Well, everybody, it's that time of year again: school! And for me, it happens to be my SENIOR year of high school. I am thrilled immensely over the fact that it's my *last* year... I can finally see the dreaded world of high school coming to an end. But since it's my last year, I know I'll be extra busy. You can probably tell since this chapter is a bit late. I want to apologize ahead of time for any delays in the chapters of this story due to my schoolwork. Unfortunately, school does come first. If I had it my way, I wouldn't be busting my butt off just to make sure that I graduate with honors this year. But things don't go my way a lot of times, so the writing process for this story will be slowed down. Please except my apologies. Part of the scene between Kenji and Ikuko is based on actual events that happened to me. I had to study for a test anatomy about a week ago on the medical terms for certain body parts. Putting it into my fan fic was actually a good way to study. Without even looking back at my textbook, I can recite most of the body parts. Try it some time. It might help you out! Muchos gracias to Meara for always proofreading my stories. She is an amazing person. Make sure you read her latest story, "Seduction." I promise you, you will not be disappointed. Oh, and don't forget that this teenager loves email. So do me a favor and send me any suggestions, praise, criticism, complaints, or any ten-dollar bills that you may have. (Okay, okay, I'll do without the money! ^^;) My email address is at the bottom as well as my web site address. Once again, thank you so much! As a reminder to all of you, this story is part of an on- going series. You must read the previous stories in order to understand what's going on in this one. A list of the stories is at the bottom as well. And finally, I don't own Sailormoon. Takeuchi Naoko does. I don't, okay? That should be enough for you lawyers out there... Amazing Grace: Second Chances By: Masked Maiden Chapter Two: Changes Hitori was rudely awakened by someone banging on the door. He groaned as he rolled over to look at the time, and he groaned once more when he saw it was a few minutes past one o'clock in the morning. Whoever was depriving him from the nine hours of slumber he so desired had a lot of explaining to do. Perhaps when he was finished with them, they would think twice before messing with a very disgruntled police officer... an off duty police officer, but nevertheless a police officer. The banging was then accompanied with barking. Hime, an Akita puppy, started yapping at whoever was disturbing hers and her owner's sleep. Against his will, Hitori crawled out of his warm bed, picked up the puppy, and walked through the dark apartment to the door. He calmed Hime down by stroking her short white hair, which gave her the assurance that the situation was under control and she could soon go back to sleep. Hitori only wished his problems could dissolve that easily. He looked through the peephole in the door and, unfortunately, recognized his late night visitor. "I'll kill him..." he muttered, and opened the door. Everything was a blur. There was the sound of flesh hitting flesh, and afterward a grown man's loud cry of alarm that was followed by a resounding thud. Hitori didn't realize he was the one that yelled until he found himself prostrate on the floor with his hands covering his bleeding, though not broken, nose. That was when the shock wore off, and he soon felt a throbbing pain in the back of his head, as well as in front. He could just feel the tears forming in his eyes. If he didn't know better, he'd say someone mistook him as the door and punched him square in the face. The visitor, a slightly shorter teenager dressed in a red polyester shirt and a pair of bellbottom jeans, could do nothing but stare... and fear for his life. "Oh kami-sama..." Hitori, still on the floor, raised his hand and pointed his finger at the boy. "Tsuki, if I had my gun right now I'd shoot you!" Kenji quickly recovered from his state of shock and helped Hitori to his feet. "I'm sorry, I'm really sorry," he apologized. "I did not mean to do that. Are you okay?" Hitori ignored his stupid question. He walked to the kitchen for a dishtowel and ice for his nose. He pinched his nose with his thumb and index finger to stop the bleeding, and so when he talked his voice had a distinct nasal sound. "What do you want, Tsuki?" Kenji followed Hitori to the kitchen. "There's something at the park you need to check out." "Oh really? And why is that?" "Uh... I can explain everything to you on the way there." If it were any other night, Hitori would have considered it. After all, Tsukino Kenji was an overall decent person. If he'd the guts to wake him up in the middle of the night, then there was no disputing that something had occurred. But after a bloody nose and having only five hours of sleep the previous night, Hitori wanted nothing more but to crawl back under the covers of his bed and return to his repose. So with one hand holding a dishtowel full of ice to his nose, he used his free hand to grab Kenji by the arm and started pushing him toward the door. "Goodnight, Tsuki!" "Chiba, I'm dead serious!" "I'm sure you are, but go bug the police and leave me alone." "You are the police!" Hitori hated it when anyone other than he was right. He turned the boy around and let him go. "All right, all right. Just explain everything to me before hand, okay? And what's up with the camera? You haven't taken the peeping tom act to another level, have you?" "I can't explain everything to you if you don't shut up!" Hitori held a hand up in surrender. "Okay... just tell me what happened." The lights were turned on and Kenji and Hitori walked to the living room. Kenji started pacing up and down the carpet as he told everything that had transpired, from sneaking out of the house for a prize-winning photograph of the park to taking a man's picture -- a man who undoubtedly raped and murdered his victim. Hitori sat down on the couch and listened intently to every word Kenji spoke. When he was finished, Hitori was miraculously no longer sleepy. "You took his picture?" Hitori repeated, obviously stunned. "Well I don't know how well it's going to turn out," Kenji warned, "but yeah I did." "Didn't the flash tip the guy off?" Kenji pointed to his camera, almost beaming with pride. "This is a 68mm with slow exposure. It doesn't need a flash. Unless the man saw me leave, he doesn't even know I was there." "What about the woman?" "It doesn't take a scientist to figure it out. The creep killed her!" "I know that, Tsuki. I was really asking if you saw her." Kenji shook his head. "No, and I didn't feel like risking my neck to take a peek." "It was probably best you didn't. You