Justice at Delphi - The Fall of Sibyl

Chapter 25

Hell is empty and all the devils are here.

-William Shakespeare

"Goodbye Nana."

Yuto Tachibana pressed a kiss to Nana Shimizu's photo. Her lively eyes and smile were radiant, frozen forever in that moment of joy. The peach dress she'd worn that day made her look angelic. He reverently added her photo to his memorial wall. He stepped back and surveyed his work. Nana joined the other women he'd immortalized. Saved from the disappointments of life. The women all smiled back at him, their dark eyes shining with joy. He marveled at their dark hair framing their sweet young faces. Each satisfied the desperate need he felt to love.

To cherish.

He headed back to his dark room to finish developing his latest photos. While digital photos were a more immediate medium, there was something romantic about developing photos the old fashioned way. It harkened back to a time when love and romance was more organic. A time where machines had little to do with men and women falling in love. No Sibyl to say who you should and should not love.

Who you should and should not marry.

Tachinbana took a deep calming breath. It was best not to dwell on the dark days of the past. It was better to focus on the future and the many possibilities that awaited him. Now that the rush of new love had faded with the end of Nana's life,  it was time to move on. Time to pursue another love. Cherish another woman.

Closing the door behind him and flicking on the switch, the small room was bathed in a red light. The photos he'd taken earlier were hanging on the line. He bit his lip in excitement. His eyes eagerly traced the shapes and shades of the subject in his photo. He'd only just taken them this morning outside the warehouse. Tachibana had blended well within the crowd surrounding the zone the MWPSB had cordoned off. He often found it easy to blend into a crowd. There wasn't much about him that stood out.

It was amazing how being so average could be so advantageous. He'd once cursed his lot for being so utterly forgettable. Now it was an asset. 

His heart pounded, blood rushing in his ears. There were several women on the scene who were attractive in their own way. However, only one had captured his attention. He couldn't resist slipping out his camera and taking a few photos at the crime scene. 

The photos he'd taken had caught a glimpse of vulnerability, sorrow, and, most interesting of all, resolve. What was it to love an MWPSB inspector? What kind of challenge was in store for him in his pursuit of a person trained to hunt latent criminals? There mere thought sent a thrill up his spine. He reached a trembling hand to the photo hanging in front of him. He lightly caressed the glossy surface. She too would join the other women on his memorial wall.

First, he would have to learn his siren's name. He wasn't close enough to hear her name from the other personnel at the scene. She seemed so strong and vulnerable at the same time. The dichotomy alone was attractive. Tachibana yearned to preserve that unlikely combination. He unclipped the photo of the inspector and brought it back out to his memorial wall.

"What do you think, Sakura? Do you think she'll make a good addition? Tachibana spoke casually over his shoulder to the shadowy figure seated on his sofa. He didn't expect a reply. Sakura wasn't the talkative type.

"I think she'll make an excellent addition to the others. A superior addition, in fact. Except for you of course, Sakura. You'll always be my number one." He grinned over his shoulder into the darkness. Seating himself at his desktop, Tachibana began planning his strategy. It wouldn't be easy getting close to an MWPSB inspector. No doubt, they would figure out how he and Nana met. He wasn't sure how long it would take them to find out his name.

Before it came to that, he needed to come up with a plan.

As he scoured the net for as much information as he could find on MWPSB personnel, the seed of an idea sprouted in his fertile mind. Tachibana grinned into the blue glow of his desktop unit. It wouldn't be long before he could cherish this inspector as well. He'd make a special place for her on his wall...right next to Sakura.