Reality Strikes Read online

  Knock, knock, knock.

  I almost peed my pajama bottoms. Should I answer the door?

  Knock, knock.

  “Erin, are you there?”

  Fudo. I threw open the door and hugged him. “I’m so glad it’s you.”

  He stood in the doorway unable to move. “Nice to see you, too.”

  I released him from my clutches. “Thanks for the visit.”

  He took a box out of his backpack. “I brought you something.”

  The smell of fresh baked goods filled the room. “I’m starving. You’re a lifesaver.”

  I opened the box and faced a difficult choice. Should I have the chocolate croissant or the mocha glazed donut? My hand dove for the croissant. All worries about the foreboding message from the ghost disappeared.

  Fudo smiled as I inhaled the tasty treat. Chocolate never tasted so good.

  He reached over and held out a napkin. “I think most of the chocolate wound up on your face.”

  I reluctantly took the napkin, thinking what a shame it was to waste all that yummy goodness. Yet, I didn’t want Fudo to think I was that far gone of a chocoholic. I rubbed my face hoping to get every brown smudge. “Do I look any better?”

  Fudo casually stroked my cheek. “Perfect.”

  There was an intimacy in the way he touched me. Maybe things weren’t going well with his girlfriend. Dare I ask him? “Thanks for the treats.” I closed the box. “I’ll save the donut for later.”

  “Do you feel up to going for a walk? Tori asked me to make sure you built back your strength.”

  Tori. Always trying to play matchmaker despite the fact she was still mad at me. “It must be freezing outside if the house is so cold. Plus, didn’t it snow last night?”

  He nodded. “Yes, but it’s gone now. Do not worry. I will make sure you stay warm.”

  December 29-11:00 AM

  Friendship or Something More?

  Fudo came to visit me every day for the rest of the week. I must admit all his attention was flattering, but I wondered what happened to his girlfriend. Maybe Tori bumped her off on the way to visit her relatives. She’d made no secret of her less than positive feelings about Kenzo. She never missed an opportunity to point out I had a great guy right under my nose. Fudo confirmed he was everything a girl could want in a boyfriend. Despite the fact he was attentive and handsome, and possibly a free man, I still raced to the phone at the first ring convinced it was Kenzo. He did need to keep tabs on me—didn’t he?

  Today I refused to go on a walk with Fudo. One reason was I dreaded going outside when the temperature hovered around freezing even during the day. The other, I was certain Kenzo had been desperately trying to reach me for a ghost update, but I was never home. He would surely be done with his assignment and want to know what big paranormal news I had to tell him. I totally ignored the fact our walks rarely lasted more than an hour.

  After sitting around watching mindless Japanese soap operas for half the day waiting for the phone to ring, something finally rang-the doorbell. The mailman, dressed in a navy blue uniform with shiny gold buttons, bowed slightly as he handed me a large stack of envelopes and magazines. I worked my way through the envelopes hoping for one measly letter from home or Tori. Not being strong enough to get to school, I didn’t have access to e-mail unless I begged to use Hiroshi’s computer. Somehow news from home never seemed worth the hassle. I couldn’t believe my luck when there was a crisp white envelope with my name blazed across the front. My excitement soon faded when I spied the burgundy and gold Seda Academy emblem in the left-hand corner. What did they want?

  Tearing open the envelope, I read the enclosed report card.

  Japanese History to WWII-A

  Japanese Literature-A

  Political Science-B

  Japanese Language-C

  Somehow, despite Hashika’s best attempts to ruin my grade point average, I had done quite well on my finals. The funny thing was I never took my political science test or the one for my Japanese literature class. I’d just had Hiroshi drop off my homework assignments. Had Mr. Shinji, out of guilt, worked some miracle? There was one casualty, Japanese class. I’d never had a C before. Still, it meant I completed the class. I thanked the finals gods and Mr. Shinji that I passed all my mandatory classes. I could finally take my elective art classes next semester.

  I had to call my mom and give her the good news. The phone rang four times and right before it switched to voice mail, Mom said, “Hello, honey?”

  No way, another miracle. She actually answered. “Hey, Mom. I passed all my classes.”

