The Hell's Spot - Chapter 6
Chapter 6.
He quickly got used to it.
He got used to getting up late in the morning, when the sun was already high in the sky and Satoshi already in his cellar, leaving him bathing in the soft duvet of their big bed; he got used to taking a shower and having a quick breakfast; he then went to his study by car or went strolling around the city, or stopped by at Toma’s to chat a bit. He always spent the afternoon reading, researching on the Net or helping Ohno with his latest works of art. They always had dinner together and, at 11 pm, he always got out in order to arrive at “The Hell’s Spot” on time.
Time always seemed to never pass in there.
He got to know some of the customers who hung out at the club more often and, sometimes joking, he started to research on them… obviously, he couldn’t know whether the answers they gave him were true or not, but only one small mistake was enough to him. Enough to discover more things than they wanted to reveal. He liked his job even more when he was put to the test like that.
Masaki, aka Cute, sometimes accompanied him in his research, showing him the customers which he knew less and those who seemed less innocuous.
He often arrived some minutes earlier before the opening of the club, so that he had all the time to chat with the bartenders. Kage, attempted to avoid him since that day when they had casually met.
So he had fun getting to know Dark and Notte… the were both very similar, but at the same time very different from Kage. He couldn’t stop enjoying that. He found out that they were roommates and knew Kage since their high school times. They had decided to open a bar together, but then some things had gone bad and they had preferred to accept the job of bartenders at “The Hell’s Spot”.
Regarding the other customers, he discovered much more:
Koko was a medical student, and the son of a very famous politician. His name was Tegoshi Yuya, he was a good guy. Maybe a little girly. A little too much. Anyway, he surely wasn’t the culprit, he could sense it. He got excellent marks, he was engaged and hung out at the club only as a messenger of his father. Nino feared that he received some kind of bribery and returned it to his father, but he told himself that changing the object of his research was pointless.
It was him the one whom he inquired about Lilith for the first time.
-Lilith? Oh, yeah… I think I know who she is! She’s a beautiful woman, always dressed in black, elegant. She says she’s the queen of hell, she’s cold and off-putting. It’s been ages since I last saw her… do you know where has she gone?- he asked, curious.
-She was killed- he explained, abruptly.
Koko stifled a cry, covering his mouth with his hands.
-God! It’s terrible!- he exclaimed, troubled.
Masaki had to cheer him up for half an hour. -He’s sensitive to this kind of things- he explained.
Then it was the turn of a woman in her sixties, chubby and dressed in red from top to toe.
Nickname: Mary.
-Like Mary Stuart, “Bloody Mary”- she explained, smiling.
She was the wife of a customs officer and had a dog named Jessie which, regretfully, she couldn’t bring to the club. She was one of those high-society women with a soft spot for small dogs and designer bags. Snobbish. Elderly-ish.
Hearing Lilith’s name, she turned up her nose.
-A hussy, she was. They said she was a prostitute. I heard from the bartender that she died, well, she deserves it! Surely she was a beauty, but didn’t take care of herself enough- she hissed.
Nino shook his head.
At least, he had managed to collect some information.
Aided by the Internet, Cute and the bartenders he managed to piece together the real identities of the customers he had researched on: twenty or so. It took him nearly a month.
But no one of them was the killer, he was sure.
They were just a rabble, a mob of people full of money, fears and twitches.
He sat at the counter, fifteen minutes earlier than the club’s open time.
He stared intensely at the bartender for a while, before the latter moved towards him.
-Stop coming here earlier!- he snapped, putting his hands on his own hips.
Nino said nothing.
Kage bit his lip and made him a cocktail, silently.
-Discovered something?- he breathed, then.
-If you stop running away from me, I’ll tell you…- said then the detective, in a challenging tone.
Jun sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind his own ear.
When he bent forward, some hair slipped out of the ponytail on his nape and slided over his eyes. With an automatic gesture, however, it was always brushed away and put back in perfect order.
-I’m not running away from you…- murmured the bartender -That’s okay, whatever…-he sighed.
