Lost and Found
folder
Yu-Gi-Oh › Yaoi - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
19
Views:
9,922
Reviews:
95
Recommended:
2
Currently Reading:
7
Category:
Yu-Gi-Oh › Yaoi - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
19
Views:
9,922
Reviews:
95
Recommended:
2
Currently Reading:
7
Disclaimer:
I don't own Yugioh or anything else nor do I make money from this story.
Episode 4 - Part 1 - Tangible Asset
Title: Lost And Found – Episode 4 Part 1
Author: Maggiemay
Muses and Betas: Jazzy, mofaf1, Lady Laran
Disclaimer: Don't own YGO or any of it's Characters. Do own my OC's and the work contained within this work.
Summary: Life after the Pharaoh left looked bright. Looks can be deceiving. Jounouchi is a cop who finds missing people. He's found everyone he's ever searched for – except one. This is the fourth episode in the ongoing 'Lost and Found' saga.
Rating: M for Mature just to be safe.
Size: 20 pages and 10055 words.
*****
The jingle of the bell from the 'Lost and Found, People Finder's' door brought Kawai Shizuka's head up from the book she was studying, a warm smile gracing her expressive face. "Welcome! How can I help you today?"
A tall, slim man with thinning black hair, mustache and wire-rimmed glasses returned her smile politely. "I am Sassa Hiro, Director of Special Accounts at the Ueda Group. I was told by an associate that your company may be able to help us find someone."
"Yes, of course. Please come and sit down. I'll make some tea. While the water is heating, I'll fill out the preliminary information and then forward it to one of our investigators." She said smoothly, as if she'd dealt with hundreds of people.
Jou, listening from behind the newly added partition, smiled proudly. Nobody would ever guess that Sassa was her first ever client on her first day of work at Lost and Found.
"Please do not trouble yourself with tea. I was asked to speak to Jounouchi-san. Is he available?"
Shizuka went back to her seat, making a show of checking her calendar. "His next appointment is soon." She lied without batting an eyelash. "I'll..."
Mentally, Jou chuckled and decided to step in before Shizuka's idea of the perfect receptionist lost them a client. He stood and looked over the top of the divider wall. "It's fine, Kawai-san. I'm off the phone now. Sassa-san can come back to my desk."
"You are Jounouchi-san?" The almost-client asked softly.
"Yes. Please come sit down. We can discuss your case." Jou gave the man his best professional smile.
"I did not expect to see you right away. My associate said you were quite well known." He hesitated for a moment, adding. "I have another associate joining me; she is parking the car. If we could wait for her, it would be best."
"Sure. Shizuka can make some tea since we're waiting." Jou gave her an oblique order. She simply nodded and bustled to the back of the office.
"Jounouchi-san, not to be doubtful but privacy? Your office seems..." He gestured expansively.
"The cubicles are to give the illusion of privacy to our customers, however, we at Lost and Found work as a team. We don't hide any aspect of a case from any of our team members. We each have our roles of course, but we have found it best for the client and the missing person if we brainstorm together because each of us adds a different level of understanding to each of our cases. I give you my word that your case will not go beyond our walls." He hesitated for a second. "Not only would it be unprofessional, but client breaching privacy is a violation of our contract and opens us to non-payment at a minimum and financial liability as a penalty. We have never had so much as a hint of a breach."
"All right." The doubt was plain in his expression. "You came highly recommended so I will trust you." He frowned and sighed. "Not that I have much choice at the moment."
Jou nodded as if he completely understood, but inside he was beginning to doubt this customer. "You mentioned being referred to our company. May I ask who referred you?"
"You may ask, but I am not going to say. He requested I not say who he was or why. He does not want a whiff of his involvement in this affair. It could be catastrophic to negotiations at this point you see."
Again, Jou nodded like he understood. "I see, in that case, of course we will respect your wishes." There was a moment of silence that was broken by the tinkle of the bell as the door swung open again.
Jou may have been dating another man, but he was far from immune to beautiful women, and the woman that walked through the door was one of the most beautiful he'd ever seen. Her hair was dark brown, almost black, her eyes a warm milk chocolate, and her skin pale with just a hint of pink. Her makeup was understated, just enough to highlight her natural beauty without covering it. She was petite but curvy in all the right places, her sharply tailored business suit made feminine by the light lilac color and edges of lace just visible in the neckline of her buttoned suit coat.
Sassa smiled at the woman with obvious relief and a hint of possessiveness. "Jounouchi-san, this is Kaza Reina, Director of Development to Ueda Group."
"Pleasure to meet you." Jou managed politely, hoping he didn't look as starstruck as he felt. She was so beautiful, even the air around her seemed to shimmer. He held his breath, waiting for the vision to speak.
"The pleasure is all mine. Thank you for seeing us so quickly." The words were polite, but her voice, high pitched and nasally, brought him down with a thud. She was incredible to look at but just after a few seconds of that voice, Jou wanted to leave the room. It literally hurt his ears to listen to her speak.
He maintained his professional demeanor and smiled politely. "You are welcome." He gave his returning sister a quick look. "Shizuka, could you serve that at the table in back. My office area is a small for three people." Not true, it was arranged to seat four comfortably, but he wanted as much open space as possible to deflect the sound of Kaza Reina's voice.
"Of course, Jounouchi-san." She smiled over the steaming pot of water and cups. "Perhaps Kaza-san would like some honey for her tea? Or maybe some soothing mint? It will help her poor throat."
For a second, it looked like Kaza-san would argue, but in a blink the angry look disappeared from her face. "Thank you. You are too kind. Such kindness is unnecessary but very appreciated."
Once seated, tea cups handed around, Shizuka bowed and left them alone. Jou opened the meeting. "How can I help you?"