  “That’s wonderful. Sorry we didn’t call at Christmas. We were at Gramps cabin. You know there’s no reception. Did you get our gift?”

  I don’t know why she even bothered to give me an excuse. With Mom it was out of sight, out of mind. It stopped hurting by the time I was twelve. “Yeah, thanks for the chocolate and the cute sweater.”

  “Did you guys like the gifts?”

  “Oh, honey, they were amazing. The twins ate all the Little Pockys in two days. Your brother almost got kicked off campus because of that shirt. Your father wears the coat when he comes home from work and I get nothing but compliments on the beautiful scarf.”

  I didn’t have the heart to tell her it wasn’t a scarf but an obi sash. Still, scrimping my money for a month was totally worth it. “I’m so glad.”

  “You sound tired. Are you having fun?”

  I couldn’t bring myself to call Mom when I was sick. Part of me wanted her to come to my rescue and nurse me back to health. The other didn’t want to be disappointed if she didn’t.

  “Oh yeah. I’ve had a lot of fun going to temples and meeting people. Taking a ton of pictures with my new camera. Thanks to the money you sent for my birthday. “

  “Glad you’re enjoying yourself.” My mother’s secretary’s voice blared in the background. “Sorry, honey, I’ve got to go. Keep me posted.”

  “Sure, Mom. Say hi to Dad for me.”

  “Hey, I forgot. Tori’s mother said Tori might pay you a visit soon.”

  I laughed. “Actually, she’s here.”

  “What a nice Christmas present. Oh, honey, I’m late. Miss you.”

  The list of favors I owed Tori was mounting. She hadn’t told my parents why she flew all the way to see me—a true friend.

  Just as I hung up, it rang again. “Mushi, mushi.”

  “Hey, I’m back in town. Want to meet me on New Year’s Night? The Spa Hotel is calling your name.”

  At first, the sound of Kenzo’s silky voice made me want to jump through the receiver.

  “I can try. I’m still not back to my old self. Hashika really kicked my butt.”

  He laughed. “I was worried about you. My doctor friend said getting the measles when you are an adult can be tough.”

  I wished he had shown how much he cared by visiting me. But I let it go. The PSIA took precedence over me.

  “He doesn’t know the half of it.”

  “Do you think you can make it New Year’s Eve? Otherwise I can come to you.”

  The thought of Kenzo and Okasan meeting face to face again caused me to shiver. “No, that’s okay. I’ll down a couple of cans of Cold Sweat and I’ll be fine.”

  I could see his smile through the phone. “Great. How about we meet at the Jumbo Tron at six?”

  Perfect. It gave me two days to get in better shape. “Sounds good, but I have one request.”

  “Sure. What is it?”

  “Can we skip the Spa Hotel? I don’t think I’m in any kind of shape to see the sun goddess again.”

  “No problem. I know the perfect place. See you at six on New Year’s Eve. Can’t wait to hear what other paranormal visits you’ve had since case number two hundred twenty-eight.”

  December 31-5:00 PM

  Ghostly Revelations

  For tonight’s viewing pleasure, the JumboTron featured the latest video of the ultra-popular female J pop group, Umbrella. The video pai
d homage to the famous scene in the classic movie, Singin’ in the Rain. As I watched the girls scamper around in their bright yellow mini dresses with matching umbrellas, I couldn’t help thinking Gene Kelly was probably rolling over in his grave.

  The grand finale was just getting started when a warm puff of air caressed my ear. “You look great.”

  I turned around and smiled at Kenzo’s handsome face. “Gee, thanks. I lost eight pounds.”

  He gave me one of his crooked smiles. “But in all the right places.”

  I punched him in the bicep. “You should know women hate being told that. Makes it sound like we were super fat before.”

  His brow furrowed. “Really? Sorry if you took it that way.”

  I laughed. “No worries. I’m just a little sensitive after being so sick.”

  He grabbed my gloved hand. “Off to the hotel we go!”

  “What would your fellow agents at the PSIA say about you meeting your assignments in love hotels?”

  “They would think it was a brilliant idea.”