-Matsumoto Jun, 30th August 1983, excellent year…- said Nino, still smiling.
Jun made a strange expression, then he turned around the counter and sat beside him.
-How did you do that?- he asked.
-Magic… I’m a magician… Joker- Nino joked, gesturing in the air. Jun giggled.
-I was born in 1983 too… we’re of the same age, surprised?- he asked.
Jun thought about it.
-Actually I though you were 12, at a first glance… and 50 for your way of talking- he commented then.
Nino made a face and took a sip of his cocktail.
They stayed there in silence for a bit, while Dark and Notte chatted in the background, arranging tables and chairs.
-Why are you so interested in me?- Kage asked then, watching his hands, leaned on the red surface of the counter.
-‘cause you’re beautiful- he answered.
-Come on, be serious… - Jun laughed.
-I’d like you to collaborate, that’s all. You know so many things about the club and maybe some things I’m interested in. And I’d like to be your friend- he explained.
Jun paused again, still lookind at his long, white fingers.
-OK, I give in- he sighed then -I’ll cooperate-.
-And what about us becoming friends?-
-I’ll think about it…- he murmured.
-No, I haven’t made myself clear: “becoming friends” is the first stage of a serious and passionate relationship- Nino joked again.
Jun laughed, standing up.
-See you tomorrow at 5 o’clock in the morning, at Omotesandou. Tell your boyfriend you’ll be late, instead of seducing me- he then reproached him, going back to his job behind the counter.
He waited in his car for someone to appear in front of the undergroud stop.
He lighted a cigarette, while his radio played jazz at a low volume and every power-on light of the instrument panel reflected on the car window.
Exactly on time, Jun appeared: clear jeans, a belt with a big buckle, a dark blue T-shirt and still another opened shirt, this time black. Loosened hair put behind his ears.
He beckoned him with the headlights and waved his hand out of the car window.
The bartender noticed him and got closer, entered and sat beside him.
-Long time no see…- Nino smiled, and immediately noticed that Jun had taken a pack of his long cigarettes out of his pocket and he had caught one of them between his lips. He hurried to light it.
-Let’s go, I’m tired…- sighed Jun after the first puff.
-How am I supposed to notice it?- asked Nino, surprised.
-How? Look at this horrible hair! And I’ve got eye sockets, and my fingers are ruined! I’m working and studying too much…- protested Jun.
Nino chuckled.
-What are you laughing about?- the bartender snapped, harshly.
-About your paranoia…- he murmured -I tell you, you are beautiful and will remain so-.
-Fuck off…- Jun burst out.
-Do you usually insult people when receiving compliments?- asked Nino.
-Listen, just avoid those kinds of comments… today I’m not in the mood- said Jun again.
They sat in silence for a while, smoking their cigarettes. The radio continued playing jazz, piece after piece, in the background. It was the perfect scene for a book.
-Don’t always let me ask you questions… tell me everything- said Nino, then.
-Everything?-
-Everything that bothers you… I don’t notice all these imperfections on your face, but I immediately noticed you’re under stress…- the detective added.
Jun leaned his elbow on the car door and his chin on his hand, closed in a fist. He looked out of the window.
-I’m preparing some exams for university and attending classes. Working at nights doesn’t really help me, that’s all. I’m sorry, I’m not the type who likes to talk about himself…- he murmured. His voice sounded in a totally new way inside the car, with the jazz.
-OK, so I’ll have to force the words out of you, understood…- sighed Nino.
-Who’s your friend of the black door?- he asked then.
Jun didn’t turn to look at him, he waited a moment.
-We’re not friends…- he answered dreamily.
Nino put out his cigarette, lowered the window to change the air.
-Listen, this is not a police interrogation. You can leave whenever you want, OK? It was you the one who said he would cooperate!- he exclaimed, slightly irritated.
Kage said nothing.
-Don’t you think that a person who goes to a nightclub only to close himself in a room with a black door, to a nightclub where everybody is under suspicion for a homicide, don’t you think that person doesn’t look like one to be trusted? What if he were the killer? You’re the only one who can help find out something, right now!- he snapped.