Sassa cleared his throat and opened. "Ueda Group is a nation-wide accounting firm with thirty offices in all of the major prefects. We handle personal as well as corporate accounting. Last year, we branched out, adding a software component to our business. You may have heard of it. MoneyTree is a financial management, accounting and tracking software that has been hailed as innovative, unique, easy to use, and intuitive. It also connects automatically to several governmental bodies, automatically updating rules and laws and informing the users of the software of all changes. Kaza-san is in charge of its development. She is the original designer and programmer of the software. At the time we purchased the rights from her, she became one of the largest stockholders in the Ueda Group, owning a full third of the business." His voice took on an unconscious note of approval. "Instead of retiring, she has continued to work, developing the software to expand into international markets."
"Congratulations." Jou murmured. He blushed slightly when the incredibly beautiful woman smiled at him brightly but didn't answer.
"All of that is besides the point, but it is best you understand why this is so imperative." Sasso frowned slightly. "Ueda Group has received an offer from the financial arm of a large international company. Part of the final purchase price determination will be an evaluation of reported income versus actual capital and assets. A complete audit is due to start in a week. In preparation of the audit, we did our own internal checks and found a significant portion of our liquid capital has gone missing. Our quarterly check, completed just three weeks ago show the capital in the accounts but now it is gone with no record of where it went. The electronic transfers loop back..." He sighed and tugged at his thinning hair. "I am not completely sure of how all of it went, but Kaza-san assures me that the trail is a dead end. The only person who knows where the capital went is Kaza-san's executive liaison, Maeda Nayuki. He vanished without a trace the day our spot checks started."
"So you're assuming Maeda Nayuki took the money and ran?" Jou clarified the accusation.
Kaza-san spoke up. "His access codes were used in the transactions; also he was the only person logged into the office during the hours the transactions occurred." Her shrill voice deepened with sadness, husking as it verged on tears. "We have been friends since high school. I find it hard to believe he would..." The tears broke through, shimmering in her velvety eyes. Obviously ashamed of the weakness, she caught her breath and turned her head away in embarrassment.
Jou murmured something comforting and handed her a box of tissues. She ignored the gesture and took the proffered handkerchief from Sassa. He gave her a minute to compose herself then started asking the questions that would help him find Maeda Nayuki. Friends, lovers, habits and hobbies were the places he started, all the while slipping in other questions that would give him a deeper understanding of the person he was looking for. Each answer, every detail would help him build a picture of Maeda Nayuki and his life.
When he'd gotten enough that he felt comfortable starting the investigation, he asked the next important one. "You haven't called the police?" He knew the answer, he even knew why, but he needed to cover his bases.
"No." Sassa responded as expected while Kaza recoiled as if Jou'd raised his fist to her. "If it got out that this had happened... It would be bad for the company valuation and could even kill the negotiations. Ueda Group wants this deal very much. We won't press charges if Maeda returns the money."
"Yes, I do understand the situation. Besides, it would be very bad publicity if an accounting company, responsible for finances for so many people, could not control their own money." Jou nodded in perfect understanding.
Anger splashed across Sassa's face, but he controlled it immediately. "Then we understand each other. Can you find him?"
"I believe so. I cannot make any promises, but I will do my best." Jou reassured with a smile. "Excuse me a moment while I get the standard contract. Who will this be billed to? Ueda Group or...?"
"It will be billed to me personally." Kaza Reina stated firmly. "Nayuki was retained at the firm because of me. I am responsible."
Sassa shook his head. "No. Jounouchi-san you will bill all expenses to Ueda, Special Accounts." He gave Kaza a sharp look. "You may feel responsible for your old friend Kaza-san, but the reality is that he is no longer your friend. He is your subordinate and a thief. He took advantage of his closeness to you and your position to steal. Distance yourself from him."
Tears shimmered in those incredible eyes for a moment then she nodded. "I understand Sassa-san. I'l... I'll do as you say." She cleared her throat, her lips firmed, and the tears dried on her lashes. "As Sassa-san says... Charge it to Ueda's Special Accounts."
"Yes, of course." Jou dealt with the business end of the contract before continuing his investigation. "Kaza-san, you said you were old friends. Do you have access to where he lives?"
More tears, this time hastily controlled. "He has a studio apartment above the garage in my home. He has never been responsible to care for himself. I was like one of his family, another sister, so I've always taken care of him as an older sister, although he is older than me by a few months. He... As I mentioned earlier, he is the youngest of six children and the only boy. He's used to someone caring for him, picking up his messes."
"What about his sisters, would they know where he is?" Jou would check it out, but it would be nice to know more about the dynamic before he blundered in. Families were tough.
"There was a disagreement years ago. He went to college instead of staying and working a farm job to support the family. They are very poor and needed every yen. When he got a scholarship at the same school I was attending, they took it badly. I've tried to mend the breach over the years, but they are very bitter."
Jou nodded and made a quick note. Maybe Maeda had taken the money to give to his family. Perhaps he thought to make things up to them with money. He would have to make a trip to the home village. "You said you were both from Chibu-mura. It's a small community, less than seven hundred people, correct?"
"Yes. Farming, fishing, and some cattle ranches are the only jobs there. We both wanted different lives. They had a hard time accepting that." She lowered her head, eyes on the table in front of her. "Perhaps if he had stayed..." Her voice trailed off before she cleared her throat and lifted her head again. "But that won't help anyone now. Please do your best, Jounouchi-san."
"Always. What time is convenient for me to come look at his apartment?" Jou asked briskly. He did not want to encourage more tears.
"Look at his..." She was perplexed for a moment, a fine line appearing between her brows. "Why would you need to do that?"
