Chapter Forty-Six:
Mazophilia:
March 3rd, 2010.
6:10 p.m.
Steam caressed their skin as they soaked in the bath.
"This is nice."
"Yes." Silence played the best music as she laid her head
on her shoulder.
"Can we do this more often?"
"Yes."
"You mean it?"
"Every night if you wish."
His finger traced up her thigh. "You have really soft
skin." His hand slowly moved upwards, but she playfully slapped it away.
"Is that all you think about?" Her giggles filled the
steamy air. He gave her a goofy grin.
"Forgive me, but you make me like this sometimes."
"I make
you like this?"
"So you admit it?" Splashes echo through the heated air.
His laughter followed suit. "It's the truth. I remember when you were sixteen
years old." She made a snorting sound. He gave her a puzzled look.
"What?"
"Oh lord, here we go again."
"No, no. Just listen." His hand found her thigh again.
"When you were sixteen, you were skinner." She opened her mouth to speak, but he
stopped her. "But now�" His hand moved between her thighs. "You've grown more
womanly. So beautiful and nicely curved. Your boobs have even gotten bigger."
"There are larger portions to eat in America."
"So it is true!"
"Yep." Her lips trembled as his hand moved between her
thighs. "Please."
"It's okay. Just relax. I'm only going to tease you bit
for now." She trembled in response to his words. Steam caressed their skin as
they soaked in the bath.
--------
April 23rd, 2010.
7:00 p.m.
Back at Club Red Rose, the girls held a small funeral for
Mariko. Charlotte sat in the back corner staring at her feet. Tsuzuki, Hisoka,
and Tatsumi came to the door. Tatsumi knocked on the glass. One of the girls
walked over to the door, frowning.
"We're closed tonight," she said. "Come back tomorrow."
Tatsumi pushed up his glasses.
"We didn't come here for entertainment," he said. "We are
working on the case. We just wanted to ask a couple of questions." The girl
grabbed the frame of the door. She lowered her eyes.
"Okay, but make it quick!" she mumbled. The hostess led
them inside. The questions began, but Tsuzuki had his attention elsewhere.
"So ladies," Tatsumi said. "Tell me about your senpai."
"Mariko-senpai was loved."
"Very popular here."
"She was like a big sister."
--------
Tsuzuki forced on Charlotte the whole time. Something
about her reminded him of Anna in a sense. He nudged Hisoka on the arm. The
younger shinigami glanced upward.
"Hey Hisoka," his partner whispered.
"Hm?" he asked.
"What can you sense about her?" Tsuzuki asked, pointing
to Charlotte.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"Just look," the older shinigami said. Hisoka narrowed
his eyes as he looked the hostess up and down. It didn�t take him look to see
what Tsuzuki was talking about.
--------
"What about the fianc�?" Tatsumi asked.
"We just met him last night."
"He was really rich."
"Mariko bragged about him constantly."
"She loved that man so."
"He was just good to her."
--------
Charlotte looked up as Tsuzuki and Hisoka approached her
in the corner. Her instincts told her who, or rather what they were.
"You're not human, are you?" she asked. The shinigami
nearly jumped backwards. They something was off about her, but they didn't
expect her to know they weren't human.
"Are you?" Tsuzuki asked. Charlotte pressured her lips
together.
"I don't really know anymore,"
she said. "I am just me." Hisoka looked her in the eye as a strange sense washed
over him. This woman�
--------
"Anyone strange customers come by here last night?"
Tatsumi asked.
"There was one guy."
"He was a creep."
"He came by asking for Charlotte. It was lucky that it
was her night off last night."
"Did this guy have a name?" Tatsumi asked.
"No."
"He never gave us a name."
"He looked like a NEET IT nerd,
but he had lots of cash." That description caught Tsuzuki's ear. A
NEET with loads of cash? Sounded strange until he remembered Gesshin's clue.
"The vessel is not what it seems," he said under his
breath.
"What did you say?" Hisoka asked. Tsuzuki opened his
mouth to speak when his cell phone rang.
"Excuse me," he said. Tsuzuki picked up his phone.
"Hello?" In seconds, he dashed out the door.
"Tsuzuki-san!" Tatsumi yelled after him. The bells jingled as the door closed.