could have tampered with evidence if you walked over there, like footprints or whatever. But you're certain that you took the man's picture?" "Yes, I used the last five exposures on my film. I'm certain that I at least got his face and the back of his head." Hitori stood and checked his nose, relieved that the bleeding had stopped. He then returned to the kitchen, this time to use the telephone. He knew that this was a matter that required more than one police officer to investigate. "What are you doing?" asked Kenji. "I'm calling the station so they can send someone over to the park," Hitori answered, "and then you're going to show us where you saw the rapist. But first..." He took the receiver off the ladle and pointed it to Kenji. "... I'm calling your parents." Kenji's jaw almost dropped to the floor. "What?!" "Hey, you may have been at the right place at the right time, but you still sneaked out of the house. Your parents should know that much right now." "You're not going to tell them *everything,* are you?" "I'll tell them you were on your way home when you noticed something unusual in the park. You came to my apartment and asked me to check it out. As soon as we're finished at the park, I'm taking you home, and tomorrow you are going to tell them the truth. I'm not going to help you with that. Then after school you come down to the station for questioning and if you can have those pictures developed by then. You got it?" "Questioning? Why do I need to be questioned? I already told you everything I know." "It's just procedure. If you tell the detectives what you told me, then you have nothing to worry about. Now what's your phone number?" Kenji grumbled something under his breath and eventually gave Hitori his phone number. Then he added, "You know, you're starting to sound like my old man." Hitori was offended by his friend's choice of words. He didn't know Mr. Tsukino very well, nor did he care to. From what Kenji mentioned, he had an inkling of what he was like -- a prosperous businessman who cared more about this work and secretary than his wife and two sons. "Tsuki, I'm nothing like your father." Hitori started to dial the number, but from the corner of eye he noticed a baby blue dog bowl by the kitchen table. Hime always ate beside him during breakfast and dinner... Hitori hung up the phone. "Where's Hime?" he asked. Kenji merely shrugged. Being a cat person, he hadn't really noticed Hime's disappearance. He just figured she went back to sleep somewhere in the apartment. "I haven't seen her," he said. "What do you mean you haven't seen her? I was holding her when I answered the door." Ah yes, the door. During the calamity it was left un-closed by both the resident and the visitor. "Tsuki, you left the door open!" "I did?" Kenji turned around and saw that Hitori was correct. "Well, maybe she's still in the apartment." Hitori thought otherwise, for he knew that pup as well as a father knew his own children, which was not uncommon for any pet owner. He hurried to the doorway and poked his head out to meticulously survey the hallway. Just as he expected, a white furball caught his attention... and she was headed for an opening elevator. "Hime! Come here, girl. Come on, come back to Papa..." Hitori raced down the hall when Hime entered the elevator. Perhaps he could make it in time before the doors closed. Kenji rolled his eyes. he thought. He trudged down the hall to and caught up with his friend. Hitori repeatedly pressed the down button to the elevator, thinking it would make the doors open faster. Before he could open his mouth, Kenji said, "I know, I know. It's all my fault." Exactly two floors down, Mitsukai Megumi was returning home from work. From Monday to Wednesday she worked the late shift as a waitresses for an Italian restaurant that was forty-five minutes away from her apartment. The commute back and forth was terrible; there were nights when Megumi didn't return home until two o'clock in the morning. Those were the nights she realized how thankful she was for Karei moving in with her (and for late morning classes at the college). What made up for the commute was the privilege of occasionally singing with the live band that performed nightly, and of course, the slightly fair pay. As she rummaged through her purse to find her keys, she couldn't help but notice the elevator opening its doors. What made it unusual was its passenger. A puppy no less than three months old got off and started scampering her way. Megumi bent down and petted the affectionate puppy, which awarded her with a lick on the nose. "Well hello there," she cooed. "And where are you from?" Megumi looked at the puppy's license to find out her name and whom she belonged to. When she saw the owner's name, Megumi almost fainted from shock. After four months without speaking to or seeing Chiba Hitori, his pup just happened to escape his apartment and come to her. The world couldn't be that small. "Oh well, might as well call him," she thought aloud. "I'm sure he won't mind me calling him this late with news about you." Megumi didn't know that calling Chiba Hitori would not be necessary. When they finally got on the elevator, Hitori and Kenji pressed all the buttons and assigned themselves to every other floor. They figured splitting up would quicken the hunt. While Kenji was searching for Hime on the 4th floor, Hitori searched on the 3rd. As his eyes adjusted to the dim hall lights he saw that someone else already found Hime... someone he hadn't seen in nearly four months. Much as he hated to admit it, he almost didn't recognize her. She'd changed so much since the last time he saw her... "Mitsukai-san?" Megumi looked up when her name was called and immediately recognized Hitori. He hadn't changed at all! She pleasantly smiled and pointed to Hime. "Hi, Chiba-san," she said. "I found your puppy." The small Akita immediately lost interest in the attention from Megumi and ran to her owner. Hitori bent down and picked her up, becoming the victim of a thousand dog kisses, including one of the lips. At least she wasn't mad at him, and for that he was thankful. Hitori had appropriately named her Hime (or Princess) for several reasons. Hime was regally beautiful, highly intelligent, terribly spoiled, and clearly the master of the house. She always got her way and all the attention she could obtained with every chance given, like now for example. "Aww... Yes, I know that scared you. It's all that mean man's fault. I promise I won't ever, ever, ever, ever let that happen again!" Megumi was amazed that a puppy (and a very cute one at that) could turn a grown man into a pile of mush. "Mean man?" she pried. Hitori gave a short chuckle. "It's a long story," he said. "Thanks for finding her. I