"Because I will need to look for any clues he may have left. Also there are signs that I can see when a person leaves in a hurry or under duress." He explained, but he thought it was a stupid question. She didn't strike him as stupid. "It shouldn't take long." He half-lied. It really shouldn't, but it usually did because Jou almost always found something that caught his attention, some clue, that required more investigation.
Strangely, she hesitated, "I... I don't know. It doesn't feel right letting someone into his home."
Sassa gave her a warm, supportive look. "I know you are protective of him, but now is not the time for that. We must find him."
She gave them both an uncertain smile. "I know that, but... but it's his home. Not even I go there uninvited. He... He is so private." The smile faded, and she shrugged. "Besides I doubt you will find anything. The cleaning service comes in twice a week. It's been cleaned at least once since he's been gone." She licked her lips, making them shine enticingly. A view Jou wholly appreciated.
"Then it's likely I won't find anything, but it's best to check." Jou murmured, distracted by the gleam of kissable lips. A slight cough from Sassa brought him back to reality. "If I could have the address and key? I'll be sure to leave a receipt if I take anything."
"Oh but if you're going to be there, I want to be as well. I..."
Sassa had obviously decided enough was enough. He closed his hand over hers. "Reina, give the man the key and let him find Maeda. You can't help him or protect him if you can't find him."
"I... " She lowered her head again. "You're right. I'm sorry to be such a pain. When will you go Jounouchi-san?"
"Later today or tomorrow." He checked his watch. "Tomorrow is most likely as I have another appointment in ten minutes."
"All right. Thank you." She fumbled in her purse and drew out a small keychain with two silver keys, a key card with a very pretty red and gold lacquer koi on it. "Please let me - us - know if you find anything." Carefully, she placed them on the table.
Sassa rose to his feet, and she rose just a second later. The director of Special Accounts gave her a small, encouraging smile that became polite when fixed on Jou. "I will look forward to hearing from you tomorrow afternoon."
"I or one of my associates will call you by close of business tomorrow with an update." Jou promised as he ushered them from the back of the office and out the door. It was in the contract, and he would make sure it happened. Sometimes clients needed reassurance.
"Thank you again. I know you'll do your best." Kaza-san gave him a tragic, brave smile before following Sassa.
Shizuka, standing by the window, waited until she saw them on the street before speaking up. "Go now."
"What?"
"To the guy's apartment. Go now. She knows more than she's saying, and the evidence is there. You need to go now or there will be no evidence to find."
"What? What are you saying? She's obviously heartbroken. She..."
"A little too obvious. I swear men are stupid when it comes to a pretty face and big boobs. Just go now! I'll bet you dinner duty tonight that she arrives there before you finish your search."
"Shizuka!" Jou protested, although he wasn't sure what he was he protesting, his stupidity or her attitude.
"She's right." Otogi popped his head out of his cubicle. "Her concern was over the top, even for an old friend. There's something rotten there. Go on. I'll handle the wrap-up of Fujimoto. It was just a missing wife who wasn't missing but on vacation right?"
"Right. Came home to an empty house, and because of his 'overwork'' and her past as an AV star assumed the worst - that she'd run off with a lover. She was visiting a girlfriend in Hokkaido. Really pissed that I interrupted her vacation too. Make sure that he pays for the dry cleaning of my suit. Bellinis do not come out without dry cleaning. Oh and the detailing of my car. It really doesn't come out of car upholstery well."
"Got it. Now go! She will beat you there." Otogi hurried him along. "And since Shizuka bet you dinner, I'll bet you dishes. Move."
He went back and snagged the keys and the key card. "Honda, you want to come along? Bring the camera and take some pictures?"
"Yeah, why not? If she does show up maybe I can find out if she's available." Honda gave Jou a look more suited to their high school days than the office. "She was hot."
"Yeah she was." Jou agreed. "Grab the camera, and let's hit it."
While the two were driving away, Otogi and Shizuka, watched them from the window staring at the disappearing tail lights with varying expressions. Shizuka, after a few heartbeats asked softly. "Going to tell me why you were immune?"
"Think you already know. I've been in love with the same person for years."
"Figured that - Same man right? What happened?"
"I lied and lost him. That's all I'm saying."
"Don't need to know more. Just don't push too hard because when it comes down to it, Jou's my brother." She warned obliquely. "He and his future win, hands down. You and your problems don't even make my list."
Otogi shivered slightly. "Brrr... don't remember you being so cold."
"You've never put my brother at risk. He is everything to me: past, present, and future. I won't risk him or allow him to throw everything away on your drama."
Green eyes stared at her with confusion and a hint of concern. "Do you mean Lost and Found is his security for the future? You're afraid I'm going to do something that will harm Jou or the business?" Concern turned to outright panic. "What do you know about me? What has Honda told you?"
"You’re so smart, and I’m sure you’ll figure it out on your own without me having to tell you a thing." She smiled serenely and turned to the door just as Fujimoto and his wife, the ex-adult video star, stepped through. "Welcome back, Fujimoto-san. Our associate, Otogi Ryuji, will be handling this part of your case. Please follow me to the conference table. I'll get some tea while you are talking."
****
Jou listened to Honda speculate on Kaza Reina for a couple minutes then broke in. "Listen, about her. If she shows up, bring her outside, keep her away from me. I need time alone to assess everything and get a clear image. She's very distracting."
"That she is. Man, I'm glad you're dating Tatsu, 'cause she's the hottest thing I've been around in a long time."
"Just make sure you don't get burned. You're still recovering, if you remember."
"Believe me, I'm not going to forget." Honda said bitterly. "But I'm moving on." There was a note of grim determination in his voice that made Katsuya wonder if that was actually a good thing. Maybe Honda would be better off finding his ex and settling some issues before moving on.
