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Irresistible	By : kamorgana Category: Rurouni Kenshin > General Views: 5018 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 14
- 15
- 16
Disclaimer: standard disclaimers apply. RK belongs to Watsuki, but the ideas, text and OCs are mine.
Irresistible
Chapter 15: Great and small expectations
June 13th, 1865
Saitoh arrived in the main room of the compound, experiencing an odd feeling. He had actually enjoyed the rays of sun on his face when he had gone out in the courtyard. A beautiful summer-like morning, in spite of the stuffing air announcing the impending beginning of the rainy season, and the idea of Hatsue�s cooking for breakfast was rather attractive. In a word, he was in a good mood.
He couldn�t figure out why. The previous day had been bringing its share of unpleasant events, particularly the revelations that they had been played by Satsuma and that the mole at the court was still operative. Maybe it was that the rebels� plans had backfired, that he had a good lead with the poison and his investigation on the Shinsengumi traitor, and that he had had the pleasure to severe a traitor�s head the day before.
No, he didn�t know why, but he actually answered politely to Okita�s greetings.
�Saitoh-kun, you seem to have overcome your bad mood.�
The first Captain was alone at their table. Saitoh had seen Harada and Nagakura heading together for the bath house, and the others were still sleeping or already at the dojo.
�Do I?� he let out, raising a brow as Hatsue brought again a kakesoba bowl to him, with the smug expression that she had had for a few days. Once the old crone had departed, Okita giggled.
�I wonder if Hatsue�s favoritism is the cause of this improvement. This is the third day in a row that we get to have *your* favorite dish at breakfast. I hope so, at least, because well, I have to say that this koi taste isn�t at all mine, and that we can expect from now on a little more variety in our meals,� he sighed.
Saitoh smirked, bemused. �You were born to live in Kansai, Okita-kun. You have no taste at all.�
He sipped his noodles, appreciative. He could have very well lived only on it, especially if as delicious as these.
�You know, I almost think that you�re hiding something from me, Saitoh-kun�a happy event, or a development in acquaintances?� Okita insinuated suavely.
Saitoh choked on the soup.
�Ah, Saitoh-kun, I thought so�This isn�t nice at all. You know that I won�t blabber around, you could have told me. I just like to be the first to know.�
He had recovered yet it was in a slightly hoarse voice that he asked: �What do you mean?�
�I mean Tokio-san, that�s what I mean. Fujiki Sarina-san was slightly drunk, yesterday night, and she confided in me that she had seen the two of you and that you looked very protective�she even thought that you were holding her hand, though she couldn�t verify. This is so�unexpected and, if I may, sweet.�
Okita was choking too, but with laughter, on the last words. Saitoh would have liked to choke him, period.
�Ridiculous. I was ordered to escort her to her room.�
�Well, then why did she try to get information about you, from me of all people, yesterday night? I was quite surprised since you didn�t seem to appreciate each other very much. I almost doubted my intuition: she is extremely good at this game. But she seemed quite�softening.�
�Okita-kun,� he warned.
�And I also noticed that Takagi-san seemed to hold you in great esteem. Nothing abnormal, you saved his life�and he might want to reward you greatly,� Okita went on, winking.
�I should spare myself the annoyance of saving people�s lives,� Saitoh mumbled.
The first Captain�s eyes widened. �He did? Already? I saw you two talking on the engawa, yet�Oh please, let me be the one to tell Harada! It will be��
�Nothing of the sort,� Saitoh cut off, briskly. �And if you hear the rumor that I am aiming at such a thing, I had to pretend to play the gold digger for certain purposes.�
The low hiss made Okita frown. There had been an imperative warning in the amber eyes. He nodded to confirm that he got the message. Saitoh had known about the traitor inside their camp before he did. It meant that Kondo had charged him to be a mole, like at the Serizawa time. Gods, Okita hated this atmosphere. The internal fights had cost him his friendship with Keisuke already. How many companions would he lose this time?
