Poison City [PAUSED]

Chapter 12

Aiko has been sitting in silence across from Daido for quite a while now. She felt Xenon looking at her a few times, but she made sure not to look away from the man in front of her. The bar was slowly getting fuller, despite it being Tuesday night. Every fifteen minutes or so, Daido tried to get something out of her, but she would just lower her head and stay quiet, scared that if she looked at him, he would somehow see the response in her eyes.

"Miss. Olsen, would you please, tell me what are you doing here?"

This time she looked at him. It was getting too late and she needed to get out of here, "I came here to get some scotch, Mr. Hayashi."

"You had to leave your job early, to come here, for a drink? I don't think it would be good if Mr. Minamoto found out about this..." he was staring at her intensely, trying to get something out.

She knew that Daido would get something out of her sooner, or later, but she decided to play the all innocent little girl, who has a drinking problem game. Aiko put on the look, she hoped looked embarrassed, "Oh, Mr. Hayashi, you can't! I know I have a problem, but I'm trying to work it..."

He cut her off, "But, Miss. Olsen, I don't believe that you are here because of a drinking problem. I think you are here because you know who did it. You know who robbed the library, don't you? That is why you apologized to me, because you knew my daughters didn't do it." All along his voice stayed calm and calculated.

Aiko looked him straight in the eye while she drank scotch from her glass. When she placed the glass down, she whipped her mouth with the back of her hand, "Mr. Hayashi, I am afraid that you were right the first time."

"Now, now, Miss. Olsen, whatever you say, it is going to be bad for you. Whether you are a drunky, or an accomplice in a crime, doesn't matter, you will be in trouble either way, so why don't you help me find the thief."

"Mr. Hayashi, I can assure you that the worst thing Mr. MInamoto could do if he found out I had a drinking problem is send me to rehab." Aiko tried to stay calm. She liked Daido, and she wanted to be on the same side as him, which she would, if only his daughters weren't involved. Now, absolutely nothing is going according to the original plan, she thought to herself.

Daido's expression darkened, "You are right about Mr. Minamoto, however, Miss. Olsen, I am not Mr. Minamoto, and I could make your life a living hell pretty easily."

She felt a chill run down her spine, when she saw the dangerous look in his eyes. She didn't want to show fear, but also wanted to assure him that his daughters would be fine. But would they, she thought. "Look, Mr. Hayashi, I have no intention to put in jail someone who isn't responsible for a crime, and I will do everything in my power to make sure your family stays clean. It is getting late now, your wife must be getting worried by now. You should go home, as should I."

Daido sat back in the chair, "Miss. Olsen, I really want to believe you. You look very sincere, meaning you either, somehow, became an award winning actress in a matter of seconds, or you are telling the truth." Then he leaned forward, "And right now, I really want to believe that you are telling the truth." He made a pause after that, to let the hidden message that said 'you will regret it if you are lying', and continued, "So, I am giving you two days. In that time I want the documents to be found, and all of the accusations be taken off of my daughters."

He got up, and was about to leave when he added, "And, don't leave the city, I will know, and then you will become the prime suspect." Then he turned and left the stuffy, dirty little pub.

Aiko crushed in her chair breathing heavily. After a minute or so, she got up and went to the bar, on her way to the stools a few drunken men tried to approach her, but she single handedly pushed them to the ground without even breaking a sweat.