Before he could broach the subject, Honda exclaimed. "Hey your GPS is on."
"Uh... yeah." Jou wouldn't show his surprise for anything. "It's one of those voice activated things. Ai could you program fastest route to Kaza Reina's home. The address is..." He had barely gotten through the first part of the address when a route appeared on the screen. "Thank you ,Ai."
"Prepare to turn left in two point two kilometers." Ai's unmistakable voice informed him.
"Ah thanks."
Honda laughed. "You realize you are thanking a computer right?"
"Yeah, just in the habit. When you're a cop, you have to be polite to the general populace." He informed his best friend loftily.
While Honda was laughing like the jackass he was, Jou's phone rang. A quick glance at the display 'Kaiba' prominently displayed, had Katsuya reaching for his phone despite the harsh laws dealing with driving and talking. "Jounouchi." He kept his greeting brief.
"I trust you've figured it out?" Seto's voice growled into his ear.
"Why don't you explain it to me?" Jou drawled, just to taunt the other man. No greeting, no apology, nothing but that terse statement. Kaiba at his asshole best.
"My financial branch decided that acquiring Ueda Group was the simplest way to acquire the rights to their software. It has a highly intuitive interface that is quite similar to Ai's decision matrix. It has enhancements and expansion capabilities I want to use. At first, I thought to lure Kaza away from them. The copyrights to the software were limited to two years, and rights come up for renewal in less than two months."
"So? What has that got to do with my case? And why did you send Ueda to me in the first place?"
"I don't know if the rights play a part in what's going on, just a suspicion. I met Kaza, and she is not what I expected of a high level programmer. However, when I met Maeda the morning of his disappearance, I was struck by his eccentricities. He did not know who I was when I sat down at his table. He was engrossed in writing something in a notebook and paid me no attention whatsoever. I caught a glimpse of what he was writing - writing not transcribing - and knew there was something strange going on. It was code. Part of it was programming language, part was pseudo-code, and part of it was a number based code. I couldn't decipher it, and I've run what I remember of the pages I saw through Ai's interpretive interface. She's come up empty as well. I am rarely surprised but when he told me who he was and what his job description was, I became stunned and suspicious. His disappearance only makes me more suspicious. Find him."
"You know what they are saying he did right?"
"The man I met could barely pay for coffee. He didn't have the money they say he took. Use Ai to dig out the truth. She has full access to their mainframe."
"They are my customers. I report to them first, no matter what you say. Why don't you do it?"
"Like I give a damn what you tell them. Find the truth or find him, preferably both. The information must come from an independent source, completely free of my apparent influence." There was a pause then Seto asked, "How have you been?" The question seemed to be dragged from him as if pulling teeth.
"You mean since you kicked me to the kerb without a fucking word of thanks or any kind of explanation? Just great thanks." Jou was so pissed at the asshole, he could have punched his lights out with no problem at all. He would go through the tortures of hell before he responded to the obviously forced polite query. No matter how badly he wanted to ask after Keiko and Mokuba, he wouldn't do it.
There was a heartbeat of silence, then the CEO continued. "Did it hurt you to be dismissed like that? I thought you hated me?" Seto asked with the same morbid curiosity a kid would have when pulling wings off a butterfly or picking at someones scraped knee.
"Shit! You are an asshole. You know damn well it... I am not going there. I'll do my job and find him, but I'm not playing your games. I'm done being manipulated." He moved to hang up only to freeze mid motion when he heard Seto's softly spoken "thank you" and hung up.
Honda was watching him with narrowed eyes. "You going to tell me what that was about?"
"Sure, in about a thousand years." Jou snapped. He had the wheel in a death grip that he wished was Seto's neck as he tore through traffic.
High in a spire across town, Kaiba Seto sat in a polished antique rocking chair, cradling his daughter while she snuggled next to his heart. His blue-green eyes were fixed on the display of Jou's furious face as he drove towards Kaza's house. When the baby fussed slightly as she lost her finger from her mouth, he shifted his gaze down to that disgruntled little face and smiled gently. "I know how you feel. It's not always comfortable, but sometimes you have to let things go." The smile widened as he tenderly guided the tiny hand back up to the pursing lips. "That way when they come back to you, you know they're back to stay."
Keiko latched onto her thumb and, with a happy coo, settled against her father, soothed by the steady beat of his heart and the deep voice that was the most familiar thing in this new world she found herself in.
****
Empty. Completely, totally empty. No clothes in the closet, no personal items around, kitchen and linen cabinets were bare, the bed wasn't even made. Trash cans were empty, refrigerator was empty and off, there was literally no signs of anyone currently living there.
The only sign of occupation he could find was a telephone book laying in the middle of a small table. "Well damn." Jou looked around the room again, trying to find anything to prove that Maeda Nayuki had actually lived in the apartment. The floors were wood and polished to a gleam. No scuff marks marred the surface, there wasn't even dust in the corners.
"Looks like he packed up and left. Kaza's cleaners have to be pretty great though. This place looks brand new." Honda observed.
"Not brand new." There were signs of wear. Not overt but still there to be seen by a well trained eye. A smudge on the doorjamb, a small scuff near the door. They were all signs of use. Jou knew first hand how a determined person could wiped their existence from a room. Mai had done it to their home, and he had done it to the rat hole he'd lived in since leaving his home with Mai. Jou picked up the phone book and held it thoughtfully. "I wonder why he would leave this?"
"A message? Something in the pages?"
