The Hell's Spot - Chapter 4
Chapter 4.
He got out of his car, parked in a secondary road of the usual tree-lined avenue, and turned around the building to find the club’s entrance. By the hotel’s entrance there weren’t policemen at the moment. He had got out of home an hour before and said goodbye to his artist, locked in their cellar with a lot of new ideas to put into practice.
After a few minutes, he noticed a black emergency door with the push-handle on the back of the hotel. After studying it for some instants, trying not to look suspicious, he noticed the H and S letters painted in a corner of the wall in which the door was placed.
He pushed the handles with caution and found himself in a long dark corridor.
Before he could notice, the door had closed and forced him to enter, leaving him in complete darkness.
He took some steps, putting a hand to the left wall to orientate himself. He wasn’t the type to let himself fear such situations, like that time in the building where his study was, when the light had gone off for an entire day and he had got stuck in the elevator for almost two hours, completely alone. But this was another whole circumstance.
Since he had come in contact with that place, The Hell’s Spot, he was constantly anxious, constantly on the alert.
Proceeding, he tried to think about anything that made him happy: Sunday mornings, birthdays, the day he and Satoshi met for the first time, the day when they went to live together… but even the air in that corridor prevented him from distracting. Everything was made to frighten the new visitor.
After a time that seemed infinite, he managed to reach the end of the wall and, suddenly, the lights of some buttons switched on: an elevator. He pushed the call button and the doors in front of him opened immediately onto a small booth, enlightened by a weak bluish light, with mirrors on each side.
He sighed, entered, pushed the third underground floor’s button and, as he watched the doors close, he himself closed his eyes, trying not to get more scared: the cold air, the colours of the booth, its grim aspect… nothing good was going to happen.
When the doors re-opened, however, a strong light and a good smell ran over him. It smelled like coffee and flowers. And some other spice.
A narrow corridor appeared in front of him, enlightened by so many candles that it felt like daylight. He passed through it, leaving behind the elevator’s doors, that closed up and returned to the superior floors.
At the end of the corridor there was a dark curtain, and behind the curtain a wooden door, finely inlaid. On the door, the writing “Hell’s Spot” seemed enlightened by the candles’ reflection. He entered, finally reassured.
-Irasshaimase- a voice from his right greeted him solemnly, enough to scare him. The first sound he had heard since who knows how much time… that elevator, his steps… nothing had made noise. Or maybe he didn’t remember.
The man who had welcomed him with a bow rose his head, showing a warm smile.
He was completely dressed in black and wore a bartender suit.
He greeted back with a small bow and a broken smile.
The man stretched out his hand to introduce himself and he shook it, when the man said: -My name is Dark, I work as a bartender and waiter. Honoured of being acquainted with you-.
-As much honoured. My name is Joker- he responded, finding the calmness again through the contact with the man’s hand: it was warm and didn’t hold with strength.
Even his eyes instilled a sense of tranquillity.
He asked himself why, according to necessity, people who worked in there knew how to convey various kind of emotions to other people… he wondered how they could.
-Please, come in- Dark smiled again, showing the room with an elegant gesture.
Nino took some steps, studying the interior: there were two rooms. On the left there was a long counter with a red surface where the bartenders busied themselves; behind their backs, instead of the classical shelves full of bottles, there were little rhomboid windows.
A candle for each of them. The right side was instead dominated by the blue colour: an ample space filled by couches and small tables with velvety chairs, walls completely black and long crystal chandeliers that hanged from the high ceiling.
Red, blue and the ever-dominant black.
The lights where very weak, the air was scented but very fresh.
There were still a few customers.
He sat down at the counter and singled out Kage immediately, on the other side; he beckoned him to get him nearer.
-You’re already here- said Jun, with a nod.
-Can I help you, new customer?- he asked then.
Nino smiled awkwardly: that night, the hair of the man were loose and a long straight fringe fell out on his eyes. Eyes that didn’t stop shining, reflecting the chandelier’s light.
Once again he lost his words while staring at those eyes.
-Understood, I’ll decide…- sighed Kage, joking.
He prepared a cocktail, moving his hands quickly (and definitely in a very elegant way) under the counter’s surface, then he gave him a glass, steamed up because of the condensation.
The content was transparent and some ice cubes floated over the surface. He tasted it, smiling for the remarkable taste.