�Anyway, if you want romance gossip you should look into Nagakura�s direction,� Saitoh smirked, �Or maybe you�d rather think about that mysterious woman I saw you in the streets with, the other day?�
Okita felt himself blushing lightly. It seemed to satisfy his ruthless friend, who was eating his noodles again.
�About this, Saitoh-kun. I had a message early this morning and I might have a result about the poison today. Will you be at the residence?�
�Only to check on my men, from late morning and until noon. About this? This is my turn to ask: what do you mean?�
�This woman that you saw is the daughter of a famous doctor in Kyoto and well known for her skills in preparing potions. She is the one that I asked. I will go and meet her this morning, after the first training, since she indicated that she had a name for me. I thought that you would want to visit that person with me. In the beginning of the afternoon�after all, this is your investigation.�
Saitoh had raised a brow, but with the last part he seemed to forget about his objections, as Okita had expected.
The arrival of Nagakura and Harada prevented the third Captain from answering.
�That was a rapid bath,� he observed.
Nagakura sighed. �We had to excuse ourselves.�
�The lovebirds, not, are at it again,� Harada groaned, heavily letting himself fall on the tatami. �They were arguing before we arrived, and this time, Sanjuuro is really pissed off.�
�Considering the sour face of Takeda yesterday night, it was to be expected,� Okita let out, fatalistic.
�And he heard Shinpachi here repeating a compliment that Michiko-sama made about the Shinsengumi Captains,� Harada reproached, with a glare at the impassive man. �Then, I�m the one who can�t keep my mouth shut.�
�I�m sorry,� Nagakura said detachedly. �I couldn�t think that Takeda would take it like this. Kakesoba, again??�
He apologized quickly to Hatsue, who had put the bowl in front of him. She seemed a tad upset and he regretted his careless remark.
�He went too far, this time,� Sanosuke added, shrugging the event off. �His insane jealousy is unbearable, and Sanjuuro won�t accept it for very long.�
�I wish. I�m tired of their childish behavior,� Saitoh snorted. �Okita, it�s time for us to go to the dojo. Nagakura, I�ll see you later, at the residence.�
The Second Captain nodded. He still hadn�t had the occasion to talk to Saitoh alone about what Miyu had told him. He didn�t want to take any risk.
***
The day was clear and that was getting on her nerves. It was blue and green and yellow, and these weren�t the colors that she wanted to see. She hated mornings.
She made the hairpin roll between her fingers. It was beautiful�.and sharp, too.
Yesterday had been nice, with the red liquid on the mean samurai�s katana, in the red reflects on the sunset. This was her favorite time, and what a wonderful sight. It had left her wanting more.
And the pretty doll had been wearing a red kimono, it fitted her so well.
Red was her favorite color, too.
She winced, only to smile as she opened a shallow little wound on her forearm; the delicious feeling of the heavy drop rolling on her skin, the peculiar and addictive smell, and finally the sweet taste, as she sucked on the opening, relieved her briefly.
***
After having observed the beginning of the training led by Okita, Saitoh, and a gloomy Tani at the dojo, Nagakura was preparing his horse and ready to leave for the residence when a voice addressed him.
�Captain Nagakura? Can I ask you for a favor?�
He lifted his brows in surprise, discovering Hatsue standing behind him. She was holding a small basket wrapped into a cotton fabric. She seemed agitated. She couldn�t be still offended because he had made a remark on her cooking?
�What can I do for you, Hatsue-san?� he said gently.
�I made these sweets yesterday. You boys will have your share, don�t worry,� she smiled, retrieving some of her usual smugness. �Yet, I was wondering�if you could give these to Tokio-sama, since you are going to the residence.�
He was going from surprise to puzzlement. �Tokio-sama?�
�These are her favorites. After what the miserable rebels attempted yesterday, she must be so shaken�she will feel better with a little souvenir.�
Nagakura was trying to understand. She had seemed to get along with Tokio-san, and they spent several hours together whenever the young woman was at the compound, but that wasn�t enough to be so moved.