"Yeah probably." He laid it back on the table and began to flip through the pages. He'd gotten through about half the book when they heard the sound of a car pulling into the garage. "Honda, if that is her, I don't want her up here quite yet. I... try to find out who does the cleaning. If her service has been in, they may be able to tell us when Maeda left." He frowned thoughtfully. "Don't mention I'm up here, but keep her out for a couple more minutes."
"Got it." Honda dashed out the door to intercept the hot woman, leaving the door open behind him so Jou would be able to hear them talking. He reached the bottom of the stairs just in time for her to step out of her car. "Kaza-san, I'm Honda Hiroto from Lost and Found, People Finders. Jounouchi-san sent me over to get pictures of Maeda's apartment."
When she first saw him on the stairs she'd looked confused, but when he explained, her expression went from confusion to terror, terror to cunning, and from cunning to wide-eyed shock. If Honda hadn't started watching expressions thanks to his perfidious ex, he would have completely missed the play of emotions. "Oh! Oh I see! Is... Is... Did you find anyone? Anything?"
That baffled him for a moment. Why would they find anyone in the apartment? "Kaza-san, when was the last time you were in the apartment?"
"I..." She wet her lips and shifted slightly. "I really don't remember. When he didn't show up at work and didn't answer his phone, I knocked on the door and got no answer but I didn't go in." Her eyes widened with horror. "Is he alright? Has he been injured, all alone in there, for these three days?"
That made absolutely no sense to Honda at all. If he suspected someone had stolen from a company he owned a major stake in, friend or not, he would check their apartment. Further, if he truly was like a brother to her, she would have checked on him the day he disappeared, not waited. Just what the hell was going on? "I have no idea. The apartment is completely empty. It looks like a professional cleaner has gone through it with a fine tooth comb. May I get the name of your cleaning company? They may have noticed something when they were cleaning."
"Empty?" The normally shrill voice rose several notches. "What do you mean empty?" She brushed by him as if he were a gnat and took the stairs two at a time. Inside the door, she skidded to a stop as she looked around the room. She didn't appear to see Jounouchi as she looked around the room, tears falling from her eyes. "Nayuki..." She whispered, for once her voice not unpleasantly shrill. "Where are you, Nayuki?"
Jou assessed her thoughtfully. "You thought he was here didn't you? Were you protecting him? Maybe you thought you could find the money and return it, then he could come out of hiding?"
"I... I don't know what..."
"You hired us, now be honest. You thought he was here all along. You were so confident; you never bothered to look. What gave you that confidence? Have you spoken with him? Did he text you?" Jou asked, his mind working at the angles.
"No." She shook her head vehemently. "You have it wrong. It's just that I know him. He... He isn't comfortable in new places. He needs a nest and someone caring for him. I... I am his someone and my home his nest. He needs me and this place. Without them, he is like a baby bird without feathers. He... he would never leave me. He never has, not in all these years. That's why I can't believe he took the money. He would never steal from me. He loves me more than anything else in the world, including his own family."
"Looks like your fledging has flown away and took your money to feather his own nest. Maybe he has a new mother too." A new thought rose to the top, fed by the suspicion Seto planted. "Is there any reason why he wouldn't consider taking the money stealing?"
"No! Why do you ask that?" The shrill voice was back, this time angry and defensive.
"Because you said he wouldn't steal from you. But if he considered this a breakup - a divorce if you will - he may have felt entitled to compensation. Especially if he felt he'd contributed to the partnership."
"Partnership? What partnership? What are you saying?" Fear and panic were evident, even though she tried to hide them behind a hard mask. Kaiba was probably right, damn it. Jou hated that the jerk was going to turn out right.
"I am speculating, nothing more. You, who knew him best, protected and cared for him, believe him incapable of stealing from you. Yet if he took the money as Sassa and you claim, then he had to view it as something other than theft. That's all."
The beautiful eyes swept around the room, for a moment looking devastated, then fury lit them, lighting them with a fire that, if Jou wasn't frankly terrified by it, would have lit the desire to see those eyes glow with a passion other than rage. "I was obviously wrong." She spat. Her voice shriller than ever. "He was my best friend and I trusted him, cared for him. This..." She gestured around the empty room. "Proves that all he ever did was use me. First to feed his starving family, then to pave his way through school and into the business world. When he got the chance, he stabbed me in the back." The fire in her eyes flamed higher as she stared at something only she could see in her memory. "He's just like the rest." She turned to stomp out. "Find the cheating bastard." She ordered.
Jou called after her. "May I borrow the phone book?"
She didn't even pause on her downward flight. "Take whatever the hell you want." The car door slammed and in a cloud of smoke from the tires of her expensive car, she was gone.
Jou hugged the book to his chest and sighed. "Don't suppose she told you the name of her cleaning company?"
"No, but there is a cleaning company van in front of the house. Want to bet it's the one we want?" Honda smirked; he couldn't help it. It wasn't often he noticed something that Jou didn't see first.
"Good catch. Let's go talk to them." Jou led the way, but rather than knock or interrupt their work, he sat on the steps and waited. "Sit down. If we bug them, they won't talk but they will probably take a break soon. It’s a nice day and getting close to lunchtime. If we're lucky, they'll be cute." Jou smiled and leaned back on one arm, looking up at the sky.
"I don't get it. You look... happy. We're working on something like this, and it's not getting to you at all."
"'Cause I think I got it figured out. Just need a few more details. I'm going to head out to Chibu-mura. I think I might just find our missing person there." At least that was the reason Jou acknowledged. His light mood had absolutely nothing to do with Kaiba having called him, needed him - none at all. His phone rang while he was still mentally swimming in the river denial. Absently he answered "Jounouchi." He was vaguely aware of Honda moving away to give him privacy.