-It’s delicious!- Nino exclaimed.
-Thank you- Jun smiled: -My creation. You didn’t expect it, did you?-.
Nino raised his gaze: he didn’t know what to answer. Honestly, from a human being like that bartender he could have expected absolutely everything.
-You’re a bit nervous even now, am I right? Is that a characteristic of yours?-.
-Normally I don’t frequent such places…- he commented.
-This is a common club- replied Kage with a shrug: -But I forgot to tell you… you can investigate as you want, supposing you succeed. But for now keep your nose away from those doors…- he said, pointing at some doors on the back wall. Nino hadn’t noticed them yet: there were five, each of them different in form and colour.
-What do you mean by “supposing you succeed”? And why do I need to keep away from them? What are those doors?- he asked.
-You’re too curious…- murmured a person on his side, making him start.
He found himself face to face with Aiba.
But he didn’t look like Aiba… he was another person. Identical to Aiba.
-Cute?- he asked, widening his eyes.
-Hi, what do I call you?- asked the strange Masaki with the sweetest smile in the world.
-Joker…- Kazunari sighed.
-Yay!- exclaimed Masaki, sitting next to him.
He was dressed in a very singular way: he wore a suit similar to a pyjamas, pastel-coloured with drawing of flowers and little stars here and there. He had a coloured hairgrip supporting his fringe and a black stuffed dog in his arms.
From Nino’s point of view he was… anything but “cute”. He let it pass.
-And what do you do in your life, Joker?- asked Cute.
-I’m a detective- he answered, drinking another sip of his unknown cocktail.
-No!- protested Cute, a little too loud. The music in background wasn’t enough to drown the exclamation. -You must use a fake identity!-.
Nino looked around, then sighed.
-It is, baka! It is a shrewd move: I pretend to be what I am in reality in order to investigate. Who do you think could find out, in this way?-.
-Ooooh- made Aiba, surprised -You’re so smart!- he chirped.
Nino turned again watching the doors, glass in his hand: one of them was black like the wall, high and without particular characteristics. One was pale-pink and oval, another one white, one green and quite high and another was purple, very small.
-What are those doors?- asked Nino to his friend.
-They lead to the private rooms of the wealthier clients. You can enter only if you know one of them or if you’ve got an invitation- Cute explained without much interest.
-It doesn’t make sense!- snorted Nino: -If you go to a club, you do it also to meet other people…- he mumbled. At their back, Kage had returned to his position, putting his elbows on the counter.
-Maybe they’ve got their good reasons…- said the bartender, making them turn abruptly.
-You know them, right? Who are they? What do they look like?- asked Aiba, suddenly very curious.
Kage smiled, firstly gazing at Masaki’s, then at Joker’s eyes.
-Those should be information that I can’t tell you so simply…- he murmured.
He made a pause, serving two clients who had entered just before.
-The black door and the pink one haven’t opened yet, customers are going to come soon. Make your own ideas while you watch them come in, ok?- Kage then advised, before changing places with Dark at the entrance.
Some time passed, a time that Nino couldn’t quantify.
He didn’t even have the courage to check his watch: he would’ve find out that it was already 5 am? Or time hadn’t magically passed and it was still midnight?
Maybe he had been there only for 20 minutes… maybe it was already afternoon outside.
He went around the room a few times, always checking whoever approached the coloured doors. He made the third waiter bring him another cocktail.
-Are you new?- the man asked.
Nino nodded, unsure.
-I saw you talking to Kage like you knew each other well…- said the bartender. The man put the glass on the table and stilled standing, waiting some words.
-I don’t know him very well, actually. I’m Joker. You are…?- asked Nino, immediately lifting up his order and sipping the ice-cold liquid.
-My name is Notte. Do you know what it means?- asked the waiter after a brief bow.
Nino shook his head.
-Yoru (*) in Italian- the man explained.
-It’s a nice name- Nino observed.
And just like Kage or Dark… it fit the waiter like a glove.
The man who was standing in front of him was dressed in black like the other two waiters and, for some aspects, resembled them even in the looks: black, very fine hair, cut in a fringe long on his eyes, delicately slumped-down eyes. A deep, throaty voice, very musical.
-Good night and good stay, Joker- greeted Notte with another bow, before returning to the counter. Cute came back for a short walk greeting the other customers and sat down at his side.