�Ah, I should tell you�You see, I was the maid of Tokio-sama�s mother, and followed her when she got married. And I took care of Tokio-sama since she was born��
�You were her nanny?�
The old woman nodded, nostalgia filling her eyes. �Yes. I can�t go there and meet her myself, but I would like her to know that��
She cut off, seemingly embarrassed. Nagakura began to understand. Poor old woman. He had never supposed that she was so soft hearted. Nannies were very often substitute for mothers, and knowing that her pupil had gone through an assassination attempt, without being able to soothe her, must have been heart wrenching. He knew the feeling of not being able to help one�s child.
�I will,� he said, taking the basket from her arms.
�And can you not tell anyone? Takagi-sama had rather have people ignore his private contribution to the Shinsengumi�I can�t figure out why, but I have to obey.�
�I�ll tell no one, Hatsue-san. And I�ll transmit your message to Tokio-sama.�
�Oh, thank you, Captain Nagakura,� she bowed, watching him mounting and leave.
Her expression changed as soon as he was gone. Her eyes retrieved their sharpness and her expression turned half smug, half regretful.
�Oh, yes, you will transmit it. I�m sorry, Nagakura-kun. You�re a good man, but I have no choice,� she murmured.
***
It was near noon, and Okita hurried in the streets. He was impatient to get the information that Mariko�s message had promised him, so impatient that he didn�t even try to discuss with Tani and know if he was going to break-up. He had been through all the difficulties with Kondo, from the times at the dojo until his mentor was at least at the head of the Shinsengumi. The victory of Ikedaya and the respect that they had earned had been a compensation for all the humiliations that they had been through. He refused that the ploy of the Satsuma camp deprived them of it. Toshizo was right: they would have the last laugh, and the idea that he could contribute to this moment happening faster was lifting his mood.
It made him forget about his deteriorating state, and when he arrived in front of the clinic, he had to bend under the scorching hurt of his lungs, coughing loudly.
�Breathe slowly, don�t get panicked, and let me help you to walk.�
The entrance shoji had opened, and while the man talked to him with reassuring serenity, he had passed his arms around Okita�s waist, leading him into the building. Soon, the Shinsengumi man found himself sat, his back to the wall, a zabuton sustaining it. The man placed a tissue in his hands.
�You should never lay down when you cough like this. The blood might choke you.�
�Thank you�� he was finally able to utter, wiping the tears that blurred his eyes.
He could finally see his interlocutor, a small but massive man with long grey hair and a thick mustache. He could have looked ridiculous if not for the calm seriousness of his maintain, something reassuring emanating from him.
�Honda-sensei?�
�Indeed. My daughter told me this morning that she was waiting for a Shinsengumi Captain�I was perplex, but now I see why.�
There was none less a speculative light in the gaze of the doctor, and Okita smiled the most boyishly he could: �I�m Okita Soushi, first Captain of the Shinsengumi. Your daughter came to my help a few days ago, in similar circumstances. I wanted to thank her.�
The round face lit, to darken again. �I thought that you could be a new patient. Have you seen a doctor? If these seizures are frequent��
�Yes, and three of them,� said Okita. �Same diagnosis.�
Honda retrieved the handkerchief, gave a look at the blood on it, and let out: �Tuberculosis��
Okita nodded. �Did Mariko-san give a time when I can meet her?�
�Ah�no, sorry. I am myself back from my morning duties since only a while ago�She was supposed to be here, but I guess that there was an emergency. She replaces me when I�m not available, yet she knows that I�m back and she shouldn�t be away too long. You can wait for her, if you want.�
The first captain, nodding, tried to clear his throat and grimaced at the pain that his gesture provoked. That made Honda look for something in a large closet, situated in the corner of the room.
�What treatment did you get?�
�They said that it was out of their hands.�
The doctor frowned. �They didn�t give you at least something for the fever? I know that Mitsuki-sensei has some�I provide him. Mariko is gifted for creating medicines.�
Mitsuki was the doctor of the residence, and as they were at Matsudaira�s service, it was normal that Honda assumed that Okita had gone to him. �I didn�t see him.� And he had no intention to.
