Autumn Child

A couple of weeks passed, and life continued on as normal. Mana’s arm healed, and she could finally take the sling off. Natsumi continued her job at the front desk, though she went home every night now instead of staying here. Aimi frequently visited with her school uniform on. Apparently, the school year had already started. I hadn’t gone out much after the trip to the Kanda’s mansion, but the streets were said to be full of students commuting.

The four of us sat around the front desk, sipping our coffee. Aimi scrolled through her phone while we just sat there, staring at the entrance. Clients hadn’t shown up, and in the end, we didn’t get paid for that job involving Kamiko. This office would’ve been on the verge of shutting down if it wasn’t for Mana using her allowance to keep this place afloat.

“How was your first day?” said Mana, interrupting the silence.

Aimi looked up from her phone. “It’s a bit weird transferring in after summer break, but I’ve already managed to make a friend.”

“Try not to cause her any trouble,” said Natsumi.

“I’d never do that. Besides, this was basically her first day of school. We’re working things out together, you know?”

The conversation died, and silence resumed. A knock at the door reverberated throughout the room. We looked up, not quite understanding what was going on after not hearing it for so long. The knock came again, this time louder. Natsumi rose from her seat, and we followed after. Aimi retreated behind the front desk while Mana and I stood in the entrance, waiting for her to open the door.

A girl in a school sailor uniform stepped inside. She was skinny, bones showing, and her long, black hair flowed down to the middle of her back. I thought she looked familiar somehow.

“I would like to welcome you to Ozaki Private Investigations. Please take a seat,” said Natsumi beckoning her to the couches.

When the girl spotted Aimi sitting at the front desk, she smiled and gave a bow. “Hi Aimi, I didn’t expect you to be here.”

“Aki! My sister works here, so I’m just hanging out.”

She nodded and took a seat on the couch, her legs stuck together, and the school bag laid on her lap. Natsumi brought out coffee for all of us then took a seat. The girl gave a deep bow to us.

“Nice to meet you. My name is Koike Akiko, and I am here regarding my dad.”

My blood froze, and I’m sure the same could’ve been said for the other two. I tensed, strangling the mug handle.

“I want to know what happened to him. He disappeared all of a sudden, and no one knows where he went.”

What a cruel fate for her to come to her father’s killers to find out what happened to him. I remembered my promise with the late Koike Tadao. As the one who listened to his last words, it was my responsibility to tell her the truth, but I wasn’t fast enough.

“Your father died because of me,” said Mana. She gripped and creased the hem of her shirt, looking into Akiko’s eyes.

The reminder that Tadao was dead came at me like a hot knife stabbing into my chest. I couldn’t let her take the blame.

“I was responsible for his death,” I said. If only I had done a better job dealing with those men. If only I was better at the skills I acquired in my old life.

“The blame lies with me,” said Natsumi. She looked down at her lap.

Akiko’s shoulders trembled, and I thought she would cry and lash out at us, but she steeled herself and stopped them, letting a shaky sigh escape.

“Please tell me what happened to him. I want the truth.”

I wanted to speak, but Mana was one step ahead of me. She spoke of that day when I had entered the cabaret club. She had stood outside and entered the alleyway. The three men pushed out Tadao, and she spotted their pistols. Before they could take aim, she withdrew her revolver and fired first, hitting man in the middle. She underestimated the recoil which had shook her arm. Combined with the first time she killed someone, Mana was frozen in place and could only shoot again to save me, but this had caused his attention to turn to her. He fired, and Tadao had taken the bullet for her.

The three of us looked down at our lap, waiting for the barrage of threats and insults, but none came. Instead, Akiko gazed at us, tears flowing down her eyes. She hiccupped and tried to wipe them away, but the tears couldn’t stop. We had no right to comfort her, so we simply sat there. An arm wrapped around Akiko. Aimi had come behind her without us knowing, and the two hugged. Akiko buried herself into Aimi’s chest, and the tears kept flowing. Her sobs echoed throughout the office, and it was one I wouldn’t forget. She steadied her breathes and tears, releasing herself from Aimi’s grasp. She faced us again, her cheeks red and tear-stained.

“It’s not your fault. Dad was always like that, thinking of others over himself.”

She took a few more moments to steady herself. “I know this is a lot to ask, but do you think you could find him? My aunt and I want to give him a proper burial.”

We glanced at each other and nodded. “It’s the least we can do,” said Mana.

Aimi decided to walk Akiko home, and the three of us was left standing at the entrance. I doubt the body would still be behind that alleyway, and we didn’t know where or how Kamiko got rid of the body. For all we knew, he could’ve been cremated. A fire rose to my chest, and I clenched my fists, pushing the thought out of mind.

According to Natsumi, cleanups depended on the area. If a body of water was nearby, they would be dumped. There was also the possibility that he was picked up by law enforcement and was still in the morgue. Mana called Matsumoto and told her about the situation. She understood and went to search the morgues near the cabaret club. It wouldn’t hurt for us to return to that alleyway, and the three of us headed there.

The club looked the same, but it wasn’t open yet. We walked down the dark alley, gazing at the ground for any sign of blood. The rain that day had probably already washed it away, but it didn’t hurt to look. A bit a red was plastered on the asphalt, and I crouched, grazing my finger along it. It was dried and cracked. From where I was standing, this was where Tadao was shot, but it wasn’t enough to track down where he went.