There was another person with him, who settled down in front of Nino.
-I’ll introduce you a friend of mine!- exclaimed Masaki.
Nino bowed, uncertain.
-My name is Koko- said the newly arrived: -Don’t you think this necklace suits me a lot??? It makes my eyes stand out!!!- he added then.
“This is going to be a long night…” thought Nino with a sigh.
Later, when Nino was seriously thinking about leaving, the first “special customer” appeared. Kage drew his attention with a simple gesture and, with another one, made him understand that someone interesting was coming.
Nino watched Kage bow and greet with a smile a man as tall as him, who returned the bow and the smile, sweet and gentle. The man was wearing a dark-blue salaryman’s suit and a red-purple necktie. He had short wavy black hair, and a very pretty face… he could have been the perfect fourth bartender.
He heard the man exchange some words with Kage, who was smiling politely.
Then the man entered in the black door’s room and remained there.
-A friend of yours, it seems…- Nino murmured, sitting at the counter in front of Kage.
The waiter’s gaze stopped on him, then a strange smile formed on Kage’s lips.
He immediately lowered his eyes, and tidied up some dirty glasses.
-He’s been a customer for a long time, we just know each other… he’s not a friend- he justified himself.
-It seems to me that you were in confidence…- Nino observed again.
-Don’t even try to use your detective’s tricks on me- protested Jun with a smile.
From that moment on Nino couldn’t manage to say a word anymore.
Those waiter’s usual magic.
He finally checked his watch, finding it was already 2 am.
He said goodbye to Cute and Koko and got out, with a nod to Notte who stood near the entrance.
The corridor full of candles directed him to the elevator, which now felt warmer and cosy.
He kept his eyes open. He passed through the dark corridor with certainty and went out, in Tokyo’s night.
Then he got in the car, lighted on a cigarette.
He realized 3 things:
He felt like he had dreamed everything. On what basis could he say “The Hell’s Spot” was real? What could he tell about it? Could he? He had lost hold of all of it, just after leaving the place. Everything was disappeared, like it had never existed.
And how could that dead woman be connected to the club? Was she in? What was her nickname? He hadn’t asked anything about it.
But above all… now he could tell how she could’ve entered that room 305 in the middle of the night.
He got out of his car, parked in a secondary road of the usual tree-lined avenue, and turned around the building to find the club’s entrance. By the hotel’s entrance there weren’t policemen at the moment. He had got out of home an hour before and said goodbye to his artist, locked in their cellar with a lot of new ideas to put into practice.
After a few minutes, he noticed a black emergency door with the push-handle on the back of the hotel. After studying it for some instants, trying not to look suspicious, he noticed the H and S letters painted in a corner of the wall in which the door was placed.
He pushed the handles with caution and found himself in a long dark corridor.
Before he could notice, the door had closed and forced him to enter, leaving him in complete darkness.
He took some steps, putting a hand to the left wall to orientate himself. He wasn’t the type to let himself fear such situations, like that time in the building where his study was, when the light had gone off for an entire day and he had got stuck in the elevator for almost two hours, completely alone. But this was another whole circumstance.
Since he had come in contact with that place, The Hell’s Spot, he was constantly anxious, constantly on the alert.
Proceeding, he tried to think about anything that made him happy: Sunday mornings, birthdays, the day he and Satoshi met for the first time, the day when they went to live together… but even the air in that corridor prevented him from distracting. Everything was made to frighten the new visitor.
After a time that seemed infinite, he managed to reach the end of the wall and, suddenly, the lights of some buttons switched on: an elevator. He pushed the call button and the doors in front of him opened immediately onto a small booth, enlightened by a weak bluish light, with mirrors on each side.
He sighed, entered, pushed the third underground floor’s button and, as he watched the doors close, he himself closed his eyes, trying not to get more scared: the cold air, the colours of the booth, its grim aspect… nothing good was going to happen.
When the doors re-opened, however, a strong light and a good smell ran over him. It smelled like coffee and flowers. And some other spice.
A narrow corridor appeared in front of him, enlightened by so many candles that it felt like daylight. He passed through it, leaving behind the elevator’s doors, that closed up and returned to the superior floors.
At the end of the corridor there was a dark curtain, and behind the curtain a wooden door, finely inlaid. On the door, the writing “Hell’s Spot” seemed enlightened by the candles’ reflection. He entered, finally reassured.
