Non-challenge: A Policeman's Tale (Day 51)
Title: A Policeman's Tale (Day 51)
Author: ytak
Word count: 1097
Rating (chapter): K+ (PG)
Rating (whole story): T (PG-13)
Comments: We are in the home stretch now. Nine more chapters after this one. I'm going to try to pick up the pace on posting them. I'm aiming for two chapters a week. Currently have 2 1/2 done with a one or two more started.
Other chapters can be read through here or here.
Day 51
Takagi stared at the child standing in the next line over. He did not fidget and did not look bored. He calmly read a mystery magazine in his hands as he waited his turn in line. The image was ruined moment later when the child's mother came up with a hand basket and the boy began to talk to her in a truly innocent manner.
Takagi shook off the surreal feeling that had arisen when he saw the boy. Mentally, Takagi found he had to laugh at himself. There was no way that could've been Conan-kun. He doesn't live in the area. What would he be doing picking up a mystery magazine over here when he can get them closer to home? But he could not deny that Conan had a tendency to show up in unexpected places. And that he happens to show up around some officers more than others, he thought, sighing softly. His own experiences flitted through his mind.
“Excuse me, sir?” said the cashier, interrupting his thoughts. “Is there a problem?”
Takagi flushed and shook his head. He handed her the basket and she began to check out his groceries.
A few minutes later, Takagi walked back to his apartment. It was cool but tolerably so once he got moving. Mentally, he ran down the list of groceries, making sure he had not forgotten anything. Inwardly, he was immensely pleased he had not forgotten anything. This time. In fact, he had more than a few things in his bags that he had forgotten in the past and only know remembered to buy.
The walk back to the apartment went peacefully and was relaxing. For the first time in many days, Takagi felt a like his head had cleared some. There was still plenty of work to do with the recent case and the problems surrounding it and the unresolved mystery of Conan. But, for some reason, Takagi felt a little better about it all.
He immediately began to put away his groceries once he arrived home, suppressing the urge to spend the rest of the day looking at the cases sitting in a neat pile on the kitchen table. Sato had flat out told him to not look at it until the afternoon, to give his mind to clear. “Because,” she said, “I know one of us needs a break from this mess.”
So, he had resolved to do much needed shopping (and possibly laundry and cleaning) today. When he considered how hectic life had been lately, the mundane activities of life were a welcome break.
The phone on the wall rang. Takagi ignored and it eventually stopped ringing and the answering machine picked up but the caller hung up. He felt a little guilty about not answering but if it were work related, they would leave a message and call his cell phone (which saw much more use than the landline).
His curiosity berated him for not answering the phone. He began to half expect that his cell phone would ring next.
When nothing happened, he resumed putting away the groceries. A moment later, his stomach rumbled. Looking at the clock, he noted that it was not too early for lunch. In short order, he reheated some leftovers (definitely on their last day) and had some fresh vegetables on the side. He finished up rather quickly and proceeded to put them in the sink to wash them.
Takagi looked up from the sink as the phone rang. Wiping a hand on the drying towel, he walked over and answered the phone. “Hello, Takagi residence.”
He heard a relieved sigh from the other end. “Oh, good, I was afraid that I was going to have to call your cell phone,” said the voice of Shiratori.
“Shiratori-san?” Takagi said, feeling genuinely puzzled at the tone from the other man. “What's wrong.”
“Her mother knows about you,” Shiratori said without any preamble.
Takagi asked, “Whose mother?”
“Sato's mother,” Shiratori said. There was some noise in the background. “Or, I think she does.” Then he hung up.
Takagi blinked. “Why would he call me to tell me that?” he asked himself. Thinking about it a moment, he realized that if Sato's mother knew and told Sato, then Sato might be upset.
Takagi stared at his phone. Out of all the conversations he thought might have ever had with Shiratori, this one was not one he ever dreamed of. Why on earth would he even want to tell me that? I would think he'd be happy to see my flop on my face.
Absently, he hung the phone back up, walked to his small living room and turned on the TV. With amusement, he noted that it was Gillian's Island but his mind was not on the show but on the odd phone call.
He spent the next half hour mulling over the phone conversation and laughing absently at the antics of the shipwrecked oddball group. The phone rang again just as the closing credits rolled across the screen.
Takagi jumped up and dashed to the kitchen. He answered the phone and almost cringed at the growl on the other end. It sounded rather familiar. “Sato-...san?” he said, tentatively.
He could hear the growler take a few deep breaths. “Yes, it's me, Takagi-kun. Sorry about that. I'm not mad at you.”
Cautiously, he asked, “Who are you mad at?”
“My mother,” she said, flatly. And she added, “And whoever told her.”
Takagi considered asked her what her mother was told but she seemed to take mercy on him. “Someone told her that I had a boyfriend. More to the point, they actually gave her your name.” He could hear her mutter, “ Not that it isn't inaccurate,” before she continued, “Now, she insists on having you over for dinner this week.”
“Dinner? This week?” he squeaked.
“Yes,” she said, sighing, “I was hoping to avoid this,” she added softly enough that her voice would not carry beyond the phone.
“I'll be okay,” Takagi said, trying to reassure her.
“I hope so,” she said.
Then the phone grew really quite. Takagi thought that he might have lost the connection. “Sato-san? Miwako-san?” he said.
“I'm still here. Um, three days from now, around 7 pm. Okay? My place,” she told him.
“Okay, three days, 7,” Takagi repeated back.
She gave a relieved sigh. “I'll see you tomorrow,” she said before hanging up.