�Can I ask who you visited?�
He hesitated. �The one in Fushimi, the one in Ohara, and one in Aizu.� He had taken advantage of his missions in Aizu and around Kyoto to consult in the localities. He wanted no one to know, and especially, with the only treatment that all three had recommended to him.
�Oh�Who in Aizu? Takani? I would be surprised if he didn�t give you anything��
�No, it wasn�t that name�are you from Aizu, Honda-sensei?�
�No. Takani is the most famous doctor of Aizu, and he studied here with me when we were young. An old friend. It�s a pity that you didn�t choose him. Okita-sama, if I may, you should have gone to a doctor here in Kyoto. Even though Fushimi is near, there is all the difference between countryside and a city. These doctors� methods are old and obscure, and there are many diseases that we can treat, when they ignore even that they are curable�of course, tuberculosis��
�Father!�
They both turned their heads as the shoji was slid hastily, and Mariko came in on a rush. She seemed only to remember that Okita was supposed to be there, stopped neat, and bowed. Honda walked to her and they conversed in a low voice, with alarmed expressions. He could get something about some fever still climbing and the risk of something called �coma�. Finally, the older man nodded in his direction, said a few more words to Mariko, and excused himself, storming out.
Okita had widened his eyes, and the young woman finally joined him, her face serene again.
�An emergency�Excuse me for having made you wait, Okita-sama.�
�I understand,� he smiled, soothingly. �My own duty also asks for emergency actions.�
�Indeed,� she answered, noncommittal, and went to another closet, which was locked, to get the small flask of poison. �I analyzed it. This is why there is less than what you confided in me: I had to experiment the reactions to other products.�
�Did you identify it?� His voice was hopeful.
�I wouldn�t have called you if I didn�t. In fact, I had been confronted to the effects of it, a few months ago, and I had already an idea with the symptoms you talked about. It was on a young maiko from Gyon, who was, as it turned out, poisoned by a rejected lover.�
�Oh.�
�The poison is unique. It isn�t a generic, like cyanide or arsenic. The effect starts about ten minutes after the administration, but then, death occurs in no more than five. It provokes internal bleeding in the stomach and the lungs, and from there, all is lost. No antidote.�
�Is its use widespread?�
�No. Two apothecaries were suspected of having provided the poison in that case I talked to you about, yet nothing could be proved against them. The murderer got killed in a brawl before he could be interrogated. My father was infuriated and had asked the doctors he knows to report to him, if the poison was to be used again�we didn�t have any. I guess that one of the two suspects was guilty and that the call was too close.�
�By measure of prudence, the apothecary stopped his production.� Until Satsuma offered him a golden bridge, with their newly acquired funds, to have this poison again�the rebels, as well as the Shinsengumi, all spent some time in Gyon. Maybe they had heard about the case�he had to search into this direction.
�Thank you for your help, Mariko-san,� he said with the brightest smile.
She hesitated. �I might add that the jealous lover in question was rumored to be linked with the rebels�Satsuma, or so I have heard.�
Okita lifted a brow. �You are answering to all my untold questions,� he joked. �Can you give me their names, and maybe the addresses?�
He tried to stand up, cursing under his breath as his legs didn�t allow him to.
�You should wait a little while more. My father told me that you have no correct treatment,� she added.
Maybe it was the reproachful undertone, or the fact that she didn�t answer his question, or the physical limits imposed to him, but he felt bitterness filling him as fast as blood was filling his lungs when he had a crisis.
�The only treatment is to lie down and wait for death,� he retorted, before managing to get a grip, offer his boyish appearance and joke again: �I have never liked inactivity; I�m a busy little bug.�
�Do you want to die?� she asked, perplex. �You didn�t even visit a real doctor.�
�I didn�t visit anyone that could blabber on my state�to my enemies, or to my friends,� he pointed. She seemed to get what he meant.
