XXII

Ayumi Saito looked absolutely average in every way, Sachi marveled. There appeared to be nothing about her that stood out in any way, shape or form. She was a little taller than Mari and dressed in a long, nondescript brown skirt and dark brown turtleneck sweater, her small box purse was held easily in her lap as she sat at the table outside the coffee shop where they’d agreed to meet. Her black hair was cut in a cute, but equally nondescript bob style. She was someone you could walk past a hundred times without ever noticing. It was most likely that very thing which made her so good at her job. Her age was nearly impossible to determine and she seemed completely oblivious to her surroundings.

“Have you waited long?” Sachi asked, sitting down with her second coffee of the morning, the sunglasses sparing her from the worst of the sun’s hateful rays.

“Yes,” Ayumi replied, her voice soft and small, like the rest of her, barely noticeable unless you were listening for it.

“Sorry, I slept too long,” Sachi replied, inhaling the fragrant coffee gleefully.

“I told you before not to drink red wine,” Ayumi said, her voice barely a whisper amidst the rush of people and traffic outside. “It makes the hangover worse.”

“Yeah,” Sachi groaned. “It was a rough night.”

“I imagine,” Ayumi replied blandly. “What with your girlfriend being whisked away and everything spiraling straight down the toilet, it would be.”

“Is there anything you don’t know about?” Sachi scowled. She’d forgotten how intimidatingly knowledgeable the smaller girl was.

“How should I know?” the girl replied, tilting her head as if the very question was wholly inappropriate. “If I don’t know about it then I wouldn’t know that I don’t know.” Sachi’s head throbbed painfully in response. The girl passed two pills she removed from her small basket purse across the table. “Celia’s cure all.”

“Akari’s not my girlfriend,” Sachi groused, finally registering what the smaller girl had said. Ayumi stared at her impassively, saying nothing. “She’s not!”

“As you say,” Ayumi replied. Somehow Sachi didn’t think she believed her.

‘These aren’t going to make me grow a second head, are they?” Sachi said, changing the subject as she stared down at the greenish pills suspiciously.

“I don’t think that would be possible given current technology,” Ayumi replied dryly. “I believe at this juncture you’d have to be born with polycephaly or have surgery to have a separate head added, though the second head’s viability would be suspect on a human, I believe. There would also be severe moralistic questions posed by such a surgery. I’m not versed enough without further research in the medical possibilities. Celia would be in a better position to answer that than I would.”

“Hey, I found something you didn’t know about!” Sachi enthused with a grin.

“I disagree. Not being well versed in something is not the same as ignorance.”

“It was a joke,” Sachi muttered, swallowing the pills with her coffee.

“I see,” Ayumi said emotionlessly. “It wasn’t a particularly good one, though, was it?”

“No,” Sachi admitted and shook her head, sipping her coffee. “Those pills don’t have anything illegal in them do they?”

“A question that should have most likely been asked prior to ingestion,” Ayumi replied. “They do not, that I’m aware, contain any illicit substances, however.”

“You scare children sometimes, don’t you?” Sachi muttered.

“None have ever complained of such,” Ayumi replied, shifting slightly and fixing Sachi with a gaze that was absolutely unreadable. “You wish for me to find Akari and information related to this ‘guardian’.” It was not a question but a statement. Sachi nodded. “My services are not free.”

“Money is not an issue,” Sachi replied with a wave of her hand.

“It’s better that way, I’ve found,” Ayumi said. “I dislike haggling. It will be ten million yen up front plus expenses billed after the job is completed. The expenses are not negotiable.”

“Do you accept Apple Pay?” Sachi grinned. The look on Ayumi’s face didn’t change at all.

“No. I’m not a convenience store.”

“It was-“ Sachi began.

“A joke, yes,” Ayumi interrupted. “My response regarding not being a convenience store was similarly a joke as it should be plain I am not, in fact, a store at all.”

“I need her found, Ayumi,” Sachi looked up and caught and held Ayumi’s placid gaze. “And I need her found as fast as possible.”

“Yes, it should prove no more difficult this time than it was last,” Ayumi replied.

“Wait, what?” Sachi frowned. “What do you mean this time?”

“Several years ago I was similarly contracted to find the girl, she has proven exceedingly popular for some odd reason,” Ayumi shrugged. “I accepted the commission thinking it would be difficult, a young girl with no money, no credit cards and an entire country in which to hide. It proved to not be difficult. I was very disappointed.”

“Who hired you?” Sachi asked. “Maybe it’s the same person who claims to be her guardian, now.”

“Unfortunately, the contract was accepted through a third party with the original client remaining anonymous. I was never asked to lead anyone to her, simply to report on her whereabouts, which I did,” Ayumi blinked expressionlessly.

“Shit,” Sachi mumbled.

“As apt a colloquialism as any, I suppose,” Ayumi intoned. “I can see this is important to you. I will find her. That is, after all, why you came to me.”

“You’re the best, after all,” Sachi said.

“Yes.” Ayumi said; no hint of arrogance in her voice as she pulled her phone out and tapped a message. “I am.” Sachi glanced down at her phone and began transferring the money to the account number Ayumi had texted her.

“Are you still working for Mirai?” Sachi asked.

“Yes,” Ayumi affirmed. “She is…troublesome. I find that interesting so I stay.”

“Well, I know my dad was terribly disappointed when you left, he’s still trying to find someone as good as you.”

“I respected your father very much and was not glad to terminate my employment but feel I made the correct decision. Unfortunately he will not find someone with my skills, though there are quite a few competent investigators to be had. I have expressed a willingness to work on more difficult cases, but I have no interest in the humdrum, thus why I agreed to take your investigation. I find the situation interesting,” Ayumi frowned, a veritable emotional explosion for her. “Tedious activities are unpleasant.”

“You should take up PvP games,” Sachi replied, finishing the transfer. “You’d clean up in tournaments.”

“Which games would I play?” Ayumi shifted, leaning forward slightly, her interest piqued.

“Whichever struck your fancy,” Sachi grinned. “Hit me up later and I’ll send you a list of games I’m playing. If you like one I’ll team up with you and we’ll go do some hunting together.” Ayumi remained silent for a moment before nodding.

“That would be pleasant, Sachi, thank you,” she replied. “For now, I must leave, Mirai requires my presence at 1:30 and the buses have been running 14 minutes slow the past week due to construction.”

“Why don’t you buy a car?” Sachi asked.

“I find the bus enlightening. I learn nothing being by myself. Idle conversations can tell quite a bit as I ride, however,” Ayumi responded, standing and straightening her long skirt.

“That’s kind of creepy,” Sachi muttered. Ayumi flicked a smile on and off like a light switch.

“Indeed. I will be in touch once I have information.” Ayumi glided through the tables, no one taking notice of her, and soon disappeared into the crowds. Sachi’s phone beeped and she looked down.

“Thnx so much 4 ur business! Have a GR8 day! 🤑🤪😻😻😻”Ayumi had written. Sachi frowned. What the hell is wrong with that girl? She thought, shaking her head.