—
“Hello? Oh God, finally…” Hakuba stood next to the window in the drawing room of his father’s estate, phone to his ear, and glanced out into the drive. Only the grounds crew was there, busily tending to the lawn. “So what have you found out? My mother’s very upset, you understand. No, I really don’t know how they got our contact numbers; that information isn’t exactly public knowledge. What? Oh- yes… Go on.”
Baaya, seated close by, watched her charge eagerly, pen and paper in hand. The emails, phone calls, and text messages hadn’t stopped through the night. Thank god the post only came once a day. Although she didn’t want to admit it, she privately expected there to be an owl or two lurking out about the house. She’d have mentioned this to Saguru, probably would have gotten a laugh out of him, but he was in no joking mood. And how could he be?
White Chapel Academy was the common thread. White Chapel, Amos Ramson, Sarah Brown, and… Saguru James Hakuba.
She’d seen him like this before. Countless times. It was one thing when he was just wrapped up in your regular, run-of-the-mill case of murder and mayhem, but once the media was involved, he was a nervous wreck.
“Good God, you can’t be serious… No…” The detective sighed, switching the phone to his other ear, pacing back and forth in front of the window. “Yes, I’m still here.” Hakuba lifted a hand to give the side of his face a weary massage.
He sighed and leaned against the wall, eyes closed.
“Look, you’re my agent, not a detective… I’m not asking you to. That’s my job… or another professional detective’s, but I do want to know what I need to be doing… What you’re doing… What? No; oh no, that’s not Avery’s style at all. I don’t think he’s that hurt over the arrangement. No… Certainly not for something this petty.”
Baaya wrote ‘ex agent? not that petty’ on her pad of paper, then looked back to Hakuba, frown fixed on her painted lips.
“God, no. I need to call my father. I’ll call you back, Jones.” Hakuba glanced at the front of his cellphone, then sighed. “Yes, just a few minutes.” After a few button taps, he returned the phone to his ear. “Sir?”
‘The Superintendent General,’ Baaya wrote, then watched the detective as the color drained from his face. Hakuba pulled the silver pocket watch that he kept on his person, glanced at the time, then slipped it back into place. ‘Master Watch.’ She studied him while he nodded, as if Hakuba Sr could see it over the line.
“Yes, I have information on the… yes, precisely. It seems that, ah, Amos Ramson is still campaigning for parole and, ah, released a list of names two days ago. Sarah Brown was at the top of the list.” He paused and let out a slow breath.
“…no, I… I understand. And, ah, Paris?” Hakuba frowned, hesitating. “Right. Of course. Understood, sir. Yes… yes. Goodbye.”
Without looking at his governess, Hakuba switched lines on the phone again to call, and stepped away from the window, motioning for her to follow. “Yes, Jones? Are you still there? Good. Look, I’ve got something I need to take care of so I’ll have to get back with you in, ah-” he glanced at the watch on his wrist, then compulsively pulled out his pocket watch again to verify the time.
“Three quarters of an hour, all right? Don’t make any statements.This could get very messy very quickly.” Then he laughed. “All right, fine, yes, it already is, but it… look, we’re just- I’ll call you back.” He snapped the phone closed, put it away, and reached back for Baaya’s arm.
“Young Master, what’s going on?”
“We’re on lockdown, Baaya… not permitted to leave the estate until this is taken care of. Dad wants us to stay away from the windows, so we’ll have to adjourn to the parlor. Care for a game of billiards?”
“Oh, I… suppose that would be fine, but, lockdown?”
“Dad’s been getting calls at the station. Nothing’s happened yet, here, but apparently mum’s car was smashed with a cement block while she was in a meeting… and there’ve been letters on taped to the front door. Here, and there. So he wants to take precautions.”
Baaya gasped. “And Paris?”
“Will have to be postponed.”
“What’s happening, Young Master?! Why are you being attacked?”
“Sarah Brown killed herself, Baaya. Yesterday afternoon in her flat in London. The list was leaked. And my name is on it.”
“What?! But how-?”
“It seems that Father Ramson has finally figured it out. Come along, Baaya. We’ve flights and hotels to rebook."