Forbidden

Chapter 2

   I spend my day how I usually spend my days; entering case after case into our database, pulling files and/or filing files, helping write up reports and... so on and so forth. With the amount of crime our city has, I never have to worry about having a slow day.

My mind keeps getting dragged to the Noroi murders Jankins has been secretly keeping me up to date on. I'm reminded of my incident 8 months ago, but I try and not let myself down that road again. Still, these are something I, and no one's ever seen.

Knock knock

"L/N, are you in here actually working or just slacking off?" Jankins gruff voice fills the small room.

Looking up from my desk that completely cluttered with papers, I give him my best 'get fucked' look. "And to what do I owe the pleasure old man?"

He looks behind him and closes the door slightly, leaving a tiny gap. "Listen. I have a meeting today at 4:30."

"Okay and..."

"The meetings with some top notch officials in the government, the captain and the chief of police."

My eyes widen in shock. "What in the world... what for?"

His own gray eyes give away a slight anxiety. "The Noroi murders. There's apparently more to the cases, and they need me there since I'm the lead detective on this particular murder as well as the other detective who worked the last two, García. We were told specifically to not tell anyone the nature of this meeting, but...."

My breath catches at the revelation, knowing now for certain there's more to the story, the secrecy that all of some of the most important figures in our society are working in surrounding the very case they wanted buttoned up so quickly.

"Wait, García?"

He squints his eyes slightly. "Yes."

I let out a chuckle. "That guys a dick. Smart as hell, but definitely is-"

He picks up on what I was trailing off on. "Yeah, I know." Looking at his watch he lets out a curse. "Look if it's crazy important, I'll stop over. If not, meet me again in the morning." He opens the door and glances at me again. "And don't be late."

"Yeah yeah okay." I brush off his comment and go back to entering this case in, trying to keep my shaking fingertips from getting any worse as I try and distract myself with work.

However, it doesn't work.

"Okay breathe Y/N, breathe..."

I've had a suspicion of the higher ups of our department that also bleed into the government itself. However, the only person I've talked to about it is Jankins, and even then I hold back some of my true feelings. If they ever got out, I'd surly be fired and blacklisted from this precinct. Or silenced.

I continue to work like a bat out of hell until 5pm, when now I can finally shut my computer off and go get a little pick-me up. Locking up my office, I say my goodbyes and make my route out of the massive building before finally breathing fresh air again as I step onto the pavement. The air is warmer, still hinting at the last bit of summer forcing me to discard my light jacket into my bag.

Making my way down the sidewalk I take in the other people around me, the different personalities, the gold cast of the sun on the passing buildings, even the sound of the cars that drive past. It all helps me to keep myself grounded and not float away into my head like I've done so easily before.

I step into the small, warm smelling bakery and meet the smiling girl at the counter. "Hi again miss y/n! What can I get you today?"

I look over the various amount of breads and baked sweets before settling on the glazed lemon loaf. "I'll take that please." I say feeling my mouth water.

"How many slices?"

"Make it four."

She giggles slightly and goes to get bag up my bread when a presence fills the small space. I see her head look up behind me as a slight blush dusts her cheeks. "Oh hi again Mr. Kento! I'll be right with you!"

The internal struggle to not turn around and see who's got her flustered is so damn hard, when finally pay I'm able to turn and see who she keeps glancing at.

A tall, blonde man with a fitted suit, briefcase and severe eye bags looks back at me. Okay, so clearly a worn out businessman, but something about him says something else... an energy of sorts.

"Can I help you miss?" His deep, soothing voice rumbles my chest, sparking a sudden fear.

"Ope no thank you, sorry!" I say and rush out to the street, quickly making my way to my apartment feeling my own cheeks burn in embarrassment.

The hours melt into each other as I clean, eat and catch up on reading my romance book when finally the clock hits 10:30 and no Jankins to give me all the juicy details of this case.

Hmm, must not be that important then.

______

I find myself with a pep in my step as I'm exactly on time to meet Jankins in the parking lot, two coffees in hand. When I get him in eye view, I notice the hollow look in his gaze while he stays leaned against his car. "Hey old timer, got kept up past your bedtime last night?"

He looks over at me and I can see now something's seriously wrong. "You always got jokes, kid." He says and takes the coffee from my hands.

"Hey is everything alright? You don't look so good."

"I'm okay, no need to worry. Just didn't sleep that well." He says in a monotone voice, nothing how he usually speaks. He turns and walks to the building and I fall into step beside him. "Did something happen at the meeting yesterday?" I ask quickly.

He stops and looks at me with pleading eyes. "I'm only going to ask you this as your senior, please drop this case and never think of it again."

Drop the...

"You want me to what? After all this time of us investigating this you want me to just drop it? What the hell happened yesterday?"

He gaze sharpens at my sudden tone shift. "You're not even supposed to be investigating jack, that was my mistake of letting you in on something that could get the both of us fired." He fires back.

"Do me a favor, stick to your job and let me do mine."

He turns and walks all the way to the building, up the stairs and inside past the metal detectors before I finally move my feet from the mental glue that was holding them down. I try not to take his sharp tone personally, as it's clear something at that meeting spooked him for one of two reasons: the higher officials found out he was revealing information to someone technically not qualified to see said files,

or, whatever new evidence they had was enough to spook even a seasoned detective such as himself.

Whatever it is, I'm getting to the bottom of it. With or without help.

_______