-I don’t know anything about him, Kazunari! We’re not friends, I just know him ‘cause he’s been a customer for a long time, OK? Have I made myself clear, this time?- Jun exclaimed, finally turning to look at him.
Nino noticed that he was really angry, indeed.
Kage… he was too mysterious for him, after all. How could he force him to give him information about the others if he knew nothing about him? He seemed to hide not just one, but numerous secrets regarding his life… he seemed to be suffering.
-OK, calm down… let’s stop talking about you, right?- said Nino, smiling.
Jun returned the smile, a somewhat strained smile.
-What’s the name of that person?- he asked calmly.
-I don’t know his real name… the nickname is Arashi- said Jun. The cigarette he’d been smoking was finished, he put it out and left it in the ashtray.
-Arashi…- Nino thought about it.
Storm. A peculiar, mysterious name. It had nothing in common with that man. It almost seemed a bizarre choice.
-Did he know Lilith?- he asked again.
Jun hesitated.
-Yes… they were… friends, since a long time- he murmured.
-Have they ever had a row?-
-I don’t now, it seemed to me they got on perfectly…-
-Were they just friends or lovers?-
-I don’t know…-
-How did he behave in the days after her death?-.
Jun brought his hands to his face, sighing.
-He was weird, that’s true. He seemed restless, stayed for a while and then got away. He didn’t show up for an entire week. But he seemed more scared or unsure than ready to run away- he said, remembering.
-You can say that ‘cause you could notice it from his gestures? Do you remember them?- he asked again.
-No…- the bartender sighed again -Can I get out?- he asked then, tired face, trembling voice. Nino said yes and followed him out of the car, closing it with his key.
They took some steps together, side by side. The sun was slowly climbing high in the sky, but the streets remained empty.
Then Nino stopped, took his hand and forced him to look at him in the eyes.
-Why are you always so arbitrary? Why do you answer like this? Jun, do you have an idea of how long I’ve been doing this job? Do you know how a detective can read the truth in every tone, every word, every facial expression?- he asked.
He didn’t want to joke anymore, he wanted him to know that. He was really worried.
Kage bit his lip, lowered his head.
-Want to know whay you’ve just told me?- he asked slowly. He took his other hand in his.. Jun didn’t react.
-You’ve just confirmed me that you’re hiding something from me, something I’m interested in, that you’re protecting Arashi and that you’ve lied to me, ‘cause you know each other and you both have a secret- he said.
They stood in silence.
-Is it true?- he asked.
-Yes, I think so…- he heard him mutter.
Kazunari smiled at him, releasing him. He waited for him to calm down, then he led him to his car and started it.
-I’ll take you home. Don’t worry, I know the address- he said, expressionless.
After a while, Jun turned to look at him.
-Are you mad at me?- he asked.
-Maybe- said the detective, determined not to lie.
-I’m sorry…- Jun murmured.
-You’re really tired, I can understand. And maybe you don’t really feel like becoming my friend…- he smiled. Jun shook his head, shrugging his shoulders.
He looked at the street in front of them.
-The secret I’m hiding doesn’t have anything to do with Lilith’s death, I swear. I can’t tell you right now… I’m not ready. It’s something that affects me, do you understand? Please, wait just a bit more- said the bartender.
Nino nodded.
Could he trust him? Maybe. Why not, after all? Jun didn’t seem a bad person, and the mere fact that he was worrying about not revealing anything indicated that he was really worried, anxious.
-Take your time- he said.
They sat in silence for the rest of the time.
Ok, I need to say something xD
I'm really sorry that this chapter took so long T__T This one was in practice completely translated by my friend
miriadel_87 that I really need to thank with a lot of hugs and kiss and hearts (and a fatty chocolate cake, my dear <3).
In this period I am under a lot of stress and my doctor said I need a psychologist =__="
So, I hope you're not annoyed by the late of this entry and would go on reading next chapters... that I admit, I don't know when we could post again, but I'll try my best in my free time.
m(_ _)m
He quickly got used to it.