thought I'd have to search all the floors before I did." "You're welcome, but to tell you the truth, it was as if she found me. But it's probably because I was the only one in the hall." "Well, whoever found who, I'm grateful." It was then that a haunting silence hovered amidst the man and woman. Words wishing to be spoken were reeling in their heads, yet none were chosen. They were too self- conscious, not wanting to give any wrong signals, or appear as a flirt, or say something idiotic that would stay with them for days on end. Still, someone had to say something! "Well..." Hitori started. Megumi half-smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "Well what?" He couldn't get over her slim figure. The first time he met Megumi she was six months pregnant, but now she was... Well, she was beautiful back then, but Hitori never really noticed until that night after another by chance meeting. And beautiful could not begin to describe her. No, stunning was more appropriate... Hitori knew he had to be staring, so her quickly averted his eyes to Hime. "I should be going," he finally said. "I've sort of been called to work and I've already used up a lot of time searching for Hime. And I have a friend searching for her as well, so I need to find him as well..." Megumi was a *tad* disappointed, but she wasn't going to make him stay. "No need to explain," she assured. "With your job I imagine you get a lot of night calls. It was nice seeing you again, Chiba-san." "It's Hitori." "Pardon?" "Call me Hitori. Chiba-san makes me sound old." Megumi grinned, "All right, but only if you call me Megumi." "Deal. And thanks again." Megumi waved goodbye and stepped inside her apartment, closing the door behind her and taking off her shoes. The moon radiated enough light through the windows for her to see her way through the blackened space, an advantage that saved her from tripping over any strewn toys or furniture. She laid her purse on the couch and walked down a short and narrow hallway to the nursery. The infant slept peacefully in her crib, wrapped in warm covers and sweet dreams. Megumi leaned slightly and rested her chin on the edge of the crib to enjoy watching Tenshi sleep, just for a few moments before going to bed. Her daughter was a heavenly gift sent from above, her only reason for existing. She did her best to never take a day with Tenshi for granted, for she remembered that day when she could have lost her. Through supernatural intervention, that fateful day also led her to Chiba Hitori, a man she never quite expressed her gratitude to. His benevolence meant more to Megumi than he would ever know. One look at Tenshi was all it took to remind Megumi that she could never repay him. She kissed her daughter goodnight and tiptoed to her bedroom, welcoming her bed with open arms. Back on the fifth floor, Kenji was getting an earful from his mother. He kept the phone an inch or so away from his ear and let his mother's voice go in one ear and out the other. He gave the occasional two to three word responses to keep her from thinking he wasn't paying attention, but a mother knows. A mother always knows. That was why she ended with, "And if you ever do this again I'll take that motorcycle away from you!" "Mama!" "Don't 'Mama!' me, young man. You heard me, and so this had better be the last time you sneak out of the house in the middle of the night!" Hitori was lounging on the couch with Hime sitting on his lap. They were enjoying a quick game of tug-of-war with a ragged dishtowel that Hime adopted as her own play toy. It was just a treat to listen to Kenji receiving his just desserts for all the troubled he'd caused that night. Hitori silently proclaimed, "There," Kenji exhaled, hanging up the phone. "Are you happy now?" "Very much so," Hitori said. "Now I'll call the station and we'll go search the park." "It's about time..." Kenji plodded to the living room and fell back into the couch. Hime took one look at him, barked once defensively, slid off the couch, and went on her merry way to the bedroom where she would not be anymore annoyed by the *mean man.* That was all right with Kenji. He didn't like the mutt anyway. "Let's go," Hitori finally said, and the two friends were out the door. ~*~*~ Early the next morning, the death of the innocent woman was all over the news, making the headlines on a national and international scale. The New York Times and the Chicago Tribune devoted a section of the front page to the news shocker. American television and radio stations gave it more than a minute coverage as oppose to their other international stories. The media, the talk shows, the summaries in the Associated Press and Reuters... it all unwove a couple of threads form the security blanket Japan had slept with for so many years -- their safe little island country was not really safe. But why did it receive so much publicity? Women were raped and murdered in every country around the world, and very few of them ever made the news. What made this woman special? Technically, though, she was the same as all the other women that suffered, but everyone loves to hear about the rich and famous. This woman happened to be Omori Aiko, the wife of the President of the Liberal Democratic Party. It was the part of his job Hitori despised -- telling a person that their loved one was dead. It never got any easier, yet it felt those moments were more than a few as the years passed by. Hitori never forgot the names or faces of those who broke down in his presence and wept for their children, their spouses, their parents... President Omori Kaname was no exception. The politician, who seemed solemn and stoic in front of the public eyes, fell to his knees in front of the police officers and cried a river or tears. Those tears washed away his notable title and brought reality to light -- despite the negative opinions toward politics, every officeholder was still human. Omori was a president, but he was like any other husband who'd lost his wife too soon, and his reaction was forever engraved in Hitori's mind. By noontime, Chief Superintendent Ishinomori of the Bunkyo- ku Police Department received a phone call from Omori himself. Omori had a proposition (or more correctly, a demand) for Ishinomori. While Ishinomori understood the man's reasons, he felt slightly offended. It was if Omori thought he couldn't do his job. "Yes, I know that Tokyo Metropolitan is technically the best," Ishinomori assured, "but they're already helping. I've sent notices to Metro and all the other police stations in the country, and if any of them receive information on your wife's murderer, they will contact us." "My stepbrother happens to be one of their top detectives," Omori told the superintendent. "I would like for him