-Irasshaimase- a voice from his right greeted him solemnly, enough to scare him. The first sound he had heard since who knows how much time… that elevator, his steps… nothing had made noise. Or maybe he didn’t remember.
The man who had welcomed him with a bow rose his head, showing a warm smile.
He was completely dressed in black and wore a bartender suit.
He greeted back with a small bow and a broken smile.
The man stretched out his hand to introduce himself and he shook it, when the man said: -My name is Dark, I work as a bartender and waiter. Honoured of being acquainted with you-.
-As much honoured. My name is Joker- he responded, finding the calmness again through the contact with the man’s hand: it was warm and didn’t hold with strength.
Even his eyes instilled a sense of tranquillity.
He asked himself why, according to necessity, people who worked in there knew how to convey various kind of emotions to other people… he wondered how they could.
-Please, come in- Dark smiled again, showing the room with an elegant gesture.
Nino took some steps, studying the interior: there were two rooms. On the left there was a long counter with a red surface where the bartenders busied themselves; behind their backs, instead of the classical shelves full of bottles, there were little rhomboid windows.
A candle for each of them. The right side was instead dominated by the blue colour: an ample space filled by couches and small tables with velvety chairs, walls completely black and long crystal chandeliers that hanged from the high ceiling.
Red, blue and the ever-dominant black.
The lights where very weak, the air was scented but very fresh.
There were still a few customers.
He sat down at the counter and singled out Kage immediately, on the other side; he beckoned him to get him nearer.
-You’re already here- said Jun, with a nod.
-Can I help you, new customer?- he asked then.
Nino smiled awkwardly: that night, the hair of the man were loose and a long straight fringe fell out on his eyes. Eyes that didn’t stop shining, reflecting the chandelier’s light.
Once again he lost his words while staring at those eyes.
-Understood, I’ll decide…- sighed Kage, joking.
He prepared a cocktail, moving his hands quickly (and definitely in a very elegant way) under the counter’s surface, then he gave him a glass, steamed up because of the condensation.
The content was transparent and some ice cubes floated over the surface. He tasted it, smiling for the remarkable taste.
-It’s delicious!- Nino exclaimed.
-Thank you- Jun smiled: -My creation. You didn’t expect it, did you?-.
Nino raised his gaze: he didn’t know what to answer. Honestly, from a human being like that bartender he could have expected absolutely everything.
-You’re a bit nervous even now, am I right? Is that a characteristic of yours?-.
-Normally I don’t frequent such places…- he commented.
-This is a common club- replied Kage with a shrug: -But I forgot to tell you… you can investigate as you want, supposing you succeed. But for now keep your nose away from those doors…- he said, pointing at some doors on the back wall. Nino hadn’t noticed them yet: there were five, each of them different in form and colour.
-What do you mean by “supposing you succeed”? And why do I need to keep away from them? What are those doors?- he asked.
-You’re too curious…- murmured a person on his side, making him start.
He found himself face to face with Aiba.
But he didn’t look like Aiba… he was another person. Identical to Aiba.
-Cute?- he asked, widening his eyes.
-Hi, what do I call you?- asked the strange Masaki with the sweetest smile in the world.
-Joker…- Kazunari sighed.
-Yay!- exclaimed Masaki, sitting next to him.
He was dressed in a very singular way: he wore a suit similar to a pyjamas, pastel-coloured with drawing of flowers and little stars here and there. He had a coloured hairgrip supporting his fringe and a black stuffed dog in his arms.
From Nino’s point of view he was… anything but “cute”. He let it pass.
-And what do you do in your life, Joker?- asked Cute.
-I’m a detective- he answered, drinking another sip of his unknown cocktail.
-No!- protested Cute, a little too loud. The music in background wasn’t enough to drown the exclamation. -You must use a fake identity!-.
Nino looked around, then sighed.
-It is, baka! It is a shrewd move: I pretend to be what I am in reality in order to investigate. Who do you think could find out, in this way?-.
-Ooooh- made Aiba, surprised -You’re so smart!- he chirped.
Nino turned again watching the doors, glass in his hand: one of them was black like the wall, high and without particular characteristics. One was pale-pink and oval, another one white, one green and quite high and another was purple, very small.
-What are those doors?- asked Nino to his friend.