�I hope that you don�t intend to kill my father to keep your secret,� she said, deadpan. �He won�t talk more than I will.�
Was she a little annoyed, too? There was a stinging in her voice�Well, she wasn�t the only one.
�You and your father help me, I certainly won�t be that ungrateful,� he protested, dryly. �I thought that we had a deal.�
�Fine,� she said.
�I�ll go now,� he finally provided, after a while of uncomfortable silence. �The names?�
�I can give them to you, but�I wanted to ask you�the place of one of them isn�t easy to find. I can lead you, if you want.� As he hesitated, she added: �If you are spotted looking for him, it might give him the time to escape��
�I think it�s too dangerous for you��
�Can I ask it as a favor?� she insisted, calmly. �As I told you, my father was very upset with the murder of the maiko�.and me too. I thought about what you said about the difference between precious and dangerous�and it�s the same for skills in medicine. I don�t appreciate when they are used for evil.�
He reflected a moment on this. Her serious black gaze was darted into his, and he examined it. �After the huge favors that I have asked myself, I can only accept,� he finally decided.
***
�Miyu-chan, have you seen my hairpin?� Tokio asked, looking into her jewelry box.
They were in Tokio�s room, having some tea and getting ready for the official lunch, before the Tokugawa messenger went back to Edo.
�You have a hundred hairpins, Tokio-chan�� Miyu smiled.
�The one that you like so much, with the ruby heart�I�m sure that I had it two days ago, and now I can�t find it. Did you see me with it in the bathhouse afterwards?�
�No, I�m sorry�I didn�t pay attention��
Tokio stilled and then she sat down, heaving a long sigh. �Oh, Miyu-chan. It was a present from my mother...I can�t believe that I lost it. I�m getting forgetful, and so conceited. Will you forgive my shallowness?�
�Don�t worry. I am in the same state as you are�I can�t even remember��
She cut off, getting a bit pale. Tokio lifted a brow.
�Remember what? Miyu-chan, are you all right?�
�Gomen kudasai��
The two girls turned at the masculine voice calling from the door.
�Nagakura-san!� Miyu exclaimed, her cheeks coloring in a pink shade.
Tokio smiled in relief. So that was it. She had been worried about Miyu, who had been so disturbed since Aiko�s death�abnormally disturbed. She had had the intention to discuss with her about it, but the events of the previous day and her own turmoil had prevented her from it. She blocked her furor as she reminded the surprised conversation. She�d deal with it later. For now, the important was that Miyu was smiling, and livelier than she had been in days. She had a crush on the Captain and it was not only reassuring, but also soothing. Life was going on for her.
He bowed formally. �I was here to check on my underlings�Tokio-san, a friend of yours asked me to give you these, with her wishes for your well-being.�
She recognized the fabric immediately. Sweets from Hatsue. She needed all her self control not to let her emotion show. Miyu was glancing at them, her face reflecting her perplexity.
�Thank you very much, Nagakura-san,� she said, with what she hoped could pass for a sincere smile. �Would you like a cup of tea?�
She knew that they were out of water. Relief spread through her as Miyu had the reaction that she expected.
�Then I will go and get some water, Tokio-chan. We�re out of it.�
�I will go with you,� Nagakura proposed. This was just perfect, he thought. He wanted to have a word with her, and Tokio-san was certainly moved by the attention of her nanny. She needed a little privacy.
Tokio�s expression darkened as soon as they had turned their backs on her. She waited a few seconds that their voices faded to unfold the little pack feverishly, as fast as her trembling hands allowed her to.
***
Saitoh had finished with the guards. He saw Nagakura crossing the garden, along with Kojima Miyu. When Saitoh had arrived after the training, finally they had been able to discuss his information, isolated from indiscreet ears. That opened new possibilities. Would the girl remember more? Was her mind playing tricks on her?
He decided not to go along with Shinpachi. The girl disliked him and might be intimidated by his presence. He wouldn�t stay idle, though, he thought, striding on the engawa. There was somebody else to interrogate, who could have some insight.
