"So, what did I do then?" I hovered over the table. But before I could get answers, Mika had come back to our table with our orders.
"Past is past," Jayus taking, taking a handful of portion from my plate, "never to be discussed." He took a leisure sip from my drink. "Lets only worry about what comes next."
"This is the type of greed they talk about in bible," I utter out under my breath as I watched his clammy hands take parts and bits of my food.
"But we've been running in circles for ages. It feels like everything we chased after comes to a dead end." Taking large sips from the drink, I it snatched back from Jayus, already growing more and more frustrated. If I don't solve this case, will I be unable to go back home?
Just then, Mika's ears perked at our conversation. She hadn't strayed far enough after she waited on their meals, so every word of the conversation went heard by her, intentionally or unintentionally. Clutching the tray in her arms, I noticed her walk back up to us out of the corner of my eye.
"I heard you talking about Keinsley," Mika said. Momentarily, the chewing and the loud slurping stopped as both detectives looked up to her standing over us with rather precarious look. Cheeks plump and filled, the two detectives couldn't speak but to let Mika do the talking.
"He's always been harrassing Anisa. My best friend would always complain about him to me. He's a real sicko. If there's anything I can do to help, please tell me," Mika, behind her bold eyeliner, seemed rather determined.
We had long crossed out Mika Steins from our list of suspects, along with her alibi and proof.
"Anisa has been my friend for as long as I started breathing. No matter what, I want to bring justice to her, so please..." Even without finishing her sentence. The plea was already right in front of us.
"Well..." Jayus was the first to speak, wiping off the sauce dripping from the corners of his lips with his thumb. "If you have anything about Mr. Keinsley would be a great help... Since he's been persistently avoiding us."
"Typical of him. He was always rushing into trouble and running away when consequences arrive. If he isn't guilty, why is he running away?" Mika, enraged, clicked her tongue, "There was a time he got caught smoking behind the school bleachers with some seniors, when they got in trouble, he pretended to be forced by them. I've seen him acting all high and mighty while the seniors couldn't graduate that year."
"So Fin Keinsley smokes?" I asked, swatting away the hand that tried to covet my fries.
"Like a chimney."
"Drinker?"
"Heavy."
"What's his take on giraffe's becoming a domestic pet?" Jayus stared at me baffled, "What's that got to do with this?"
"Nothing, it's just been on my mind for a while now. I think baby giraffes are cute," I said. Coming back to the topic at hand, Jayus continued to interact with Mika Steins as I ate what leftover food I had lying on my plate.
"Have you seen him smoke before? We found this lighter at the crime scene, we wonder if you've seen it somewhere," Thus, Jayus pulled out a picture of the lighter found at the crime scene.
"That's the same lighter Keinsley uses!" Mika Steins said in surprise, her eyes wide.
When he walked out the diner, the motorwagen was already outside, waiting for us. Hopping on the vehicle, we soon made it back home before evening came.
"Aren't we going to arrest Fin Keinsley? I mean, that statement from Mika Steins should be enough to warrant an arrest on this man." I asked confused as soon as we made it back inside the apartment.
Jayus collapsed on the heap of papers on the couch, sending a huge tower of papers flying to the air. "Yeah, that would be true. We got a statement today so it's better than the last few days."
"...So?" I urged him to continue talking when he stopped talking.
"But I'm waiting for something. Or someone. The lighter looks too common. I know nothing about it, I'm wondering if there's a way to distinguish it from the rest...I don't know. Something about Fin Keinsley just feels odd..." Jayus said, exhausted.
I sat on the floor by his feet with my back against the couch, only to realize he had his eyes closed. "So you want more proof?"
"Fin Keinsley is as good as guilty. But there's this... gnawing feeling in my chest that there's more to this than it seems," Red eyes revealed themselves under long lashes, light flickered in them . The orange hue of the lamp I had lit when we arrived reflected upon dark skin.
I understood. There will always be this gut feeling that something is wrong. Knowing this man even for just a short time, I chose not to question Jayus further about his decision as I pondered on who this someone he could be waiting for.
"...Who are we waiting for exactly?"
"You'll find out tomorrow."
That night we both went back to our room after writing our reports on our recent findings and morning soon came after without even giving me some proper sleep. By the time I woke up, I expected the birds to be chirping out my window.
"Watch it, freak!" A fellow pedestrian hurled a string of insults followed by a loud crash.
"What the..." I got up to investigate the loud noise out the street. Peaking out my window, alas, I watched two men surround a tall figure. From this angle, I could see this younger man had his long hair tied in a low ponytail. He staggered a bit but stood his ground in front of the two men closing in on him.
"Look what you made me do!" One man, short and round, screamed. With his ears fuming smoke from rage, his cheeks had turned bright red like two apples. "This motorwagen cost me quite a fortune and you just scratched it!"
"Lucky you, its just a scratch. Because he wasnt paying attention, I lost a wheel!" The other man was also fairly tall with a thin figure and a combed out mustache. With these two standing right next to each other, they looked like they came straight out of a comic book.
The young man seemed to sigh as he lowered his gaze underneath his hat, quite taken aback by this sudden predicament.
I didn't stay back to watch how things would play out before I heard another crash from inside my own apartment. What was it now?
Worried, my quick steps echoed through the apartment as I ran out of my room only to be surprised by what I'm seeing.
The usually messy space had been tidied up down to the last speck of dust. Piles of files and documents that had once overtaken every inch of this room had disappeared, save for the recent files now neatly stacked on the coffee table. Even the board with it's compilation of tacks and papers now looked comprehensive. But where did that noise come from.
"Ugh..." The ghost like grunt came from just right beside me. I walked to the other side of the table, and on the floor, I see my dignified co-detective, lying on the floor, a mess. Aha.
The ghost reveals itself.
"Is this your way of saying you want a pet?" I asked, sitting criss crossed on the floor beside him. Even the floor felt clean, the wooden floor almost sparkled if it was possible.
"Don't start with me," Jayus grunted, pushing himself up. "I just realized we don't have anything in the fridge and nothing left in the cupboard," Worry was written all over his face. His sharp brows furrowed in deep thought. I couldn't have the heart to tell him I finished off all the snacks just the other day while I panicked about how I transmigrated into this world.
"It's okay, I'll survive skipping treats," I offered kindly, out of the goodness of my heart.
"Who cares about you!" It was immediately, and harshly, trampled on. "Ugh, What am I supposed to do? We've got no treats, no drinks. We're out of biscuits....This week was suppose to be your turn to get groceries but...
With all this sudden clean up, and aggressive cravings, only one thing came to my mind.
"Are you pregnant?" I was immediately punished by Jayus pressing his palms on my knees. The worse thing you could do to the most inflexible person in the world.
"Seriously, what is going on?" I ask through gritted teeth. Jayus opened his mouth to answer but what came wasn't the sound of his voice. Knocking abruptly came to the door, it startled both of us.
Now's my chance!
While Jayus was distracted, I took this opportunity to crawl away, creating some distance between us as I stood behind the table. Jayus quickly composed himself as he got up to answer the door. And as he swung the door open, I took a peek at the sudden guest.
"You're here."