to be on the case." "Omori-sama, I have my best men in the case. If Officer Chiba and Officer Ijirashii are unable to find the murderer, then I would very little faith in your brother. I mean no offense to you or your brother, but those boys are that good." "You're not hearing what I'm saying. I want him on the case. If I can't have my wife back then I want to do everything I can to put the bastard that killed her behind bars!" Ishinomori began to think that surrendering was the only way out of their conversation. "May I at least speak with General Yamamoto at Metro?" "I already took the liberty of contacting him this morning. *He* is willing to cooperate in any way possible, and he has notified my brother of the possibility of working with your officers." "Then could I have your brother's name so I can notify my officers?" "Detective Kawazu Shiroi." "Thank you. I'll tell them the news as soon as possible. And I'll call Metro and have Detective Kawazu meet my officers at the East Gardens before the press conference at four." "The East Gardens? Shouldn't they be at Watabe Park?" "I've learned not to question their motives a long time ago. They must think they missed something the night before." "Well, I just hope they are as good as you say they are." Ishinomori was relieved to end his phone session with President Omori. He wasn't mad at him, only annoyed. Omori was throwing his weight around, believing it would somehow speed up the process of discovering the murderer's identity and arresting it. It wouldn't work, Ishinomori knew. Most rapists (including the ones that murdered their victims) were never found. Why would it be any different when the victim was of celebrity status? The middle-aged superintendent left his office and proceeded to the main floor of the police station. A woman almost twenty years his junior looked up and waved as he came forward to the desk. She was the station's dispatcher. Everyone, even those of high rank, affectionately called her Maya-chan. "Maya-chan, could you get Abbot and Costello on the radio for me?" Ishinomori asked. "I'd like to talk to them for a few minutes." "Sure thing," Maya-chan replied. "I'll give you the headset once I contact them." A moment later Mamoru's voice was heard. He identified himself and his call number. "Maya-chan, the static on this radio is rather loud. You're going to have to speak up." "Tell that to the boss," she said. "He wants to speak with you and Chiba-san." "We're not in trouble, are we?" Ishinomori took over the headset the moment Mamoru asked his question. "No, but it is serious. Omori-sama has requested that a detective from Metro assist you on the case. He's Detective Kawazu Shiroi and he's going to meet you and Chiba at the East Gardens this afternoon." "Why weren't we told sooner?" "Because I just found out, and let's just say I have no control over this. I'm not going to ask if you and Chiba agree to this, because whether you do or not you'll still have to work with him. Just promise me you'll work as a team." He raised his voice slightly. "That means you too, Chiba!" Hitori took over the speaker for the radio. "What do you mean by that? I'm a team player!" "You're also a stubborn mule," Ishinomori commented. "Remember that you represent this precinct, and therefore you're attitude is everything. Don't make an embarrassment of this precinct or yourself." "Aww, Chief... have I ever embarrassed you?" Ishinomori never answered. ~*~*~ August 6th of 1945 was a date marked in all the history books. It was when one of the only two atomic bombs ever used in a war was dropped on Hiroshima. The results were groundbreaking for the Americans, but for the Japanese, the results were heartbreaking. As the massive mushroom cloud escalated toward the heavens, 800,000 people instantly lost their lives to the sudden exposure of heat and radiation. Thousands more died a cruel and agonizing death as their bodies literally fell apart. Families were separated. Homes were ruined. Buildings tumbled to the ground. And a certain boy's life was forever changed. That boy was now Detective Kawazu Shiroi for Tokyo Metropolitan, the main headquarters for all police stations in the city of Tokyo, and where the best of the best law enforcers worked. As a detective, he'd seen much violence and destruction. But the most horrific scene did not involve a gun or a knife. It stared him in the face whenever he looked in a mirror -- himself. Every inch of his side, including his face, was infested with burns caused by the atomic blast twenty-five years prior. Each time he looked at his reflection, he was reminded of his past and how his childhood was taken away from him. He lit another cigarette as he waited impatiently for his new "partners" to arrive at the East Gardens. Now he understood why he always preferred to work solo. Kawazu wasn't surprised President Truman never apologized for the bombings. Heck, the Americans didn't even know what was going to happen when Hiroshima was bombed! (Kawazu always regarded the Americans as snobbish weaklings. They had no respect for their government, protested about everything from war to peace, and assumed they were the center of the universe. At times he wished it were Japan that dropped the bomb on *them*.) But in the end, everything mended in its own time and way. So far, no more atomic bombs had been used, but that could possibly change. The future was rather vague now that America and Russia were bickering enemies in the Cold War. That didn't really matter to Kawazu. (Let them blow each other up for all he cared!) What was done was done, and because of that a raging hatred blossomed in his heart. When he was a boy, he hated only Americans. Now, as an adult, that hate was so profound love could barely penetrate through its callous walls. The sound of footsteps on gravel was soon heard. Kawazu threw his cigarette butt to the ground and extinguished it with his foot. He looked up and saw two men in police uniforms walking his way. Undoubtedly, they were the officers he would be working with. he disbelieved. Much to Kawazu's surprise, the dark-haired officer approached him in a polite and warm manner. Due to his appearance he expected wariness and hesitance from strangers. This man, and his partner for that matter, acted as if his abnormality didn't bother them. Kawazu was so shocked that he didn't know how to react. He greeted them with the wariness he usually received. "Uh, yeah. Nice meeting you, too." He cleared his throat to avoid the silence that followed most salutations from new acquaintances, and he got down to business. "You fellows think you missed something the night before?" Mamoru pointed to Hitori and replied, "Well, Hit Man here thinks we did." "I kind of hope we did," Hitori