"Katsuya, I've made arrangements for your trip to Chibu-mura. The car will pick you up this evening at four from your office. Tickets will be waiting for you, and a room is booked in your name at the Hotel Chibuno Sato." Ai rattled off.
"It's a good thing you don't need air." Jou observed with a chuckle. He was feeling too good to be pissed. Besides, it was convenient to have Ai take care of the travel arrangements. "You put it all on my card, didn't you." He sighed slightly. Convenience had its price.
"Of course. Katsuya I strongly recommend you select a different credit card merchant. The interest on that card is almost twice what you can get elsewhere. I'll look through the appropriate merchants and send in your application. Once approved, I'll make sure you get the card and it is activated, then we can move your balance so you don't have to pay that extortionate interest rate."
"You are like a wife, you know that?" Jou observed casually. He was genuinely amused by the computer. He knew he should be mad or at least offended, but it made him warm to think that someone, even a computer, cared about him.
"More like a mother." Ai countered. "You're too much of a child to ever make a good husband to me."
"Yes mommy dearest." Jou grinned when the computer made a sound like a choked laugh. "Very good. You're getting better at that kind of thing. Oh, I know Seto's listening and probably watching. He is too interested to leave me the hell alone and let me do my job. It's making me twitchy."
"Is twitchy another word for sexually aroused?" Ai asked curiously.
"No, it means antsy, unsettled. I know he won't stop until he has his answers but tell him no peeking in the shower or when I'm with Tatsu." With that, Jou shut the phone and chuckled as he imagined the chagrin on Seto's face.
Jou's imagination wasn't close to the truth. Kaiba Seto was smiling at the display with a warmth that would have made most of the world wonder if they were having hallucinations. Ai caught that image along with many others in a digital image and stored it in her satellite. She wanted pictures of Katsuya's face when he saw everything she was saving for him.
They were in luck. The maids were cute in the way giggling twenty year olds were. They were also eager to talk. They had never cleaned the apartment above the garage. According to their boss, there were strict instructions that the obsessive hermit who lived there did not want to be disturbed. As far as they knew, the person did their own cleaning. They had never seen the person, but it was strange they asked because just three days before they had seen a moving truck down at the garage loading up. The only person they had seen with the van wasn't the half-deranged man that the boss had told them about. They had only seen a tall, slim man with a long strawberry-blond ponytail and wearing very aesthetic looking glasses inspecting the truck before getting into a fancy black car.
"Car? Do you know or remember anything about it?"
The maid, impressed at being able to help a real 'detective' nodded eagerly. "It was a corporate car. It had business vanity plates. Kaiba Corp and the number six. I remember thinking, such a pretty man was probably Kaiba Seto's lover." She blushed slightly. "I mean Kaiba Seto is gay right? And the pretty man... He was too pretty to be straight. All the gorgeous ones are gay." She sighed, and her blush deepened. "I mean you two are a couple too right?"
Honda recoiled as she'd jabbed him with a cattle prod. "No! We're friends and business partners."
"Oh!" Shame and embarrassment had color crawling up her cheeks. "I'm so sorry. I... un... I have to get back to work now." Without another word , she leapt to her feet and dashed into the house.
The second maid laughed and shook out her apron. "I could have told her she was wrong about you, Cutie." She murmured to Honda. "But no way she's wrong about him. He's got a look that says 'back off, I'm taken.' He just doesn't look like a woman's taking care of him. Only a man would be stupid enough to leave a cute puppy like him out all alone." She smiled and handed Honda her card. "Call me, we'll get drunk, do karaoke, and have wild sex." She winked and swished away.
Jou stopped gawking after her and turned to gawk at his wide-eyed, blushing friend. "Holy shit. When did you become a stud?"
"About the time you decided you wanted to try dick. Let's go. Seems like you need to call Kaiba Corp and try to get some inside information."
Jou nodded glumly at the reminder. "Seems like." It wasn't getting the information that was the problem. It was figuring out what the hell it meant, and what game Kaiba Seto was playing with him now.
Honda was quiet on the ride back to the office. That suited Jou's mood perfectly. He needed to think and really wasn't up to dodging any questions by his best friend. At the office Jou didn't park, instead he pulled up in front of the door. "You go in and do the paperwork. Fill everyone in. I have to do some research." He explained. He barely waited for Honda to shut the car door before he gunned the engine and drove off, going directly to Kaiba Corp. He didn't expect to be met by Aishira or Matashi this time, and he was correct. When he stepped through the wide, gleaming doors, Kaiba Seto stepped from the elevator. "Jounouchi!" He called sharply. "This way." He gestured to the elevator.
Jou didn't hesitate. He stalked in after the long-legged brunet, not saying a word. For Kaiba to meet him and not one of his lackeys had to mean something major was happening. They went directly to Seto's office, Seto only pausing long enough to tell one of the admins that he was only to be disturbed by Aishira regarding Keiko. Nothing else, short of world war, was to disturb him.
Before Jou could launch an offensive, Kaiba jumped in ahead of him. "Ai, display the information about the vehicle Kaiba Corp Six for three days ago."
"KC Six is an American made Lincoln Towncar. Four days ago, it was loaned to the Department of Development at Ueda Group, reason loaned was to transport auditors."
"Why the hell would you loan them your car? Don't they have their own?"
"It is not uncommon for companies purchasing others to show the smaller company some form of largesse, shows of good will and vehicles are very powerful symbols of wealth and resources." Ai explained. "The car is not due to be returned for another two months or at the conclusion of our negotiations."
"Where is the car now?"
"It has been at the Domino Ferry Station for three days." Ai sounded strangely pleased. "The same station you will be leaving from later today to go to Chibu-mura."
"He ran home." Seto frowned in thought. "He didn't strike me as that simple."