-They lead to the private rooms of the wealthier clients. You can enter only if you know one of them or if you’ve got an invitation- Cute explained without much interest.
-It doesn’t make sense!- snorted Nino: -If you go to a club, you do it also to meet other people…- he mumbled. At their back, Kage had returned to his position, putting his elbows on the counter.
-Maybe they’ve got their good reasons…- said the bartender, making them turn abruptly.
-You know them, right? Who are they? What do they look like?- asked Aiba, suddenly very curious.
Kage smiled, firstly gazing at Masaki’s, then at Joker’s eyes.
-Those should be information that I can’t tell you so simply…- he murmured.
He made a pause, serving two clients who had entered just before.
-The black door and the pink one haven’t opened yet, customers are going to come soon. Make your own ideas while you watch them come in, ok?- Kage then advised, before changing places with Dark at the entrance.
Some time passed, a time that Nino couldn’t quantify.
He didn’t even have the courage to check his watch: he would’ve find out that it was already 5 am? Or time hadn’t magically passed and it was still midnight?
Maybe he had been there only for 20 minutes… maybe it was already afternoon outside.
He went around the room a few times, always checking whoever approached the coloured doors. He made the third waiter bring him another cocktail.
-Are you new?- the man asked.
Nino nodded, unsure.
-I saw you talking to Kage like you knew each other well…- said the bartender. The man put the glass on the table and stilled standing, waiting some words.
-I don’t know him very well, actually. I’m Joker. You are…?- asked Nino, immediately lifting up his order and sipping the ice-cold liquid.
-My name is Notte. Do you know what it means?- asked the waiter after a brief bow.
Nino shook his head.
-Yoru (*) in Italian- the man explained.
-It’s a nice name- Nino observed.
And just like Kage or Dark… it fit the waiter like a glove.
The man who was standing in front of him was dressed in black like the other two waiters and, for some aspects, resembled them even in the looks: black, very fine hair, cut in a fringe long on his eyes, delicately slumped-down eyes. A deep, throaty voice, very musical.
-Good night and good stay, Joker- greeted Notte with another bow, before returning to the counter. Cute came back for a short walk greeting the other customers and sat down at his side.
There was another person with him, who settled down in front of Nino.
-I’ll introduce you a friend of mine!- exclaimed Masaki.
Nino bowed, uncertain.
-My name is Koko- said the newly arrived: -Don’t you think this necklace suits me a lot??? It makes my eyes stand out!!!- he added then.
“This is going to be a long night…” thought Nino with a sigh.
Later, when Nino was seriously thinking about leaving, the first “special customer” appeared. Kage drew his attention with a simple gesture and, with another one, made him understand that someone interesting was coming.
Nino watched Kage bow and greet with a smile a man as tall as him, who returned the bow and the smile, sweet and gentle. The man was wearing a dark-blue salaryman’s suit and a red-purple necktie. He had short wavy black hair, and a very pretty face… he could have been the perfect fourth bartender.
He heard the man exchange some words with Kage, who was smiling politely.
Then the man entered in the black door’s room and remained there.
-A friend of yours, it seems…- Nino murmured, sitting at the counter in front of Kage.
The waiter’s gaze stopped on him, then a strange smile formed on Kage’s lips.
He immediately lowered his eyes, and tidied up some dirty glasses.
-He’s been a customer for a long time, we just know each other… he’s not a friend- he justified himself.
-It seems to me that you were in confidence…- Nino observed again.
-Don’t even try to use your detective’s tricks on me- protested Jun with a smile.
From that moment on Nino couldn’t manage to say a word anymore.
Those waiter’s usual magic.
He finally checked his watch, finding it was already 2 am.
He said goodbye to Cute and Koko and got out, with a nod to Notte who stood near the entrance.
The corridor full of candles directed him to the elevator, which now felt warmer and cosy.
He kept his eyes open. He passed through the dark corridor with certainty and went out, in Tokyo’s night.
Then he got in the car, lighted on a cigarette.
He realized 3 things:
He felt like he had dreamed everything. On what basis could he say “The Hell’s Spot” was real? What could he tell about it? Could he? He had lost hold of all of it, just after leaving the place. Everything was disappeared, like it had never existed.
And how could that dead woman be connected to the club? Was she in? What was her nickname? He hadn’t asked anything about it.
But above all… now he could tell how she could’ve entered that room 305 in the middle of the night.