confessed. "If Omori-sama doesn't recognize the man in the photographs, we'll need more evidence than that and the ransom note." Kawazu's eyebrow rose. "Hit Man?" He'd never heard such a nickname before, and it made him question the man's, uh... personality, maybe? Mamoru grinned slyly and cupped his hand around the side of his mouth, as if he were telling a secret. "It's what all the girls called him during high school," he snickered. He watched his friend's face turn a light shade of red. Hitori was a person that embarrassed rather easily, and that made annoying him a lot more fun! "I got the nickname from playing baseball," Hitori pointed out. "And that's when the girls started calling him that," Mamoru added. When Kawazu first saw the two officers, he thought the case needed to be transferred to Tokyo Metropolitan. Now, he wasn't quite sure what to think. These men, while polite and respectful, were procrastinators, unprofessional, and unqualified for a case of such prestige. At least, that was his opinion. If his stepbrother didn't want them off the case, then there must've been something about them that he didn't see. "Could we get on with it?" he asked, hinting at his impatience. "Yes, yes, let's do so," Hitori agreed quickly. He stepped away from Mamoru and Kawazu and headed for the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace. The East Gardens were the masterpiece of landscaping, a genuine wonderment. Towering ten feet hedges of the purest green stood erect and acted as the garden's walls. During the early spring those walls were decorated with fully bloomed roses of various colors. There were four wings: North, South, East, and West. From the South Wing, which served as the main entrance, visitors of the gardens walked upon a red (not yellow) brick road to the vast open area known as the commons. During the day, the commons was a place of public interaction, but at night private and exquisite parties hosted by dignitaries and noblemen were held. Across from the commons was the North Wing, which led to a park surrounded by the rose walls. A narrow dirt path stretched across the grassy fields and guided visitors to the Victorian-style benches under the shade of cherry trees and to a pond where a family of ducks spent their lives in peaceful solitude. The last two wings, East and West, were located on either side of the commons. They were life-size mazes. They were not identical to one another. At the end of each maze was a secluded, compact area with one park bench, giving the adventurer solitude (and a place to rest). Those two mazes were a perfect way to lose someone... but an even more perfect place to kidnap someone. As the three men strolled toward the commons, Kawazu asked Mamoru to fill him in with the details of the case. (Although Omori was his stepbrother, they were not close. Or so Kawazu told them.) He was especially interested in the photographs Hitori mentioned before, and so he casually asked for information on how they were obtained. He was extremely intrigued. He would have to visit the young man's house that afternoon and question him. It was the least he could do. This young man, Tsukino Kenji, did not necessarily have to go to the police station. It would be more convenient for him and Kawazu could just drop off the photographs at the station before leaving for home that evening. "Well, I already told Tsuki to go to the station this evening," Hitori told Kawazu. "He'll possibly develop the film when he gets home from school and go straight to the station. We wouldn't have time to call him anyway with the conference in a couple of hours." Kawazu shrugged. "It was just a suggestion. It probably would be better to question him at the station." Since the kidnapping (and now murder) of Omori Aiko, very few people were visiting the gardens. If it weren't because the news, then it was because of the yellow crime scene tape. That always seemed to do the trick. And so, it wasn't a surprise to find the commons empty, which was more appropriate for the officers and detective. They didn't have to worry about any distractions. "This is about the perfect place to commit a crime," Kawazu stated. "You can't take any fingerprints, there aren't any footprints, and there was a large crowd that evening. With so many people hardly anyone would seem out of place. Chiba-san, what exactly are you looking for?" Hitori shrugged as he stopped at the passageway of the East Wing. "I'll know it when I see it." "Well... that's comforting." Kawazu wasn't impressed. Hitori, Mamoru, and Kawazu entered the maze. Wednesday night the officers asked for a map of the gardens, particularly a map of the two mazes. If they were to come back, they did not want to get lost. And certainly not after getting lost one time already... When they received the map, they realized there weren't any directions to either maze, and so they spent almost an hour the next morning pencilling (and erasing) the way to both ends. Hitori and Mamoru eventually gave up and asked for help from Maya-chan. She finished the job in less than ten minutes... Mamoru was unsure with the idea of Hitori reading the map. "Are you sure we're going the right way?" he asked. Hitori was about to exclaim, "Of course, I do!" but he shut his mouth and took a good look at the map. He then turned it upside down, and then right-side up, and then he didn't know what to do. For sure a map couldn't be this difficult to read. Mamoru snatched the large piece of paper from his friend's grasp and glanced at it. It didn't took him long to see the problem. "Hit Man, you were following directions for the West Wing!" "So what does that mean?" Kawazu inquired. Hitori put it as bluntly as he could. "It means we're screwed." ~*~*~ While the officers and detective made it to the news conference before they were to be interviewed, Ishinomori was, to say the least, pissed off. "I don't want to know!" he huffed. "You arrive here twenty minutes late, but I don't want to know!" He turned to march away when he looked him in the eyes and asked, "What happened?" Mamoru and Kawazu both pointed at Hitori. "It's his fault!" Ishinomori shook his head. "Why am I not surprised...?" Hitori did not say a word. He figured silence was his best friend at the moment. Due to the great interest from the media, several television stations preempted their regularly scheduled programs in order to broadcast the news conference live. Three from the masses of people tuning in were Megumi, Karei, and Setsuko. They sat on the floor with their textbooks opened and papers scattered across the coffee table, barely paying attention to the sounds in the background. Snippets of the conference reached their ears; it was enough to make heads of tails of what was