And the somebody in question was getting out of her room, looking around. She stilled as she noticed him and he was in for a surprise again.
He had more or less expected the same attitude as the previous day, especially after what Okita had told him during breakfast. �Softening� or whatever he called it. But the woman in front of him could have competed with Hijikata in an icy glare contest.
�Captain Saitoh,� she bowed, perfectly respectful.
�Tokio-sama. I would like to have a word with you.�
�Of course,� she smiled, going back into her room and installing herself on the tatami, all stiffened in spite of her sweet expression.
He frowned. She had been hostile with him, angry, disdainful, yet she had never been that detached. He noticed a discarded sweet basket. It was incredibly messy.
�I wanted to ask you some questions about the night when Matsumori Aiko died.�
�I am willing to answer any of your questions, Captain,� she bowed again.
His frown deepened. She was looking beyond him, as if he were transparent. He glanced down and noticed her hands trembling lightly. Was she in shock again?
�You testified that you were in your room with your maid, until the moment when you stepped on the engawa. You didn�t hear Aiko-san complaining, is that correct?�
�Yes. She must have started to feel in pain while I was talking with Michiko-sama.�
�You didn�t hear anything before? The walls are thin.�
�As I explained,� she said patiently, talking to him as if he was a retarded child, �Yuka and I were having a discussion on the propriety of going out to ask for, and maybe bring back, some food. She was afraid but neither would she want me to go alone. I could hear vaguely Kana hurling, and some sobs, is that what you mean?�
�No,� he retorted, clenching his jaw. �I mean hearing something in you friend�s room.�
A sharp light flicked into her eyes, only to vanish within a second.
�In Aiko�s room? What should have I heard? A confession?� she mocked, sweetly superior. �I thought that you had enough proof already, to accuse her publicly.�
�I thought that you believed in your friend�s innocence. If so, it means that somebody poisoned her. Then you might have heard this somebody enter her room before the symptoms started.�
She had been so adamant about her friend being framed that his hint should have been enough for her. She should have jumped on the opportunity. She was incredibly slow, today. He had expected her to collaborate at least. Her reaction finished losing him.
�If I had such a testimony I would have given it before, don�t you think?� she shrugged.
He narrowed his eyes, trying to intimidate her, but she sustained his gaze, keeping her distant composure.
�What happened?� he asked harshly. There was something wrong.
�I beg your pardon?�
He felt furious at himself for his stupid question. Something was *very* wrong. This wasn�t the little feisty thing of the Otsu woods, the insolent harpy that he had confronted here after her friend�s death, and less the shaken, vulnerable young woman of the previous day. She must have had a problem to be so utterly transformed. Yet, it was *her* problem. Not his. He had been an absolute imbecile to give a thought to her or to her motivations, especially as she was rejecting his help�not that he had offered it. Not clearly, at least.
He stood up, and said dryly. �I hope for you that you aren�t lying to me.�
She had a soft smile whereas her eyes were still cold. �*My* version of the events never changed, Saitoh-sama. I would do my best to help the Shinsengumi in this investigation. I�m afraid that I just don�t know anything more.�
He stared back at her, coldly. �Fine, then.�
***
Saitoh left the room, stopped into the garden, and tightened his fists. He was feeling murderous, on top of being a moron. It was the last time that he let this woman play with his nerves.
He walked away, seeing Nagakura and his little girl walking back to the room, the second Captain carrying a teapot. He hoped that at least one of them had been lucky in their interrogations.
Coming to think of it�He changed direction and walked towards the large building which was the servants� office. Arriving near it, his gaze was attracted by a woman in the garden who was trying to lure a kitten in, her hand extended tentatively.
�Don�t you have work to do?� he asked dryly when he stood behind her.
The kitten escaped with a desperate mewling and the young woman bolted, her face white with fear and then red with confusion.
�Ah�I�I��
It was Tokio�s maid, what was her name�Yuka.