He got used to getting up late in the morning, when the sun was already high in the sky and Satoshi already in his cellar, leaving him bathing in the soft duvet of their big bed; he got used to taking a shower and having a quick breakfast; he then went to his study by car or went strolling around the city, or stopped by at Toma’s to chat a bit. He always spent the afternoon reading, researching on the Net or helping Ohno with his latest works of art. They always had dinner together and, at 11 pm, he always got out in order to arrive at “The Hell’s Spot” on time.
Time always seemed to never pass in there.
He got to know some of the customers who hung out at the club more often and, sometimes joking, he started to research on them… obviously, he couldn’t know whether the answers they gave him were true or not, but only one small mistake was enough to him. Enough to discover more things than they wanted to reveal. He liked his job even more when he was put to the test like that.
Masaki, aka Cute, sometimes accompanied him in his research, showing him the customers which he knew less and those who seemed less innocuous.
He often arrived some minutes earlier before the opening of the club, so that he had all the time to chat with the bartenders. Kage, attempted to avoid him since that day when they had casually met.
So he had fun getting to know Dark and Notte… the were both very similar, but at the same time very different from Kage. He couldn’t stop enjoying that. He found out that they were roommates and knew Kage since their high school times. They had decided to open a bar together, but then some things had gone bad and they had preferred to accept the job of bartenders at “The Hell’s Spot”.
Regarding the other customers, he discovered much more:
Koko was a medical student, and the son of a very famous politician. His name was Tegoshi Yuya, he was a good guy. Maybe a little girly. A little too much. Anyway, he surely wasn’t the culprit, he could sense it. He got excellent marks, he was engaged and hung out at the club only as a messenger of his father. Nino feared that he received some kind of bribery and returned it to his father, but he told himself that changing the object of his research was pointless.
It was him the one whom he inquired about Lilith for the first time.
-Lilith? Oh, yeah… I think I know who she is! She’s a beautiful woman, always dressed in black, elegant. She says she’s the queen of hell, she’s cold and off-putting. It’s been ages since I last saw her… do you know where has she gone?- he asked, curious.
-She was killed- he explained, abruptly.
Koko stifled a cry, covering his mouth with his hands.
-God! It’s terrible!- he exclaimed, troubled.
Masaki had to cheer him up for half an hour. -He’s sensitive to this kind of things- he explained.
Then it was the turn of a woman in her sixties, chubby and dressed in red from top to toe.
Nickname: Mary.
-Like Mary Stuart, “Bloody Mary”- she explained, smiling.
She was the wife of a customs officer and had a dog named Jessie which, regretfully, she couldn’t bring to the club. She was one of those high-society women with a soft spot for small dogs and designer bags. Snobbish. Elderly-ish.
Hearing Lilith’s name, she turned up her nose.
-A hussy, she was. They said she was a prostitute. I heard from the bartender that she died, well, she deserves it! Surely she was a beauty, but didn’t take care of herself enough- she hissed.
Nino shook his head.
At least, he had managed to collect some information.
Aided by the Internet, Cute and the bartenders he managed to piece together the real identities of the customers he had researched on: twenty or so. It took him nearly a month.
But no one of them was the killer, he was sure.
They were just a rabble, a mob of people full of money, fears and twitches.
He sat at the counter, fifteen minutes earlier than the club’s open time.
He stared intensely at the bartender for a while, before the latter moved towards him.
-Stop coming here earlier!- he snapped, putting his hands on his own hips.
Nino said nothing.
Kage bit his lip and made him a cocktail, silently.
-Discovered something?- he breathed, then.
-If you stop running away from me, I’ll tell you…- said then the detective, in a challenging tone.
Jun sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind his own ear.
When he bent forward, some hair slipped out of the ponytail on his nape and slided over his eyes. With an automatic gesture, however, it was always brushed away and put back in perfect order.
-I’m not running away from you…- murmured the bartender -That’s okay, whatever…-he sighed.