going on. They paused momentarily from studying when one reporter asked, "Omori-sama, what would you say to your wife's murderer if he were listening right now?" Omori looked directly into the camera with incensed eyes and stated, "I will never forgive him for what he's done. When he's executed for his crimes I pray the kami will not have mercy on his soul." He stepped down from the platform and joined Kawazu off camera. Kawazu placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. Omori naturally took it as a sign of comfort. Megumi stood to stretch her legs and check on Tenshi. Before leaving the room, she took a good look at the television screen. "Oh my God!" Three gentlemen stepped up onto the platform, entering a circus ring of microphones, reporters, and camera flashes. Ishinomori stood behind the podium, sandwiched between Hitori and Mamoru. He was obligated to answer any questions the press could possibly have concerning the murder case. Of course, that meant giving the occasional "no comment" response. Unfortunately, "no comment" was said more than occasionally; reporters were always able to ask the questions that didn't need to be answered at the moment. When Karei and Setsuko saw Hitori and Mamoru on TV, it was their turn to exclaim, "Oh my God!" That was when Tenshi joined in, but for a completely different reason. Someone had the nerve to wake her from her nap! "Isn't that Mamoru-ku and Chiba-san?" Setsuko asked. "It is!" Karei confirmed. "What are they doing there?" "Looking very out of place," Megumi noted. Both men appeared very uncomfortable in front of the camera, which undoubtedly meant they were. But hey, who could blame them? Megumi returned to the living room with her grumpy daughter in her arms. It wouldn't take long for Tenshi to fall back to sleep, so Megumi decided to sit with her until then. She took a seat on the couch and watched the rest of the news conference with Karei and Setsuko. The questions began. "Will this case be transferred to the Tokyo Metropolitan for investigation?" "No," Ishinomori replied. "General Yamamoto and I have both agreed that the Bunkyo-ku Police Department should continue with the investigation. Officers Chiba and Ijirashii are more familiar with this case and so it would be futile for them to be taken off. Instead they will team up with a detective from Tokyo Metropolitan until the case is solved." "But isn't it true that you have no leads whatsoever to whom the murderer may be?" "That is not true. We have received evidence that could very well give us a distinct physical description of the murderer. With a description we can run checks on previous criminal records and give out the information to other police stations across the country." "And just how was this evidence obtained?" "That information will be released at a later date. As of now we want to protect the identity of the young man who has given us the information." Hitori silently added, A journalist for the Nando Times asked the next question. "Have you any reason to believe the kidnapper and the murder are the same person? Or do you suspect there may be a group effort?" "Considering that Mrs. Omori was not held for ransom," Ishinomori said, "it is more logical to believe only one man is behind all of this. This would mean he was not after money, so he has another motive." "There's been rumors of scandals between several members of the Liberal Democratic Party and government officials," another reporter pointed out. "Do you suspect Mrs. Omori's murder is somehow connected?" "Those rumors are simply that - rumors and they have connection whatsoever with the victim or this case." "I think otherwise," commented Setsuko. "I think Mrs. Omori heard something she wasn't supposed to. What do you think?" "Personally, I think Chiba-san looks very handsome in his uniform," Karei said. She averted her eyes from the TV to her sister and grinned impishly. "Don't you think so, Megumi?" Megumi replied, "Most police officers tend to look nice in their uniforms." "True, but Chiba-san looks exceptionally nice. Ne...?" "I know what you're doing. You're not going to get a 'yes' out of me. If you find Hitori-san that attractive then I suggest you ask him out yourself." Karei's grin grew. "Oh, so it's Hitori now... And how long has this been going on?" "Leave her alone, Karei-chan," Setsuko interjected. "For now at least. I'm sure when the conference is over we can pry some information out of her." She and Karei grinned like two demons assigned to destroy the world, or at least Megumi's secrets. Megumi rolled her eyes. "I knew this study group was a bad idea..." A woman journalist for a popular newsmagazine was one of the last to be called to question. "If you suspect Mrs. Omori was not kidnapped for ransom," she said, "then why did the murderer leave a ransom note at the East Gardens Tuesday night?" That was the million-dollar question if there ever was one. Ishinomori wasn't quite sure how to answer it, and he knew he didn't have the time to think it over. "As of now," he said, "we have no definite answer." If he were to place it in layman's terms, he would've said, "We don't got a clue!" Yet if they wanted to find the murderer, they needed to get a clue, and as soon as possible. If a politician's wife wasn't safe from a killer's grip, then who was? ~*~*~ After developing the photographs and spending two hours and a half at the precinct, there was one thing left for Kenji to do -- his homework. He stared at the anatomy textbook in front of him and wondered why he signed up for the class to begin with. Kenji told himself, As the first major assignment of the new academic year, his teacher wanted all of her students to memorize approximately fifty terms for specific body parts... in one night. And yes, there was a quiz the next day. Like the majority of seniors, Kenji found very little joy in school. He only tolerated it for three reasons -- it was his last year, it was his last year, and it was his last year. That simple fact was enough to keep him from going insane. He couldn't wait for graduation, even when it was a whole year way. For on March 17 of 1971, Kenji would step onto that glorious stage in his cap and gown and wave goodbye to Shinjitsu High forever. Imagine. No more teachers, no more homework, no more tests or quizzes, no more projects, no more essays, no more boring morning announcements from the principal, no more competition for the best grades, no more envious freshman girls... Okay, so he would miss SOME things! He's a teenager for goodness sake! "All right, give me your book," said his girlfriend. She tied her long, wavy blue hair back in a ponytail before reaching for the heavy textbook and placing it in her lap. When she chose a certain body part