the kitchen were hundreds of chiefs stood busy cooking whatever meals were requested from her father for tonight’s dinner. They walked out the kitchen door, to the dinning room, passed the maids that were setting the table, and to the foyer.
“Why does your house have to be so big?” Miyabi complained.
Airi broke their linked hands that were together this whole time and walked up the stairs leading to the various rooms. Miyabi stood at the bottom of the stairs as Airi walked up the flight of steps. She stopped in the middle of the stairs, seeing that her friend wasn’t following.
“Come on, we’re almost to my room.” Airi encouraged.
“I’m coming.” Miyabi mumbled.
Miyabi began to walk up the stairs. Walking down the hall to Airi’s room the two girls could hear shouting in a room a few doors down. It was coming from Airi's parents’ room. Airi looked down sad. She knew it was her parents that were arguing again they did that often now. Her parents were being less discreet about their quarrel that were of anger and disapointment.
They no longer caried if their only daugther had heard their cruel exchange of words for one another. Miyabi placed a hand onto Airi’s shoulder.
“Come on, let’s go inside.” Miyabi offered.
Airi nodded and opened the room to her door. It was best to try and ignore the fighting for now. It would eventually die down for a while, but it wouldn’t go away. Her parents’ room door opened and her father angrily stormed out. Airi looked at the scene before her in the doorway, while trying to remain hidden..
“I don’t have time for this!” Rinji bellowed.
As he made his way down the hall a group of men all in black suits marched quickly up the stairs and surrounded him. Airi’s body shook as she feared for the worse.
“Suzuki-san, we have a problem.” One suited man whispered.
Airi couldn’t hear the rest of what the group of men were saying. Everyone, including her father, was talking too low. Miyabi pulled her away from the door and closed it.
“Maybe we shouldn't be eavesdropping on your dad.” She said, sternly.
Airi quietly walked to the bed and flopped down on to the matt with a soft ‘plop’. She sighed, staring into the ceiling. She hated seeing her parents fighting when she was around, but that wasn’t what bothered her so much. Her mind and curiosity was getting the best of her, and she was more bothered on what those men were saying to her dad. What did they mean there’s a problem?
Is it that her entire family or her father in trouble? Was Airi's family losing money? There were so many questions going through the young teenager's head all at once. Miyabi smiled at how cute Airi looked going deep into thought. Her face seemed focused and her eyebrows scrunched together as she did.
Airi felt the bed sink in lower to added weight and then she felt the added weight on her. She turned her head to the right, looking into her friend’s comforting eyes.
“You shouldn’t worry so much. Everything will be ok.” Miyabi whispered.
Airi smiled and hugged her.
“Thank you.” She murmured.
“Hey we’re friends. Being there for each other is what we do.” Miyabi laughed.
She snuggled up closer to Airi. Together, the two close friends, lied on the bed quietly enjoying each other’s presence.
***
“Finally!” Ai cried out.
It was time for her lunch break and she was more than happy to be out of the office for a few minutes. Yossie managed to put her though hell in the pass thirty minutes and burry her with a stack full of papers that were towering above her desk. For her first day as an official officer…things were starting to suck. Ai walked out the double doors in the main exit and walked out into the shinning sun.
She let out a deep sigh and smiled. It felt good to be out on such a sunny day. Her cell phone inside her pocket began to buzz the second she left.
“Hello?”
“Ai-chan? Hey, I got let out of class early. Do you want to get a bite to eat?”
Ai’s smile became even bigger as she heard the familiar and friendly voice.
“Yeah sure, I’m on my lunch break right now. Come meet me in front of the station.” Ai replied.
“I’m almost there. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”
Ai closed the lid to her phone and sat to a bench on the sidewalk, waiting. She felt her spirits almost instantly lift when she thought about meeting with her friend for lunch. They didn’t get to hang out much being that she had college courses and Ai had to study for the test to become a cop and now that she’s passed, she will be very busy solving crimes and investigating crime scenes. It felt good to have the two of them hang out for once like before.
“Ai-chan!”
Ai turned around and waved. Her smile quickly turned into a frown when she saw another person going to join them.
“You’re quicker this time Eri. I see you brought, Sayu, hi.” Ai spoke, through grinding teeth.
Eri nodded. She looked to Sayu and put on a little of guilty face. She knew Ai wanted it to just be the two of them.
“I hope you don’t mind. She had no classes either. So I thought I should bring her.” Eri explained.
Ai felt her stomach clench and burn. She looked forward to having a few minutes with just the two of them. She noticed a lot whenever they tried to hang out, Eri would always bring Sayu with her. The rookie wasn’t so pleased about that. In all honesty, Ai didn’t like Sayu.
Call it her officer instincts, but Ai just didn’t trust this girl. She didn’t dare to tell Eri though, but the more she found Sayu joining in on their fun time together, the more Ai felt that she should as least warn Eri about her. Eri and Sayu only knew each other for a few weeks.
“I hope you don’t mind Ai-chan. Is it ok she comes too?” Eri pleaded.
Eri put on her best puppy dog eyes. Ai stood up and fixed the creases on her uniform. She had on her best smile. She didn’t want Eri to think something was wrong. She nodded.
“It’s fine, Eri. Come on let’s go eat. I don’t have much time.” Ai answered.
“Yeah, I’m starving.” Sayu agreed.
She linked her arm with Eri’s and pulled her down the street. Seeing their linked arms, made Ai’s face grow hot. She felt her eyebrows turn upward into a large frown, and hatred swelled in her chest. That was supposed to be hers and Eri’s thing. They always did that.
Eri smiled to Sayu, too focused on her new friend to notice the change in Ai’s behavior or the mean look on her face. The turtle laughed, smiling at whatever Sayu said and kept walking, forgetting that Ai was even there. That made the cop even angrier, but it also made her feel hurt. Pushing aside her feelings, Ai followed the two girls, remaining quiet the whole walk down the street.
Topic: Beneath The Mask [CLOSED] (Read 2429 times)