�Are you a complete moron or do you have a speaking disability?�
Whatever option it was, the conversation promised to be tedious.
�No! I mean�� She bowed deeply. �At your service, Saitoh-sama.�
�I have questions for you. Whatever your mistress asked you to do, it will have to wait. Not that it seems that important anyway.�
The girl looked outraged; but she knew her place and her protest was made on a respectful, even tone. �I would never use my time like this if Tokio-sama had asked me to��
�Whatever. I want to interrogate you again on the events of the other day.� He looked around. No one in sight, good. �You were with your mistress in her room when Matsumori Aiko died.�
Yuka went pale. �Yes�� she said, her voice small and hesitant.
�Did you hear anything coming from the other room?�
�Hear?�
Saitoh sighed. She was a moron. �Yes. Hear, as in sounds reaching your ears.�
�Oh. You mean, from Aiko-sama�s room?�
He lit a cigarette, nodding. She seemed to think about it for a moment, and said slowly:
�No�I don�t think so. Tokio-sama was extremely upset. She was worried for Miyu-sama and Aiko-sama, who had been so shocked. She also wanted to help Kana-sama to calm down�and she was not happy at all that Michiko-sama had forbidden her to try. We had been locked for hours, and she wanted to get out and get some food, that would be a pretext to have a look on the others��
The girl cut off, hands on her mouth.
�Your mistress is manipulative, I know. Go on.�
�So�we were discussing, and she was insisting that Kana-sama�s cries were getting on everybody�s nerves, and more after Michiko-sama went to see her with no immediate effect.�
�You heard that?�
The girl nodded. �Oh, yes, I heard Michiko-sama beginning to scold her, when she entered her room. But I paid attention just because it was loud. Otherwise, I think that I wouldn�t have noticed.�
�And then?�
�When finally Kana-sama calmed down, Tokio-sama was still adamant, and she decided to leave her room. I followed her, and that�s when we saw you��
�You can go back to your occupation now,� Saitoh let out, and he left the woman in the middle of her polite goodbye.
He had nothing new, damn. He had barely paid attention to her during her interrogation after the �suicide�. Nagakura and he had decided to let her stay with her mistress, as she was in the right aisle for most of the afternoon, in an attempt to group the witnesses; yet Tokio had been making most of the talking, the maid�s testimony confirming it only. He had thought that maybe, she didn�t dare, or didn�t think, that she had other information. His mood turned sour by the minute.
Finally, he had a cruel smile. It was time to meet with Okita, and that was the perfect state of mind to interrogate an accomplice of murder.
***
Tokio didn�t have the time to analyze what Saitoh had asked her about, though she found strange that he would change his opinion like this. What deception did this hide, she didn�t know�but that only could be one. Somebody in Aiko�s room? She should ask Miyu about it, she was in the other adjacent room�but not today. She had more urgent to do.
She thought that she was going to die of impatience and frustration during the short discussion in her room, with her friend and Nagakura, and even more during the official lunch, so long and boring. She managed to control herself, only because it allowed her to give the last touch to her plan of action, and to place the first steps of it.
She hoped that Yuka wouldn�t be too reluctant, because she didn�t have much energy or patience left to convince her.
To be continued�
Ding dong, the psycho�s alive and kicking! Of course it would have been so disappointing if it had been Aiko. Trust me; our resident evil hasn�t even gotten started. The Bloody Train is back on tracks!
Ah, I love to torture Saitoh, what do you want? First he is in a good mood and then he�s more or less dumped. That will serve him right to presume of women�s softhearted dispositions *whacks machos*. Hey, he had kakesoba: I�m not completely heartless either.
So Mariko�s father knows Megumi�s...*lalala, lala* It�s a small world after all. LOL.

Thanks to Firuze, Viki and L.Sith for their reviews of this story :)

Next chapter: Action, attacks, evil plans, and if Saitoh had a bad surprise in this chapter, this is nothing compared to what awaits him. (I�m still softhearted: he will be allowed to smoke.)
- 14
- 15
- 16
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Irresistible