Kaoru dashed out the nightclub with speed. She maneuvered her small frame through the swaying bodies on the dance floor and flitted through tight spaces among the crowd of people swarming to get into Blood Lair. She wanted out from the hellhole; she needed to get away from him.
Those eerie golden eyes, which reminded her of the scorching sun in a desert, haunted her from childhood. She remembered things that were best forgotten. It was because of the tragic incidents from her past, she chose to join the police force. Her father was a hell of a detective. She was gifted with his talent to solve cases. However, every talent had a curse. Her father’s penitence for solving cases put his life in danger. It was because he was on the brink of solving a personal case, that he was murdered.
And that was the reason why she left Blood Lair in a hurry. If she, like her father, continued to investigate the murder case, she would end up dead at home.
Besides, Kaoru broke the main rule during her investigation of Kiyosato’s death. She did not make the phone call to Captain Saito to inform him about the evidence of Kiyosato’s death or to clue him about relaying Kiyosato’s death to a man named Enishi Yukshiro.
She stopped before the police car and inhaled a shaky breath. She pressed her forehead against the cool surface of the car window and covered the profile of her face with both of her hands. Kaoru closed her eyes for a brief moment at the mere remembrance of that name “Yukishiro.” It happened so long ago when she was a freshman at college. Her best friend was a beautiful cheerleader who had long gorgeous silky raven hair and captivating dark brown eyes. The cheerleader was adored by everyone in her school. They basically worshipped the girl because she was compassionate, kind-hearted, sincere, honest, and graceful. The cheerleader came from a family filled with money, but the girl never showed off her money like the other rich kids did at school. Instead, the girl was a down to earth girl and chose Kaoru to be best friends with. Then, there was an older brother who loved his sister dearly. He never did like her and Kaoru could not deny his disgust toward her. She was a serious, ambitious girl who made the highest grades in all her classes. She was the studious type of girl who stuck her nose in a book and who knew the latest rumors in the school. When mysterious things happened at school, Kaoru and her best friend was on the case, searching for clues to solve the case. The girl’s older brother detested that and did everything in his will power to stop them. But one day things got out of hand, and Kaoru blamed herself for what happened to her best friend.
Kaoru choked on a sob as she covered her face with both hands. She refused to remember the tragic incident back then. She denied the girl’s name to form from her lips. All she knew was that she was responsible for the tragic incidents in her past and to face the man that she created havoc on, to face the man whom swore vengeance upon her soul; she could not face him nor relay another tragic event to him.
She shook her head violently until long strands of raven hair fell loose from her ponytail to the sides of her face. Her breaths came out as gasps for air, as she struggled to control her breathing. Now, was not the time to panic? It was time to breathe clearly and think logically.
When she felt she had her breathing under control, Kaoru wiped away the excess moisture from her face. She tucked loose raven strands behind her ears and searched her right jeans’ pocket for her cell phone. Once the cell phone was in her hand, she pressed a dial speed number that would link her to Captain Saito.
After a few rings, a tone of a rumble answered the phone. “Captain Saito, its Detective Kamiya speaking.”
He huffed on the other end of the phone and Kaoru imagined him smoking in his office and being caught during his free leisure.
“I am calling to summarize my progress on the homicide case. There was or were no witnesses. The victim is a man named Akira Kiyosato. His body has been slashed, only his hands and throat remain in good condition. There is a sword he was carrying and was using it for self defense. Also, there are marks on his neck that proves a vampire is his killer.”
“Were you able to track the vampire beyond the point of the crime scene?” asked Captain Saito.
“No sir, I was not able to track the vampire. However, due to the circumstance of the situation, the blood was still fresh when the police got to the crime scene. Also, the murder was predicted to happen during midnight, seeing that I arrived at the crime scene at 12:20am. The murderer needed to get somewhere quick and the best place for the vampire to seek shelter is Blood Lair.”