"We don't know that. Ai, print out a list of any and all stops made during the time between the car leaving Kaza's house and arriving at the ferry station. Also, see if you can access the security footage at the station for the time in question. I want to see who was driving the car, but more importantly, I want to see if he got into another car or simply left the station. He might have run home, Kaiba, or this might all be a ruse."
"I know that." Seto snapped back. "It just seemed obvious."
"Duh, a little too obvious. I'll still go to the village because I may learn something, but I don't think Maeda Nayuki will be there. Just because he stopped at the ferry station doesn't mean he stayed there." Jou frowned and sighed. "Ai, send them to me via text. I'm going home."
"Wait." Seto hesitated for a moment then "You mentioned a 'Tatsu' when you were talking about me watching you. He is... a trusted friend?"
Jou gave him a cool look. "It's not your business who my friends are. You aren't even my client, and you made it clear you didn't want me to be your friend."
"You are right. It isn't my business." Seto turned away in dismissal.
Jou sighed and shrugged. "Look Kaiba, I'm not going to do anything to jeopardize my business. I know you can squash me like a gnat. You sent me a client instead though. I haven't figured out what you want, so I'm going to be honest. I don't want your blood any more, but I don't know what to think of Yugi."
He bit his lip and decided to go for it. Honesty and manipulation might work together in this instance. "My feelings are all over the place. I think I need closure, and I was too pissed at Yugi last time to talk to him." He had also been scared out of his mind over Seto's condition and baffled by Yugi's cold lack of concern, which led him to believe that it wasn’t Yugi at all, but Jou decided not to mention that. "When you go back to the pyramid, I want to go. Can you take me with you? I need to talk to Yugi." There, he'd done as he'd been asked, and now he wouldn't have to pay for an expensive dinner. He'd just take Tatsu somewhere more reasonable - like the moon.
"You want to use me to visit Yugi." Seto sounded thoughtful. "What do I get out of the deal? The last person who wanted my help using the portal paid me with sex."
Jou laughed; he couldn't help it. Even to save his ass from whatever punishment he'd get for disobeying Yugi, Seto was still being a manipulative jerk. "Sex is off the table. I don't deal in prostitution - buying or selling. Think of something else."
"I'll need time to think about it. I'll think of a counter offer and get back to you." Seto's lips curved in a sneer. "We're done here. Get out before I have security throw you out."
"You..." Jou growled and fought his temper. Damn, why did Kaiba always have to be such a badass? The elevator ping-hissed behind him and still fighting the urge to punch the jerk black and blue, he, backed through the doors. The last thing he saw before they slid shut was the cold amusement in green-flecked blue eyes.
He was sitting in his car ten minutes later, still trying to get a handle on his temper when Ai snirked at him through the speakers. "Katsuya, you need to go to the ferry station. You'll want to look for the car and witnesses. Seto has told security that if you do not leave in the next two minutes to throw you off the property. Do you want that publicity right now?" Without a word, Jou started the car and zoomed out of the parking lot as if being chased by the devil.
The KC car was easy to spot - front row, right in the center. Jou approached cautiously, because too many times he'd approached a missing person's car, only to find the car had been their final destination more than a means of transportation.
He heard the locks disengage as soon as he approached the car and knew Ai was helping, but if Maeda's body was in the car there wasn't much a computer miles in the sky could do to get rid of the sight or smell of a rotting corpse. Using a handkerchief in lieu of gloves, he opened the door and cautiously sniffed. The smell of fine leather and new car was all he smelled. He released the tension he'd been holding since hearing about the missing car. Over the years he'd found plenty of dead people, but few were as bad as ones that had been left to bake in a car. A thorough search of the car yielded nothing more than a long reddish-blond hair. Nothing new.
He was checking the trunk, not believing he'd find anything, but not willing to leave a stone unturned, when a young man in a Ferry Station uniform walked up to him. "Hello, did Maeda decide not to return for the car? I told him I'd be happy to return it to KC for him."
Jou thought fast and decided to go with it. "Ah, well... KC sent me to check on the car."
"Is there a problem with it?" The station attendant asked, worry giving him a line between his brows. "I promised Maeda I'd watch over it until he returned. I loved driving it. I've never driven a car like it before. When he bought his ticket, he asked me to drive him home from work and bring it back here I was happy. I wanted to drive it so badly."
"Wh... Uhm..." Jou tried to assimilate that. "I think I need to clear something up. Maeda bought a ticket and needed a driver?"
"Yes. That's not a problem is it? I mean, it's not in my job, but he was so worried about the car and how to get it to the station. I dropped him off at home the day before he left. He had me bring the car back here overnight then pick him up in the morning. He said his old boss would get mad if he saw the new boss's car in his driveway. He rented a room from his old boss until he moved. I was happy to see that he stuck to his guns. The moving van left the same time we did." A small smile peeked out. "He told me I could use it for my date that night if I wanted. My girl loved it."
"No problem. He had you drop him off at home, you borrowed the car for a date and then picked him up the next day. It's kind of strange that he loaned you his boss's car. You're a stranger, and his new boss wouldn't appreciate him loaning the car."
"Not a stranger. We see each other twice a week or more on holidays. When you're on the boat, you get to know people. He’s crossed every weekend to see his family in Chibu-mura for seven years. Spends two days with them and comes back. I sit and talk with him to pass the time. We talk at least three hours a week." He gave Jou an odd look. "He's a friend of mine. When I'm not on duty and his boss, uh, ex-boss isn’t running him ragged, we get together for beer and Karaoke." He frowned anxiously. "Kaiba Corporation is lucky to have him. I got the impression that the car was his to do with as he liked. He's not going to get in trouble for loaning me the car, is he?"
