Dangerous Souls

Break A Leg

"My best guess is that it was Masuyo singing the song in the E.V.P. that we found. Both spirits were like birds in a cage, trapped in this building. She may have been trying to give us a message on how to release her. Kyou used it as a way to drag the spirit from its attachment to you."

"By the way, Masako, how are your eyes?" Yasuhara asked, still rubbing the bump on his head. Masako smiled brighter than she ever had before.

"Sometimes my vision gets a little blurry, but for the most part it's back to where it was before everything happened." She clasped her hands in front of her like the prim and proper doll she always looked like.

"And Mai's voice is back to normal, a little hoarse now and then, but I think we all missed her comments," Ayako added with a smile. "Okay, most of the equipment must be packed up by now, we should probably help before Monk scolds us for making him and John do all of the work."

***

"After we get this back in the van you can go home," Naru said as he took down one of the shelves for the monitors. Everything was back to normal and the spirits were finally at rest. While everyone was happy and relieved that everything had worked out, Mai just sighed and continued to pack up the wires.

"Thanks," she said, she had not bothered to look up at her employer.

"Are you all right?" Mai ignored him and continued to pack up. "You've barely said anything since your voice came back."

"I have, you just weren't listening."

"I thought you might be excited about being partially right. Only a poltergeist would be able to write on the wall-"

"This has nothing to do with being right about a stupid poltergeist, Naru!" she snapped. He really thought that that was why she was angry with him? Was he really that stupid? She had never been that petty, why would she be now? "You thought I was suicidal." Her voice wanted to crack at the words, luckily she could chalk it up to nonuse.

"Mai, all I said was that it was one of a few possibilities-"

"That you came up with to figure out why I was on the roof. I know, but it was the theory that you stuck with. One that you were convinced of. And you went with it. So sure of yourself."

Naru stood there unsure whether or not to counter her argument. Then again, she didn't give him much of a chance to decide. "You know my story, everyone does! After the shit I went through you really thought that I would end it all?" She took a tearful breath before she continued. "I thought I bounce back, that it was written all over my face."

She wiped away a tear and ran a hand through her hair. "I guess you just can't read Japanese as well as you thought!"

Time to intervene. "Mai, if you just listen-"

"No, Naru! You listen!" She didn't care if anyone heard her. This was going to bother her too much if she didn't finish. "I've been to hell and back, literally, and always made it through somehow. After being your assistant for two years I thought you would know me by now! Hell, I thought I would know you! But I guess-" She paused as the realization of her words were sinking in. "I guess..." Shouta was right. She let out a shaky breath.

"I guess, we're no less strangers than when we first met." She grabbed her bag and coat, along with the final box of wires. "I don't work again until Tuesday, right?"

"That's correct." There was no point in arguing.

"I'm going to put this in the van and head out. I'll see you on Tuesday, Naru."

***

January Sunday, Day After Case 1:15 P.M.

With the case being solved, Mai had to make up for ditching a certain someone for the last week. Which explains why she now sat at a restaurant having lunch with her boyfriend. "Well, your case is finally solved, I was starting to think you might have been ignoring me," Shouta laughed after the waiter left to put their order in to the kitchen.