“The bewitched hour and a nightclub filled with vampires, wolves, mages, witches, and humans. Both of them make some connection. I assume you went to Blood Lair without my permission.”
Kaoru breathed in deeply before answering honestly. “Yes I did.”
She heard Saito’s amusement on the other end of the phone before he replied. “You are your father’s daughter. Just like him, you took two steps ahead of the investigation without notifying anyone in charge.”
“With all do respect sir, the killer may have been still lurking in Blood Lair and Seta and I would have been able to pinpoint him or her. The blood from the victim would have been on the murderer’s clothing or the vampire will still be insane because of the bewitched hour.”
“However, Detective Seta and you did not find anyone who fitted the description,” interrupted Saito.
She ran a hand through her bangs and blew at them. “Yes sir, we were intermittent when the manager of Blood Lair took Seta and I to the V.I.P. lounge area where the owner and the head of security were.”
“Did you discover any new information?”
“Twenty workers out of seventy workers are vampires and the shifts of the vampire workers are prepped in a way that no vampire leaves or comes to work at midnight or anytime during midnight.”
The raspy sound at the other end of the phone told Kaoru that Captain Saito was chuckling. “You are so very much like your father. What are the names of the manager and the other people you met at the V.I.P. lounge area? Did you find any contact information from the victim?”
Kaoru inhaled another shaky breath into her lungs. She closed her eyes and once again pressed her forehead against the car. Unlike her father, she did not have the guts to continue on a personal case.
“Kaoru?” Her name was questioned by Captain Saito when she did not respond to his questions immediately.
“The name of the manager is Misao Makimachi. The name of the owner of Blood Lair is Aoshi Shinomori. And the name of the person in charge of security is Kenshin Himura.”
“What?” asked Captain Saito. His voice got rougher on the phone.
“The name of the...”
“Not that part. Mention the last name,” Captain Saito ordered.
“Kenshin Himura.”
There was silence on the phone before Captain Saito continued his questioning. “What’s the emergency contact information?”
“The only relation Kiyosato had was with a man by the name of Enishi…” she stopped speaking or more like her voice died out when she had to mention the last name.
“Kaoru? Answer me.”
“His name is…” She stopped again and banged her head against the police car door. The past memories were flooding visions through her closed eyes and she found herself standing up quickly and opening her eyes. Just standing beside her was her partner and he was listening to how she was answering the Captain’s questions. Since when was he standing beside her? How did he accost her without her knowing? She must have been in an emotionally turmoil state. With careful hands, Soujiro pried her hand away from her cell phone and continued where she left off. “His name is Enishi Yukishiro.”
There were quiet exchange of words between both men and Kaoru realized she had no care to find out what the topic was between both of them. Instead, she walked ahead of the car and found herself staring into the night sky. In a way, the poorly lighted sky offered her solace. In a moment she could be distracted from the dreadful night’s events. However, reality had ways of crashing back into her life.
“Kaoru?” Soujiro called her name, causing her to glance back at him. He handed her the phone and gestured her to talk to Captain Saito.
With a nod of her head, she did that. When she heard the Captain’s voice on the other end of the cell phone, it was more quiet then usual. It meant it was something personal that only she and the Captain Saito knew about. “Kaoru you are off the case.” Also, he was one of the few people to use her first name.
“But…”
“You will not handle this case.” It was a firm order from Captain Saito.
“But…”
“Kaoru, this case is personal. If you further your investigation on this homicide case, you will end up dead like your father or worse…”
Kaoru interrupted Captain Saito, “But I may be the only one who could solve this case.”
“I know that,” Captain Saito said calmly. “However, this case is putting your life and your identity in danger. If something happens to you, Kaoru, your father will never forgive me.”
Kaoru slowly shook her head. The truth was her father and Captain Saito was once partners. Captain Saito was her father’s best friend and he looked out for her after her father’s death. In fact, he handled many of her father’s personal cases. When Captain Saito referred to her identity, it was one of her father’s personal cases.
