Holy: Book 4

Peninsula Tokyo

(Author's note: yes, this is a real place, and yes, I use a real story)

Naru had me call in the whole team the next morning for a debriefing of the hotel case and our client (minus Yasu, he had a final exam he couldn't miss and wasn't technically part of the team). Even Masako found the time to come, although she wouldn't meet anyone's eyes and kept staring off into the distance. I tried not to leave my left hand and the engagement ring out in the open. Making it seem like I was gloating would make it worse.

He plunged headfirst into it.

"Like with Urado's mansion, this is to be a very low-profile case, for obvious reasons. I'm sure Mai has filled you in on the place we are investigating."

"Do we get to stay there?" asked Ayako. "Oh please say yes."

Naru didn't even look up. "Yes."

Ayako gave a whoop of delight.

Takigawa's eyes were popping. "The Peninsula? Where only everyone who's anyone stays?"

"My, don't you sound like a groupie."

"Shut up, Ayako."

"Since I'm certain you can read," Naru crossed his legs and folded his arms. "I'll pretend you didn't ask that. Several classified customers have been complaining of knocking sounds, furniture moving when no one has been in the room, doors opening and closing, voices, and sightings of ghostly figures on the eighteenth floor, among other poltergeist sightings. I'm inclined to think of the case minor, if there's anything paranormal at all, but the money they offered wasn't anything sneeze at."

"Yeah, and since our Naru here's going to have a wife to support soon..."

A general air of 'ooo' came over Ayako, Takigawa, and John, though Masako just glared and Lin didn't even respond. I could feel heat crawling into my cheeks, but Naru pretended as though Takigawa hadn't said anything.

"They've given us three days to investigate and no more. We're to keep a low profile, so all of you are required to sign an agreement after this that you will essentially not tell anyone, why we are staying there, what we are doing or even that we're working together at all. They were quite strict on this, so I trust you will be adults about this and not cause me any trouble."

"Yes sir," said Takigawa, John, and I, so completely in time we grinned.

"Due to the fact this is a modern hotel, we have very little history and too many people to work with. I will be depending heavily on your ability to stay on your toes and gather clues. We will be given the floor known for the most activity, but I will be sending you on periodic rounds to the other levels known for poltergeist activity. If Yasu didn't have exams I'd leave it to him to question the clientele who are our witnesses. He seems to manage that well enough. But I'll be leaving that to you, Mai."

"If you're saying he's better with people than you, that's the understatement of the century."

Naru glared at me. I just grinned, confident I was too cute to be punished.

"Mai, you'll also act as relay at base once you're done setting up the cameras."

"What?!"

"And yes, that means you aren't going anywhere." I saw a twitch of his mouth that I hoped only I would notice. Guess that's what I get for messing around, but still...ugh.

"Learning from pass experiences, I would appreciate it if Ms. Matsuzaki set up a kikai barrier around base. Since the hotel is offering us the complete floor, I'd like everyone to have their own room for observation purposes, but should you get uncomfortable I'd like there to be a safe place for everyone to go to. Takigawa and John, you're the spiritual muscle of the team, so I'll be depending on you should anything come up. Masako, I know how much this is a strain on your time, so once you are satisfied with what you can glean from the area, you are free to go."

"It's no problem," she said softly. "I can manage three days."

"It's appreciated. Lin will be working with me to pick out any other customers who might have witnessed anything odd, as well as data collection. Lin is back up for John and Takigawa, and if possible, for Masako as well. Any questions?"

John raised a hand. "Um, yeah, do we have any stories to work off? I mean, what exactly happened to the clients?"

"Nothing alarming, but enough for the hotel to be concerned about the rumors spreading that the floor might be haunted, or worse, unstructurally sound. Not good for ratings. But I've underestimated a case before, that's why Ms. Matsuzaki will maintain the base barriers. The main reason I've called you all in, though, is simply because of the amount of ground we need to cover. This place isn't exactly small. If that's all, I'll see you there."

Since there wasn't room in the van for three people with all the equipment loaded in, I road with John in his fugly Toyota. We chatted about general happenings in each other's lives that had occurred between the last case we had together and now, which was a grand total of two weeks. I told him how I felt I was going crazy without Netflix and was having to resort to binge reading murder mysteries. I was even considering stealing one of Naru's books to fill my time.

"Why would you have to steal them? Wouldn't he be delighted to see you reading them?" Everyone had heard our ongoing argument on the pseudo-negative effects of TV.

"That's the point. I can't stand the idea of facing his smug little face as I take one down. I can almost hear his thoughts: 'yes, my peon, flourish in the way of the light!'"

John laughed.

The Peninsula Tokyo hotel towered above us as we parked and made our way through the front entrance. Its glass face flickered with reflections, reminding me of eyes.

The front deskman gave us our room card keys (so many that he handed them over in a little baggy), and we piled into the elevator to the tune of Ayako's squeals. I rolled my eyes all the way up seventeen floors, past soft ocher wallpaper, across elaborate carpets, and then up to sliding my card key into the door slot.

My eyes became stuck once that door opened and the automatic lights lit up with a warm glow.

It was just like my studio apartment, except for it wasn't. Twice the size, decorated and furnished in modern architecture, and dominated by a brownie shaped king sized bed slathered in pillows, I wondered for the first time in my life just what kinds of awesome stuff could I be missing by being lower-middle class. In the next instant, I felt disgusted. So much money...just how many months of groceries could I buy with just one of the chairs? Or that stainless steel microwave? Or that ginormous flat screen TV hung up on the wall? Oh my gosh, that thing was as narrow as my pinky!

In the room next to mine, I heard Ayako's heightened shrieks of delight as something hit the wall. She must have thrown herself face first onto her bed. Those five star walls had held up, however, as the only reason I had been able to hear her at all was because our doors were open.

"Yes yes, it's all very nice," came Naru's voice from the hallway. "But there's still paperwork to sign and temperatures to record. We're on a tight schedule."

Sensing a long afternoon ahead, I pocketed my card key and closed the door on all the luxury.

As the last brush of air slipped out of the door, carrying with it the scent of the cleaners and air fresheners used on the room, a tendril of cold tightened about my chest and couldn't shake off the sudden impression that someone was still in there.

Yay.