  I looped my arm around his and we walked arm in arm down Tokai Boulevard like a couple that had been together for years. Too bad we were just friends.

  Kenzo stopped in front of a cute little French-style bistro. “Care for a bite, my lady?”

  There he goes with the old school language again. “Sure.” I looked at my watch knowing I needed to get back home before the family left for the New Year celebrations. “As long as you get me back to the station by nine o’clock. Okasan has something planned to ring in the New Year.”

  “No problem. I don’t want to put you back in the doghouse.”

  “Good call.” The aroma of garlic and chicken pouring out of the restaurant, made my stomach growl.

  Kenzo laughed. “Well, I guess your stomach made the decision for both of us.”

  We strolled into the bistro and Kenzo made sure the waiter found us a secluded table in the corner. Even though we weren’t an item like in my dreams, it still felt wonderful to sit next to the guy I had a major crush on. Especially after my long battle with Hashika.

  Kenzo glanced at the menu the waiter brought. “Why don’t you pick dinner tonight?”

  This was a first. “Really? But French food is your passion.”

  He gave me a smile. “It is, but after everything you’ve been through you should pick whatever you want.”

  Scanning the menu, my appetite grew even larger. The waiter materialized by my side and I used my newly perfected Japanese to order. “We’ll start with an appetizer of foie gras, followed by confit de canard, nicoise salad, and for dessert the mousse de chocolate.”

  Kenzo beamed with pride. “First off your Japanese is excellent. And you ordered a classic French meal in the correct order. Nicely done.”

  I gave him a sly smile. “I learned from the best.”

  He laughed. “I don’t know about that. I just think you are a very good student.”

  If Kenzo was being extra nice to me because of his long absence, I didn’t care. It felt wonderful. Our food arrived and the next hour we just sat enjoying our meal. I can understand why Kenzo didn’t like to carry on a conversation while eating a fancy meal. Food this amazing really did deserve my full attention. After I finished the last spoonful of chocolate mousse, I rubbed my stomach. “Boy am I full. That’s the most food I’ve eaten in one sitting in almost a month.”

  Kenzo pulled out a purple credit card and handed it to the waiter. “I’m so glad you enjoyed yourself. Soon the hard work begins.”

  Ugh. He would have to remind me this wasn’t a date. “Where have you picked for our meeting?”

  “I thought the Cupid Hotel would be a fun place.”

  “I guess you want to see me throw up my dinner.”

  He chuckled. “We can go somewhere else if you want. I thought all the cheerful cupids would be a good distraction.”

  Kenzo had a point. “Although the pink décor made my stomach churn, I had to admit it was hard to feel down when you were surrounded by frolicking cupids.”

  We walked briskly to the hotel as the Artic air, all the way from Siberia, blasted through the streets of Tokyo. It chilled me to the bone. I hope it wasn’t a foreshadowing of things yet to come.

  Kenzo stopped in front of the gold and pink monstrosity and held out his hand. “Voilà, we have arrived.”

  The Cupid Hotel looked even more garish on the inside than I remembered when Kenzo showed it to me on the Underbelly Tour. Giant cherubs hung down from the ceiling while the Barry Manilow song “Can’t Smile Without You” blared over the sound system.

  “So, which room shall it be, my lady?” Kenzo waved his hand over the room display. “I hear number six is one of the favorites.”

  How many women had he taken here? I shook my head realizing I didn’t want to know.

  “Erin, are you okay? You haven’t seen something here too?”

  “No, sorry. Just fighting off a slight headache.”

  “If you aren’t up for the meeting, I can walk you back to the station.”

  No way was I going to let that happen after wanting to see him for so long. “No, I’m fine. Nothing an aspirin can’t fix.”

  He held out his arm and waved over the display like a game show hostess. “Which one shall it be?”

  I stared at room six. The vision in pink actually made my eyes hurt. Kenzo had to be kidding that the women he knew preferred this room. The theme made me regret I’d stuffed myself at dinner. I stared at the display. Chubby cupids danced in a ring around the canopy over the bed. Their arrows aimed straight at the bed’s occupants. If that wasn’t enough of a turnoff, the bedding was bubblegum pink with gold hearts and arrows the size of dinner plates. “Gee, it’s so romantic.”