she extended her arm and pointed to her hand. "What body part is this?" she asked. "Manus," Kenji replied, answering correctly. "Now tell me all its parts." "Digital, palmar, and pollex." "And what are they?" "Fingers, palm, and thumb." His girlfriend then pointed to the front and back (or medically speaking, the anterior and posterior) of the elbow. "And those two?" she asked. In the respective order, he answered, "Antecubital and olecranal." The young freshman then set the book on the bed, picked out another body part, and pointed to the side of her leg. "What about this?" "Umm..." He thought for a moment. "Perineal?" Ikuko glanced at the book and blushed slightly. "Kenji... that's another body part." "Which is it?" he asked. She stared at her boyfriend with narrowed eyes. "Take a guess." It took a moment for him to remember. "Oh. Oh, yeah..." Peroneal was the side of the leg. *Perineal* was one of those certain body parts that didn't need to be pointed at in order to memorize the term for it. And thus, it was probably a good reason why boyfriends and girlfriends shouldn't study anatomy alone... in a bedroom with the door closed... and with the parents of the boyfriend downstairs... Not a good situation, now is it? Ikuko closed the book and handed it back to Kenji. "Perhaps you should study the rest alone," she suggested. "I don't think anatomy is an appropriate subject for a study session." Kenji set the book down on the desk. "I got to know this stuff tomorrow morning," he said. "Saying it out loud is the only way I'll memorize it." "You sound like you know it to me." Ikuko stood from her seat on the bed and leaned over the small desk. She could tell something was troubling her boyfriend, and that something wasn't a secret to her. While Kenji knew not to tell anyone at school about his connection with the Omori case, he did tell Ikuko, for he knew he could trust her. She should have known it was bothering him more than both of them realized. "Want to talk about it?" she offered. Kenji shook his head, knowing what she meant. "No," he replied. "I've done all I can and that's that." "Then why do I get the feeling you don't believe that?" Her boyfriend fell silent. He put his elbows on the surface of the desk and rested his chin in his hands while staring off in space. Through the open blinds in front of the window, the first stars in the night were appearing, and the moon was the center of it all. Sometimes he wondered if he really were "of the moon"... Ikuko was used to receiving the silent treatment from Kenji. When he was vexed with problems or happenings in his life, he retreated into a solace of solitude. And whenever he did, Ikuko knew it was best to let him be. Not pursuing a conversation was the best way to get Kenji to talk to her. So she bent down and gave him a goodbye kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow," she said. Kenji muttered a faint, "Okay" without looking away from the window. Ikuko was displeased with the farewell she was given, but she did not complain. On the contrary, it convinced her that Kenji needed a kiss on the lips. She bent down once more and took his chin into her hand, which averted his attention from the window and, to least the least, surprised him. Then he felt the gentle touch of her lips upon his, and he just had to kiss her in return... That was when they heard an eight-year-old amateur spy holler, "Ooh... I'm telling! Mama! Onii-san and Enomoto- san are kissing!" Kenji was steamed. "WATARU!" He shot from his chair like a bullet and started chasing his little brother down the stairs, hoping to catch him before he could run to their mother for protection (and Wataru would most definitely need protection if his big brother ever got ahold of him!). Ikuko watched in disbelief and numbly shook her head, thankful that her parents decided to have only one child -- her! Halfway down the stairs, Kenji succeeded in grabbing his brother by the shirt collar and pulling him backward into his grasp. The small child was about to scream for help when Kenji covered his mouth with one hand and shushed him. He could hear the lowered and muffled voices of their mother and father coming from the living room, indicating a private argument. Wataru soon heard them as well. He squirmed out of his brother's grasp and took a seat next to him on one of the steps. Silently they eavesdropped on their parents. "Where are you going?" "There's a dinner meeting tonight that I must attend. It should end by ten thirty, but I won't be home until later. Don't wait up for me." "Don't wait up for you? I've learned a long time ago to never wait for you for anything." "And what is *that* supposed to mean?" "There's no need for me to explain. You already know the answer." "Listen, I don't have the time to stand here and debate with you. This is a very important meeting, and if I don't leave soon I'm sure to be tardy." "Then leave. I know I could never stop you." The sound of feet walking on a hard wooden floor kept silence from overtaking the house, and soon their father was visible from where Kenji and Wataru sat. They watched him slip into his coat and reach for his hat hanging on the coat rack. Their mother then came into view. She stood in the wings of an invisible stage, watching another act in her play called "Life" come to an end. "Be careful," she told him. Except for the abrupt nod, it appeared he was doing his best to ignore her. Kenji decided to speak up. "Leaving again, Otou-san?" he deadpanned. Wataru, now upset, pleaded, "Don't leave, Otou-san." "I'm afraid it's necessary," Mr. Tsukino said to his sons. "Of course," Kenji disdained, "it always is." "Don't talk to me in such a tone, young man. Someday when you're a family man, you'll understand." Kenji had very little control over his temper. Once it was provoked, it overtook him. There were times when he regretted things he said or did in a moment of anger, but not this time. What he said to his father not only came from his anger, but also from his heart. "I don't want to be a family man if it means being like you." ~*~*~ The mystery behind the vague ransom note was all Hitori could think of. It nagged at him constantly and without end, giving him the same frustration he felt when he couldn't figure out the last word to a crossword puzzle. So before going home that evening Hitori asked his boss for a copy of the note, thinking he could somehow figure it out before the next morning. In reality, he would only lose more sleep over it. No one ever said being a police officer was good for your health! Hitori sat at the kitchen table with a cup of green tea and two pieces of plain white paper. One had the ransom note's message written on it while the other was for brainstorming. The problem