-Matsumoto Jun, 30th August 1983, excellent year…- said Nino, still smiling.
Jun made a strange expression, then he turned around the counter and sat beside him.
-How did you do that?- he asked.
-Magic… I’m a magician… Joker- Nino joked, gesturing in the air. Jun giggled.
-I was born in 1983 too… we’re of the same age, surprised?- he asked.
Jun thought about it.
-Actually I though you were 12, at a first glance… and 50 for your way of talking- he commented then.
Nino made a face and took a sip of his cocktail.
They stayed there in silence for a bit, while Dark and Notte chatted in the background, arranging tables and chairs.
-Why are you so interested in me?- Kage asked then, watching his hands, leaned on the red surface of the counter.
-‘cause you’re beautiful- he answered.
-Come on, be serious… - Jun laughed.
-I’d like you to collaborate, that’s all. You know so many things about the club and maybe some things I’m interested in. And I’d like to be your friend- he explained.
Jun paused again, still lookind at his long, white fingers.
-OK, I give in- he sighed then -I’ll cooperate-.
-And what about us becoming friends?-
-I’ll think about it…- he murmured.
-No, I haven’t made myself clear: “becoming friends” is the first stage of a serious and passionate relationship- Nino joked again.
Jun laughed, standing up.
-See you tomorrow at 5 o’clock in the morning, at Omotesandou. Tell your boyfriend you’ll be late, instead of seducing me- he then reproached him, going back to his job behind the counter.
He waited in his car for someone to appear in front of the undergroud stop.
He lighted a cigarette, while his radio played jazz at a low volume and every power-on light of the instrument panel reflected on the car window.
Exactly on time, Jun appeared: clear jeans, a belt with a big buckle, a dark blue T-shirt and still another opened shirt, this time black. Loosened hair put behind his ears.
He beckoned him with the headlights and waved his hand out of the car window.
The bartender noticed him and got closer, entered and sat beside him.
-Long time no see…- Nino smiled, and immediately noticed that Jun had taken a pack of his long cigarettes out of his pocket and he had caught one of them between his lips. He hurried to light it.
-Let’s go, I’m tired…- sighed Jun after the first puff.
-How am I supposed to notice it?- asked Nino, surprised.
-How? Look at this horrible hair! And I’ve got eye sockets, and my fingers are ruined! I’m working and studying too much…- protested Jun.
Nino chuckled.
-What are you laughing about?- the bartender snapped, harshly.
-About your paranoia…- he murmured -I tell you, you are beautiful and will remain so-.
-Fuck off…- Jun burst out.
-Do you usually insult people when receiving compliments?- asked Nino.
-Listen, just avoid those kinds of comments… today I’m not in the mood- said Jun again.
They sat in silence for a while, smoking their cigarettes. The radio continued playing jazz, piece after piece, in the background. It was the perfect scene for a book.
-Don’t always let me ask you questions… tell me everything- said Nino, then.
-Everything?-
-Everything that bothers you… I don’t notice all these imperfections on your face, but I immediately noticed you’re under stress…- the detective added.
Jun leaned his elbow on the car door and his chin on his hand, closed in a fist. He looked out of the window.
-I’m preparing some exams for university and attending classes. Working at nights doesn’t really help me, that’s all. I’m sorry, I’m not the type who likes to talk about himself…- he murmured. His voice sounded in a totally new way inside the car, with the jazz.
-OK, so I’ll have to force the words out of you, understood…- sighed Nino.
-Who’s your friend of the black door?- he asked then.
Jun didn’t turn to look at him, he waited a moment.
-We’re not friends…- he answered dreamily.
Nino put out his cigarette, lowered the window to change the air.
-Listen, this is not a police interrogation. You can leave whenever you want, OK? It was you the one who said he would cooperate!- he exclaimed, slightly irritated.
Kage said nothing.
-Don’t you think that a person who goes to a nightclub only to close himself in a room with a black door, to a nightclub where everybody is under suspicion for a homicide, don’t you think that person doesn’t look like one to be trusted? What if he were the killer? You’re the only one who can help find out something, right now!- he snapped.