“If I back out…” She remembered how she dashed out of Blood Lair without informing Yukishiro about Kiyosato’s death. She saw Yukishiro the moment she saw the eerie golden eyes of the man named Kenshin Himura. Yukishiro was heading their way and she realized that the red headed vampire called him to her and Soujiro. The moment she saw his tall lean form, his unusual eye color, the spiky silver hair, and the shiny small spectacles that he wore as his trademark, she dashed toward the steps that led to the dance floor. She could have sworn before hitting the stairs that she saw Himura’s lips turned into a lopsided smirk. She definitely felt his eyes burning through her figure as she tried to squeeze herself out of Blood Lair. Overall, she was not fit for solving this case. “If I back out, whose case is it?”
“I will give the case to another person I trust to leave you out of it.”
Kaoru only knew one other person who had her father’s talent when it came to solving cases and that one other person was Okita Souji.
“Okita Souji will take charge of the case and Soujiro Seta will be his partner. Is it settled?”
If Okita took charge of the case, it meant it was a dangerous and serious case. The likes of her talent would not be needed and her identity could be kept a secret.
“It is,” she concluded.
“Alright, then come into my office first thing tomorrow morning.” Captain Saito hung up his phone. She closed her lid of her cell phone and placed it in her jeans’ pocket. She sigh a huge relief and smiled a small smile at her partner standing on the opposite side of the police car. His blue eyes inspected her with concern and she shook her head at him.
The moment Kaoru opened her door; he opened the other side of his door and settled in the driver’s seat. Only when she seated herself comfortably in the passenger’s seat, did he say something. “I won’t ask why you fled from Blood Lair and I won’t ask why he took you off the case, but I need to know who I will be working with from now on.”
Her hands clenched the hem of her shirt and she swallowed before relaxing completely in her seat. Soujiro got the message to start the car and as he did so, he pulled away from the parking spot and drove her home.
While looking out the window, she answered him. “You will be working with Okita Souji.” The moment she answered him, she turned her attention to him and was astounded by the reaction of working with an elite Senior Detective. His grip on the steering wheel tightened as his smile disappeared. She frowned and wondered why Soujiro would not be interested in working with someone who knew how to solve homicide cases well. But she did not question him, because like him, she respected private matters.
The car pulled over once again and Kaoru found herself in front of her shabby building. She opened the car door and removed herself from the passenger seat. “I will see you at work tomorrow.”
Soujiro nodded his head and his smile appeared across his pale lips. “Get a good night rest, Kaoru.”
She wondered if she would get a good night rest. After viewing dead bodies, she found herself awake for most of the night. This particular night was not any different from the other homicide cases. In fact, this case was the worst case, because it seemed her past came knocking on her door.
“I will,” she lied as she turned around and headed toward her shabby building. The police car disappeared the moment she walked into the building and climbed three flights of stairs to her small crabby apartment. By the time she reached the outside of her apartment, she had her apartment keys in her hand, ready to unlock the door. But the door was already open.
Stiffening, her hand reflexively reached out for her gun. Aiming her gun, she crept quietly near her door. Her outstretched hands clutched the gun while her arms stiffly held the gun in place. Counting to three, Kaoru kicked open her door and aimed the gun in all directions of her living room. From the dim light in the hallway, she saw no one in her living room.
However, what she least expected when she entered her living room was for her door to slam shut and for a hand to cover her mouth. Her room became quite dark and her gun was knocked out of her hands. Instead, her small frame was pulled roughly against a hard lean frame. She felt a warm breath by her right ear as iron arms squeezed her body.
“We have many things to talk about, Kaoru Kamiya.” She knew that voice from anywhere. It was the same voice that interrupted Soujiro while he questioned Misao Makimachi and Aoshi Shinomori at Blood Lair. It was the same smooth voice that caused her body to shiver in fear. Craning her neck, she saw the same eerie golden eyes watching her.
This homicide was the worst case, because her past came right through her door.