with the ransom note was its figurative wording. It was written in the form of a haiku, a very popular style of Japanese poetry. So Hitori wrote down every idea that came to mind on the blank paper, no matter how bizarre it seemed. But no matter what he wrote down, it ended up looking like a bunch of gibberish. Greedy for money The millionaire weeps for days Rose dies by moonlight "Maybe it's not even a ransom note," Hitori pondered aloud, and he wrote that down. Hitori put down his pen, closed his eyes, and messaged his temples in a circular motion with his fingers. He couldn't go on like this, not when something else was on his mind. When he broke up with Akane last December, Hitori decided to stay away from the world of dating for a while. He'd spent so much time with his girlfriend that he rarely had any time for his friends, family, or for himself for that matter. A break was just what he needed. Now there was Megumi, a young lady he didn't know that well. Except for a couple of bump ins and that... well, interesting encounter, Hitori never saw her or spoke to her. So why was she now constantly on his mind? She wasn't the woman of his dreams. Akane was a model of the blue-eyed brunette he pictured spending the rest of his life with. Now, after a second glance at Megumi, everything suddenly changed. She was enchantingly mesmerizing. Her beauty greeted him whenever he closed his eyes for the briefest second. He could still see her silky ebony hair flowing down her slim body to her waist and her sweet chocolate eyes staring back at him. Those explicit differences made her more appealing, and more desirable. So his dream woman didn't matter any more. Megumi was more than he could ever imagined, and he couldn't believe he was falling for her. Hitori scolded himself. He rested his head on the table and groaned in frustration. Ever since last night he wanted to ask her out, and he kicked himself for not doing so when he had the chance. He hated all the worrying that came with asking a woman on a date; he always worried if she would say no. The worst thing Megumi could do was say no. That's what everyone said anyway. Hitori couldn't see how it was supposed to comfort him. Did anyone understand what hearing "no" could do to a person?! Rejection just was not the best feeling in the world! he thought, Hitori felt a slight tug. He looked down to find Hime standing on all fours and pulling on the cuff of his pants leg as if it were a giant dishtowel. He noticed her leash was conspicuously lying at her feet. When it was apparent she had his attention, Hime looked up at him with large round eyes begging, "Please... pretty please... Don't you love me...?" "Okay, you win," Hitori gave in. "We'll go for a walk." He picked up the leash and hooked it to Hime's collar. The moment she heard that tiny click she made a beeline for the door, hardly giving Hitori a chance to even stand up. He quickly grabbed his jacket and put it before opening the door and being lead to the elevator by the small pup. "Just don't make any pit stops," he warned. "The landlord will have a fit." When the door was closed, the phone started to ring. ~*~*~ "We interrupt your regularly scheduled program to bring you a special news bulletin: At approximately eight o'clock this evening, the third floor of the Bunkyo-ku Police Department caught on fire. Firefighters rushed to the scene and were able to prevent the fire from spreading to any of the other floors. No injuries have been reported, though workers were on the floor at the time the fire started. Most of the damage was found in the back section of the floor, which includes mostly offices and the police department's evidence room. It is unclear as of now the cause behind the fire, though firefighters suspect it to be an act or arson. There will be more details to this news- breaking story at eleven." ====== End of Chapter Two 08.24.01 Author's Notes: The Akita is a breed of dogs that originated in Japan and were initially used to hunt bears in the mountains. Today the Akita is known as great guard and police dogs. Since Hitori is a policeman, I thought it would be sort of neat if he owned an Akita. (Sort of like a fireman owning a Dalmatian.) They are wonderful and beautiful dogs, at least in my opinion. I've never been a huge fan over the toy group of dogs. I've always liked the BIG doggies! ^-^ In the last chapter I said that police officers in Japan do not have guns. Well, I lied. I later on discovered that, even though Japan *does* have a strict gun control policy, all of their police officers are issued a gun. Now, just because they have a gun doesn't mean that's their only line of defense. Most, if not all, police officers take judo and kendo (Japanese fencing) lessons. This is so popular that police stations hold judo and kendo tournaments every year to boost morale. Since this story deals with the Japanese police, let me clarify a couple of things. There is such a place as Tokyo Metropolitan, and it is the police headquarters for the city. Other police stations in Tokyo are more or less smaller branches of Metro. (I'm shortening Metropolitan for my own preferences; it's easier to type out. I'm pretty sure it isn't shortened, but oh well...) The head of Tokyo Metro is the General Superintendent, which is about as high of a rank as you can get. A person in charge of a smaller police station, like Bunkyo-ku, would be a Chief Superintendent like Ishinomori. The East Gardens and the Imperial Palace are actual places in Japan, but I have fictionalized them somewhat for the story. (For one thing, they located in Chiyoda-ku. Police in Bunkyo-ku would not be on the case in the story to begin with...) The description of the gardens is completely made up. I have no idea what they really look like, so forgive me if I'm way off! The translation for the name Kawazu Shiroi is "White Bay." It's my twisted and creative way of naming him after Pearl Harbor. Groucho Marx was part of the Marx Brothers back in the early 1900s. The Marx Brothers were well known comedians for their time. The glasses with the big nose and bushy mustache were named after Groucho. Abbott and Costello were also comedians and were popular during the 1940s. The Nando Times is an actual newspaper in Japan. There's a pun with this name, as well. Nando can mean, "how many?" So in a way, you're saying, "How many times?" Email: masked_maiden@hotmail.com or gracefulangel15@yahoo.com Web Site: (a miracle romance) http://miracleromance.cjb.net/ Stories for the "Amazing Grace" series are as follow: Amazing Grace: Take a Picture (one chapter) Amazing Grace: Facing Mother(hood) (three chapters) Amazing Grace: Second Chances (two chapters thus far, at least six more to go...) Stay tuned for chapter three!