  Kenzo totally ignored my lack of enthusiasm as he took out a plastic key card and stuck it in the slot above the room. “Your wish is my command.”

  As he slid the key card back into his wallet, I was impressed. The door to the elevator opened to reveal a gold-leafed chamber covered in fornicating cupids. My wonderful French meal churned in my stomach. “Which floor is our room on? I don’t think I can stand to be in here much longer.”

  Kenzo grinned. “It will be just a moment longer until you behold thy room of thy dreams.”

  There he goes with the old English again. He must think women find it charming. It makes me wonder if he has a secret passion for the past.

  Several floors later the doors thankfully slid open. Kenzo led me down a long hall covered in flocked wallpaper with red hearts. If I weren’t so eager to be with him again, I would have run away screaming. With one quick motion he opened the door. The pink velvet tufted headboard stood ten feet tall and took up most of the wall, thankfully covering up more of the offensive wallpaper. The satin bedding practically glowed as the gold arrows and hearts danced across the surface. How could anyone feel sexy in this place? Kenzo always said that the bathrooms were the most impressive place, so I walked toward it. “Going to check out if the bathroom is as barf inducing.”

  The sheer over-the-top opulence of the bathroom could have rivaled any French mansion. Gold cherubs held up the enormous black tub, which could fit at least three people.

  Kenzo knocked on the door. “Hey, what’s taking you so long? Are you okay?”

  “Just a sec.” I turned on the faucet shaped like a swan and splashed water on my face. “I’ll be right there.”

  Kenzo greeted me with a smile and motioned for me to join him on the pink velvet slipper sofa at the foot of the bed. Sitting down next to him, I was suddenly filled with dread. I knew what I needed to tell him, but would he have something far worse to tell me?

  I plopped down on the sofa. “I don’t know where to start.”

  He reached over and stroked my hand. “Anywhere you want.” He pulled out his phone and set it to record. “Whatever comes to mind first.”

  “Hey, don’t you need to read me my rights or something before you can record what I say?”
/>   He laughed. “This recording is not for the PSIA—it’s for me. I have a terrible memory.”

  Kenzo never mentioned he wanted to record this meeting. Things must be really heating up. “Well, the ghost hasn’t been that active, but when it shows up it does some strange things.”

  He leaned forward. “Like what?”

  “It did this strange thing with one of my host sister’s calendars. It ripped out all the months for this year but left June. That’s the month I go back home.”

  “Interesting. Someone else received a similar message from their spirit.” He held the phone closer to me. “Go on.”

  “When I went to visit my friend’s relatives, thanks to you I was able to ask them questions with no problems. But then something strange happened. The brother pointed to the shrine room and told me to go inside if I wanted to see a ghost. The shrine room was very simple compared to the Moris’. Yet, something gold caught my eye. Off in the corner on a shelf sat this bronze god with a gruesome face wearing a strange gold hat. And it held a knife in his hand.”

  Kenzo sucked in a breath. “Shinigami—the god of death.”

  “Yes, I found that out later. Anyway, I went over to get a closer look at the statue and the ghost appeared. A thin white film stood between me and the statue. It said, ‘Evil must be stopped. Leave now!’. I raced out of the shrine room and the ghost vanished.”

  The look of concern on Kenzo’s face grew deeper. “And how long after you saw him did you get Hashika?”

  “A couple of days. And another strange thing happened. In one of my fever induced dreams the god of death tried to kill me. I stopped him, but when I woke from the dream, I found this strange hand print on my stomach.” Pulling up my sweater, I pointed to the marks. “They’re fading now.”

  Kenzo’s hand flew into his pocket and he pulled out another phone. “I need to be in much closer contact with you.” He handed me the cell phone. “Text me immediately after the next sighting.”

  Things must be way more serious than I thought. Holding the phone in my hand, it suddenly felt like a ten-pound weight. I forced a smile and gave him a salute. “Number five hundred and seventy-eight ready for service.”