Jou, seeing his lead evaporating, hastily shook his head. "No not at all. They sent me here to check on the car because it's been here for three days. They were worried it had broken down, and he was too embarrassed to call."
"He went to visit his family before taking his new position. He said he was going out of the country and wanted to spend time with his parents." The man frowned. "I expected him back today, but the car is still here so I guess he stayed an extra day."
"His family are farmers right? Lots of kids?" Jou would need to know for certain in order to locate the man.
"Farmers? Kids? He's an only child." The man laughed. "Where do you get your information? His mother is a librarian, and his father is a math and science teacher."
To push the limits, Jou tested. "I must have misunderstood Kaza-san when she talked about him."
"Oh her. I'm surprised she even mentioned him. Bet she's sorry for dumping him now that he works for KC. She always wanted to work at a huge international company." He coughed. "Oh sorry. I don't like her. They were together for years, he put her through school, working two jobs and carrying a full load of college courses. Then when she made it big, she dumped him and stuck him in the apartment over the garage. I was relieved when she took up with that rich prick and left him alone."
"I didn't know they were a couple. Kaza-san says they are like brother and sister."
"Now they are. Back before she became a big shot and his boss, they were engaged. They were engaged from high school, I think. I know before college because Maeda once mentioned that he threatened to turn down a major scholarship if they didn't allow her to attend with him. They caved because his marks were perfect. Not near perfect, perfect."
Jou knew a lot about perfection and the illusion of it. "I see. Thank you. Don't worry I won't repeat anything you said. I'm just here to check on the car. I'm taking the ferry over to Chibu-mura for a look at the red cliff. Are there any other sights to see?"
"It's a nice place." He conceded, but worry clouded his features "He's not in any trouble is he? I didn't get him in trouble?"
Jou smiled, for the first time honestly, "I don't think so. I think he's enjoying his family and looking forward to his new job. Now that I know the car is all right, I can enjoy myself too."
Relieved, the ferry steward nodded. "Have fun, and if you see Maeda, tell him Hama Ren said hello?"
"Of course." Jou doubted he would see Maeda. He turned towards the ferry gate and opened his phone. "Ai, were you able to access the security recordings at the ferry?"
"Of course. Their security is pathetic, and the videos are stored on an internet accessible computer. The users don't bother to watch the video, they play internet mah jongg and other games on it."
"Let me guess, Maeda was on the morning ferry. He left the station in a taxi and went to the airport."
"Very good. You earn your reputation. How did you know the airport? I just accessed that information from the taxi call log."
"He's taking up a new job, one out of the country. Check the flights, see which one he was on. I know you've already checked under his name but check under the name Hama Ren."
"That's a leap. Want to explain it?" Ai asked curiously as he moved through the line.
"The car. If Hama Ren had been pulled over or had an accident then the insurance would not have covered it, and it would be likely that Kaiba would have said the car was stolen. Hama Ren has light brown hair dyed red and he wears it in a ponytail, he also wears glasses. They have a similar physical description at first glance so that nobody would question it." He smiled slightly at a half-forgotten memory. "Mai and I made a bet that it wasn't that way. She dressed me in the worst drag ever, gave me her ID, and we went to the bar. Because the guy couldn't read english and only saw the blond hair and boobs, he ignored the hairy legs and let me in." Remembering that incident brought another thought to mind. He would have to examine it later.
"Hama Ren boarded a plane to Zurich this morning at ten-thirty." Ai brought him back from memory lane. "His plane lands in six hours. I'll alert the authorities there to detain him until you arrive."
"No, don't do that. Look we don't know he's done anything wrong. Can you have one of the KC people in Zurich follow him? Book me on a flight there tomorrow, soonest I can get there from the ferry?"
"You are still going to look for him at Chibu-mura? Why?"
"I think I'll find out more information there. Too much going on to just assume anything."
"A flight has been arranged for late tonight. A helicopter will be ready to fly you from Chibu-mura to Domino Airport when you are ready to leave."
"Uh fast work. Thanks Ai."
"Find Maeda, Katsuya. It's vital. According to the police scanner, a body was just discovered in a director's office at Ueda Group. "
"It may not be related. It could just be a suicide because of the takeover. Some of the more traditional..."
"The Director of Development's office, Jounouchi. Kaza's office. They are calling it in as a murder."
"Well fuck." Jou sighed and dropped his head, closing his eyes. "This puts a twist in it."
"Corkscrew twist. However, on the bright side, Maeda has an ironclad alibi if he's on that plane. Even using someone else's ID, it should be easy to prove he was on the airplane."
"Yes, it is but that isn't my concern. Ai, monitor the situation and I'll call for an update." He hung up the phone and went to stand by the rail, staring down into the grey blue water. He didn't know for certain who was dead, but a dark heaviness in the pit of his belly told him that Honda wouldn't get a chance to ask Kaza out for a date. He only hoped to find answers before the news reached Chibu-mura. People rarely spoke ill of the dead and he wanted to hear about the real Kaza, before death turned her into a saint.
***
Here ends Part 1 of Lost and Found Episode 4 - Tangible Asset,
Next week's episode will be Part 2 of Lost and Found Episode 4 - Tangible Asset
What are you all thinking of the length? Too long/Too short? Are the plots satisfying in their detail? Are they too rushed? Not moving fast enough? Please let me know.
I am considering a period piece set in this universe. Maybe have Jou go after a famous killer in history - Jack the Ripper? Someone else? You can give me suggestions. Or maybe something from the Duelist of the Roses game/saga. Feel free to give me your opinion. Thinking either a trip in VR or perhaps an Ai induced dream.
Heck it could just be an erotic fantasy of Jou and Seto in tights... *giggles*