I turned around, preparing to leave when I spotted a woman peering at us around the corner. She took off running, but I grabbed her hand. Mana and Natsumi came from behind.

“Know what happened to those bodies a month ago?” I said.

“We’re detectives. You can trust us,” said Mana.

The woman hesitated. “I only saw that they loaded the bodies onto the trucks and drove off in that direction.” She pointed to the left of the club.

“What did it look like? Was it related to the hospitals in any way?”

“I’m not sure. It was a white van I think. I don’t remember any words on it, but it was dark, and I couldn’t see well.”

We thanked her, and she entered the cabaret club. To the left of the building should’ve been a pond, and a hospital, but we couldn’t do much without more resources and information. We returned to the office when a phone rang. Matsumoto’s voice sounded exasperated as Mana picked up the phone. She had called several times, but we hadn’t picked up. I guess all of us should get a phone soon.

There were a few unidentifiable corpses in the hospital near the club. Matsumoto wanted us to come down and take a look to make sure if any of them were Koike Tadao. We agreed, but Natsumi stayed behind, citing that she didn’t know what he looked like.

Matsumoto greeted us at the entrance. Her arm was fully healed, and she led us inside. We stepped down the stairs and into the basement where the air grew cold. We passed a glass door and went into the morgue. Lockers lined the walls with corpses inside. She headed to one at the far right and opened it. A large cloth covered their bodies, and Matsumoto slid gloves on her hand. She lifted it off their face, revealing a man we didn’t know. She went to the next two lockers, but we were unable to identify them as Tadao.

“There’s a pond near here,” said Mana.

Matsumoto wrapped a hand around her chin. “I considered that, but I’m not sure if it’s deep enough. Doesn’t hurt to try though.”

She dialed a number and put the phone to her ear, leaving us alone in the morgue. If it was in the pond, the bodies have been in there for a month. I didn’t expect them to look great when they were pulled out, but at least there was something to be buried. Matsumoto informed us that she had some people going to the pond, and we headed there with her.

The pond was off the road surrounded by trees on three sides. A railway ran over it, and we would occasionally hear the roar of the oncoming trains. Night was descending, but we wanted to get it done today. A few vans and trucks came, parking near the pond. A couple of men stepped out, bringing the resources needed to get the bodies out if there were any. We stood on the grass, watching the men do their job. A few of them wandered into the pond, heads down facing the water. I stared at them, hoping, and detesting the possibility of them finding the corpses. A man in the water turned to look at the rest of his crew on the grassy shore. He raised a hand and shouted, “we got something!”

The men ran into the water, holding their excavating tools. Matsumoto was speaking to the leader while Mana and I crossed our arms in anticipation. We stared at them as they dug, and one of them grabbed something in the water, lifting it up. It looked to be a pair of legs, and the body followed after. One by one, the workers pulled bodies out of the water and laid them out on the grass near us. There were already two, both wearing the same clothes. Finally, we caught sight of a stout silhouette. They carried it to shore, and we recognized Tadao’s clothes, but not his disfigured face.

We sighed with relief as they brought the corpses away. We could finally inform Akiko that we found her father. It was already dark with only the streetlamps lighting the way. We drove back to the office where Mana dropped me off before heading home. I informed Natsumi what happened, and she gave a smile before heading out.

I plopped onto the couch, thankful that it was all over. In my mind, I could still hear Akiko’s sobs echoing throughout, and the image of Tadao’s decomposed face raced through my head. The promise I made with the late man and with everyone else had finally been completed.

We were invited to Koike Tadao’s funeral by Akiko and her aunt. It was just the four of us—Mana, me, Natsumi, and Aimi. We made sure to dress in black before leaving for the cemetery. The sky was dull, and the sun was hidden by the clouds.

We stepped onto the grassy land, heading for Tadao’s grave. Only Akiko and her aunt was standing there, gazing at the casket. We exchanged a few bows before facing the casket. A whole had been dug, and it lowered inside until we could see it no more. The aunt looked at the ground, holding a bouquet, while Akiko stifled her sobs. Aimi wrapped her arm around the girl, consoling her.

The aunt gave us each a few flowers, and we tossed it into the hole. Everyone uttered their goodbyes. We retreated from the grave and spoke with the aunt while Akiko and Aimi sat before the tombstone.

“What will you do now?” said Mana.

The woman closed her eye then opened them. “I still have relatives in the countryside. I think I’ll go there with Akiko.”

“Auntie,” said Akiko from behind us. She and Aimi had returned to our side. She gave a deep bowl to her aunt. “I would like to continue staying here.”

The middle-aged woman left her mouth agape and eyes wide. “I know this is a selfish request, but I want to continue living in the city my father grew up in and met my mother.”

“But the money,” said the aunt, frowning.

“You can sell dad’s house. I’ll also find a part-time job.”

“I plan on leaving the city. I can’t be with you this way.”

“I’ll be fine. I’m going to do my best to keep living for dad’s sake.”

The aunt gave in and nodded. I didn’t know what would become of them right now, but I could only wish them the best. We lingered a little while longer before bidding our farewells and departing. Mana had a finger on her chin, but I paid it no mind as we returned to the office.