-I don’t know anything about him, Kazunari! We’re not friends, I just know him ‘cause he’s been a customer for a long time, OK? Have I made myself clear, this time?- Jun exclaimed, finally turning to look at him.
Nino noticed that he was really angry, indeed.
Kage… he was too mysterious for him, after all. How could he force him to give him information about the others if he knew nothing about him? He seemed to hide not just one, but numerous secrets regarding his life… he seemed to be suffering.
-OK, calm down… let’s stop talking about you, right?- said Nino, smiling.
Jun returned the smile, a somewhat strained smile.
-What’s the name of that person?- he asked calmly.
-I don’t know his real name… the nickname is Arashi- said Jun. The cigarette he’d been smoking was finished, he put it out and left it in the ashtray.
-Arashi…- Nino thought about it.
Storm. A peculiar, mysterious name. It had nothing in common with that man. It almost seemed a bizarre choice.
-Did he know Lilith?- he asked again.
Jun hesitated.
-Yes… they were… friends, since a long time- he murmured.
-Have they ever had a row?-
-I don’t now, it seemed to me they got on perfectly…-
-Were they just friends or lovers?-
-I don’t know…-
-How did he behave in the days after her death?-.
Jun brought his hands to his face, sighing.
-He was weird, that’s true. He seemed restless, stayed for a while and then got away. He didn’t show up for an entire week. But he seemed more scared or unsure than ready to run away- he said, remembering.
-You can say that ‘cause you could notice it from his gestures? Do you remember them?- he asked again.
-No…- the bartender sighed again -Can I get out?- he asked then, tired face, trembling voice. Nino said yes and followed him out of the car, closing it with his key.
They took some steps together, side by side. The sun was slowly climbing high in the sky, but the streets remained empty.
Then Nino stopped, took his hand and forced him to look at him in the eyes.
-Why are you always so arbitrary? Why do you answer like this? Jun, do you have an idea of how long I’ve been doing this job? Do you know how a detective can read the truth in every tone, every word, every facial expression?- he asked.
He didn’t want to joke anymore, he wanted him to know that. He was really worried.
Kage bit his lip, lowered his head.
-Want to know whay you’ve just told me?- he asked slowly. He took his other hand in his.. Jun didn’t react.
-You’ve just confirmed me that you’re hiding something from me, something I’m interested in, that you’re protecting Arashi and that you’ve lied to me, ‘cause you know each other and you both have a secret- he said.
They stood in silence.
-Is it true?- he asked.
-Yes, I think so…- he heard him mutter.
Kazunari smiled at him, releasing him. He waited for him to calm down, then he led him to his car and started it.
-I’ll take you home. Don’t worry, I know the address- he said, expressionless.
After a while, Jun turned to look at him.
-Are you mad at me?- he asked.
-Maybe- said the detective, determined not to lie.
-I’m sorry…- Jun murmured.
-You’re really tired, I can understand. And maybe you don’t really feel like becoming my friend…- he smiled. Jun shook his head, shrugging his shoulders.
He looked at the street in front of them.
-The secret I’m hiding doesn’t have anything to do with Lilith’s death, I swear. I can’t tell you right now… I’m not ready. It’s something that affects me, do you understand? Please, wait just a bit more- said the bartender.
Nino nodded.
Could he trust him? Maybe. Why not, after all? Jun didn’t seem a bad person, and the mere fact that he was worrying about not revealing anything indicated that he was really worried, anxious.
-Take your time- he said.
They sat in silence for the rest of the time.
Ok, I need to say something xD
I'm really sorry that this chapter took so long T__T This one was in practice completely translated by my friend
miriadel_87 that I really need to thank with a lot of hugs and kiss and hearts (and a fatty chocolate cake, my dear <3).
In this period I am under a lot of stress and my doctor said I need a psychologist =__="
So, I hope you're not annoyed by the late of this entry and would go on reading next chapters... that I admit, I don't know when we could post again, but I'll try my best in my free time.
m(_ _)m