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“Hold on! I know how this looks, but this stuff isn’t mine. It belongs to my friend, Brenda. I’ll explain it all la—”
“He’s with them!” Connie yells as she holds up one of the heels to use as a weapon.
“No!” I protest. “I swear I’m not!”
“Oh, so you want me for yourself then?” Connie yells, coming at me with the heel.
I grab hold of Connie’s wrist but think better of twisting her arm behind her. I let go and take a step back.
“Now, listen. I know how this looks. But looks can be deceiving, right? I mean, look at you. You look like you would fit right in, in a place like this.”
“What!?” Connie says.
“I just mean… Look, I’m pretty sure that’s not your everyday look. Don’t get me wrong. You are a beautiful woman.”
“What!?” Mari says. I sense a hint of jealousy that gives me a momentary rush, but I know I need to move this along. I hold up my palm towards them.
“But I know they made you put on that getup. It’snotwhat it looks like, just like this stuff isnotwhat it looks like. Okay?”
“I think I understand. We can trust him,” Mari says. “So, Brenda really is sort of a therapist. You can’t go to a real professional, huh?”
“Yes,” I answer, glad that she understands.
“It’s just that this all came up so fast and…” Mari pauses, her face turning red. “I mean. I didn’t mean,” she stumbles over her words.
“It’s alright, I understand. You can both trust me. But I need you both to stay quiet for a little bit. I’ll let you know as soon as they’re gone,” I say, making my way out the door. I shut it, then open it again just a crack to peek my head in.
They’re both looking at me.
“Oh, and I’m going to have to padlock the door,” I quickly add before I slam the door shut and secure the lock on the clasp.
“What?!” They both say in unison.
“Shh!” I say. They’ll be fine.
Luckily no one will be able to see in, as Dimitry boarded up the windows after I shot through the glass to save him a while back.
As I close the front door behind me, a car pulls up. I flip my shirt up in the back, exposing my gun, in order to have quicker access. I light a cigar to mask any scent of Connie’s perfume that might have made it here. The knocks on the door are not pounding, but they are not soft either. I click on the television, then take a few seconds before I look out the window to see two thugs in suits. I walk over to the door and open it.
“Hello,” I say to the two men I recognize from Sonomi’s office. “Nice to see you again. What can I do for you?”
“Hello. We are looking for Marika Yumiko and another woman that had a little misunderstanding with Miss Sagawa,” Thug number one says. Now I know they will go to Mari’s family’s house next. I’m sure they’ll just question them at this point.
“I haven't seen them,” I say and take a puff of my cigar.
“We just want to talk to them,” Thug number two says.
“Well, tell Miss Yumiko I said hi when you catch up with them,” I say and take another puff.
“We will, and we understand what happened at the studio was just business. It is also just business that I ask if we might have a look around?” Thug One asks.
“Well, that would be a little inconvenient for me right now. But I’ll let you look around my place and my property a little bit, in exchange for permission to have a short meeting with Miss Yumiko in the future,” I say, trying to enforce the idea that I haven’t seen her.
“We can’t authorize that without direct approval from Miss Sagawa,” Thug Two says, shaking his head.
“Well, you gentlemen, have a nice day then.”
“We will ask Miss Sagawa. How’s that?” Thug One cuts in and asks.
