The Whitechapel Case [abandoned]

Part 3: The Usual Suspects (Chapter 6)

The Whitechapel Case
Fox-Trot-9

PG-13
GHorror/Suspense/Mystery (How-Catch-'Em)
Disclaimer: I don't own Ghost Hunt or Death Note.

Part 3: The Usual Suspects
Chapter 6

Day 3—After an early brunch at the Clocktower Cafe, 11:40 a.m. saw a testy Noll stalking ahead of the group, while a pissed-off Mai kept at his heels, saying in heated Japanese, "Naru, why do you have to be so rude all the time? It was just a misunder—Naru, wait up! Geez!" Then, just before Noll reached the landing, Mai sprinted the last few yards and grabbed at his coat sleeve, making the kid turn. "Why are you so angry? It was just a misunderstanding!"

"It's not always about you, Mai. Right now, I have no patience for anything else. So if you'll excuse me," and Noll walked up the steps as though on a mission from God to bring on the Apocalypse, then stopped once more. "And wait here for the others, and tell them I'm at the top floor."

Mai just stood there and sighed, watching him disappear up the steps, thinking, What's gotten into you, Naru? You never used to be this... impulsive.

Fifteen minutes later, a distraught Martin and Luella, and a perplexed Jacob and Bert came through the double doors and spotted Mai loitering at the base of the stairs, waving to catch her attention. At this, Mai turned and waved back. "Ovah here!"

When they reached the base of the stairs, Luella said, half-frantic, half-angry, "What happened to him? Is he all right? Where did he go?"

"He went upstairs, and I don't know what's going on with him. He just stood up and stormed out of the cafe. I thought—" Then she stopped, just realizing she had been speaking in Japanese. Damn, I forgot! Keep it together, Mai!

"Uh... Sorry, my Japanese is a little rusty," Luella said, smiling at her innocuous use of language at such an awkward time. "Can you repeat that in English?"

"I'm sorrhy," she said. "Naru went away, ahnd I tried to cahtch up to him. I thought it was something I said, but he said it wahs not like thaht. He went to the tohp floh befoh I hahd a chance to ahsk him why."

"All right, then," Luella said, looking back at the reception desk. "At least, Noll didn't confront Somina—wait! Where is she? She's not there!"

Martin and Mai, along with Jacob and Bert, turned their heads towards an empty reception desk where Somina usually stayed to handle book returns. In place of her presence stood a few concerned patrons still discussing the latest event that had occurred today.

At this, Martin and Luella went up to the loitering patrons. Martin said, "Excuse me, sirs. I was wondering where Ms. Somina Gavvers went to; my wife and I need to talk to her about something."

"Um..." The man seemed a bit indecisive, but eventually said, "A tall man and another woman came from upstairs and talked to her."

"The woman talked to Ms. Gavvers, actually," the other man said. "I don't exactly know what they talked about, but I think it's serious. Ms. Gavvers broke down and cried. Hope she's doing okay."

"I see," Martin said, thinking of his next words so as not to divulge the true purpose of his meeting with her. "Did she call in an assistant to take up her duties for the day?"

"Yes, she did. But we're still waiting for that person to arrive. We have books to return."

"Don't worry yourselves over it. You can always put your books on that side cart over there beside the shelves," and he pointed to a cart near a one of the closer shelves, marked 'BOOK RETURNS' in big bold letters.