Takagi hung up the phone. Then a moment of pure, blind panic met him. I'm going to be officially meeting her mother!
Author: ytak
Word count: 1097
Rating (chapter): K+ (PG)
Rating (whole story): T (PG-13)
Comments: We are in the home stretch now. Nine more chapters after this one. I'm going to try to pick up the pace on posting them. I'm aiming for two chapters a week. Currently have 2 1/2 done with a one or two more started.
Other chapters can be read through here or here.
Day 51
Takagi stared at the child standing in the next line over. He did not fidget and did not look bored. He calmly read a mystery magazine in his hands as he waited his turn in line. The image was ruined moment later when the child's mother came up with a hand basket and the boy began to talk to her in a truly innocent manner.
Takagi shook off the surreal feeling that had arisen when he saw the boy. Mentally, Takagi found he had to laugh at himself. There was no way that could've been Conan-kun. He doesn't live in the area. What would he be doing picking up a mystery magazine over here when he can get them closer to home? But he could not deny that Conan had a tendency to show up in unexpected places. And that he happens to show up around some officers more than others, he thought, sighing softly. His own experiences flitted through his mind.
“Excuse me, sir?” said the cashier, interrupting his thoughts. “Is there a problem?”
Takagi flushed and shook his head. He handed her the basket and she began to check out his groceries.
A few minutes later, Takagi walked back to his apartment. It was cool but tolerably so once he got moving. Mentally, he ran down the list of groceries, making sure he had not forgotten anything. Inwardly, he was immensely pleased he had not forgotten anything. This time. In fact, he had more than a few things in his bags that he had forgotten in the past and only know remembered to buy.
The walk back to the apartment went peacefully and was relaxing. For the first time in many days, Takagi felt a like his head had cleared some. There was still plenty of work to do with the recent case and the problems surrounding it and the unresolved mystery of Conan. But, for some reason, Takagi felt a little better about it all.
He immediately began to put away his groceries once he arrived home, suppressing the urge to spend the rest of the day looking at the cases sitting in a neat pile on the kitchen table. Sato had flat out told him to not look at it until the afternoon, to give his mind to clear. “Because,” she said, “I know one of us needs a break from this mess.”
So, he had resolved to do much needed shopping (and possibly laundry and cleaning) today. When he considered how hectic life had been lately, the mundane activities of life were a welcome break.
The phone on the wall rang. Takagi ignored and it eventually stopped ringing and the answering machine picked up but the caller hung up. He felt a little guilty about not answering but if it were work related, they would leave a message and call his cell phone (which saw much more use than the landline).
His curiosity berated him for not answering the phone. He began to half expect that his cell phone would ring next.
When nothing happened, he resumed putting away the groceries. A moment later, his stomach rumbled. Looking at the clock, he noted that it was not too early for lunch. In short order, he reheated some leftovers (definitely on their last day) and had some fresh vegetables on the side. He finished up rather quickly and proceeded to put them in the sink to wash them.
Takagi looked up from the sink as the phone rang. Wiping a hand on the drying towel, he walked over and answered the phone. “Hello, Takagi residence.”
He heard a relieved sigh from the other end. “Oh, good, I was afraid that I was going to have to call your cell phone,” said the voice of Shiratori.
“Shiratori-san?” Takagi said, feeling genuinely puzzled at the tone from the other man. “What's wrong.”
“Her mother knows about you,” Shiratori said without any preamble.
Takagi asked, “Whose mother?”
“Sato's mother,” Shiratori said. There was some noise in the background. “Or, I think she does.” Then he hung up.
Takagi blinked. “Why would he call me to tell me that?” he asked himself. Thinking about it a moment, he realized that if Sato's mother knew and told Sato, then Sato might be upset.
Takagi stared at his phone. Out of all the conversations he thought might have ever had with Shiratori, this one was not one he ever dreamed of. Why on earth would he even want to tell me that? I would think he'd be happy to see my flop on my face.
Absently, he hung the phone back up, walked to his small living room and turned on the TV. With amusement, he noted that it was Gillian's Island but his mind was not on the show but on the odd phone call.
He spent the next half hour mulling over the phone conversation and laughing absently at the antics of the shipwrecked oddball group. The phone rang again just as the closing credits rolled across the screen.
Takagi jumped up and dashed to the kitchen. He answered the phone and almost cringed at the growl on the other end. It sounded rather familiar. “Sato-...san?” he said, tentatively.
He could hear the growler take a few deep breaths. “Yes, it's me, Takagi-kun. Sorry about that. I'm not mad at you.”
Cautiously, he asked, “Who are you mad at?”
“My mother,” she said, flatly. And she added, “And whoever told her.”
Takagi considered asked her what her mother was told but she seemed to take mercy on him. “Someone told her that I had a boyfriend. More to the point, they actually gave her your name.” He could hear her mutter, “ Not that it isn't inaccurate,” before she continued, “Now, she insists on having you over for dinner this week.”
“Dinner? This week?” he squeaked.
“Yes,” she said, sighing, “I was hoping to avoid this,” she added softly enough that her voice would not carry beyond the phone.
“I'll be okay,” Takagi said, trying to reassure her.
“I hope so,” she said.
Then the phone grew really quite. Takagi thought that he might have lost the connection. “Sato-san? Miwako-san?” he said.
“I'm still here. Um, three days from now, around 7 pm. Okay? My place,” she told him.
“Okay, three days, 7,” Takagi repeated back.
She gave a relieved sigh. “I'll see you tomorrow,” she said before hanging up.
Takagi hung up the phone. Then a moment of pure, blind panic met him. I'm going to be officially meeting her mother!