[Legacy of a Martyr #2] Liberation from the Masquerades (A Key Keepers novel)

Episode 32: An Offer

I was in my room at my desk. I was tearing into my "tome of a mystery" yet again. This book was like an onion. I wasn't sure I'd ever peel back all its layers.

There was a knock on the door. I jumped as I was very immersed in it. I was about to hit a major plot twist.

"Tadima."

I looked up to see Dad standing in the doorway.

I took a deep breath. "Okaeri. How did that deal work out?"

"It turned out that we had different objectives. At least we didn't lose any money when we made the decision."

"That's always good." I glanced out the window. "The office had a mold problem, right? Did they fix it?"

Dad tensed up. "They found even more of the bothersome spores. I wonder if it's better for us all if I get the building fixed then cut my losses and find a new building."

"Maybe," I said. "It's better to not run the risk of getting people sick or sicker than they might already be. Isn't that going to save money in the long run?"

"It will." Dad finally decided to come in. "Decided to come back since I got tired of using the home office."

"Must have been cramped."

Dad sat on my bed since I was in the only chair. "Are you still intent on finding that girl?"

"Atarimae."

"What if she grew up to be someone you don't like?" Dad looked straight into my eyes. "How will you feel about all this work you're doing then?"

I shrugged. "Chastity deserves to get her little sister back. Even if we drifted apart, they deserve to reunite. Everyone deserves a family."

"The boy with red eyes and the girl with silver hair." Dad raised an eyebrow. "What are their names?"

"Tiana and Phoenix."

"They were the ones you left home to find?"

I nodded.

"Were they in the same position the girl is in now? It isn't rocket science that you wanted to look for them for a long time."

I couldn't talk. I couldn't move. I was stuck.

"Fine. You don't have to answer the question now. The answer will come out one way or the other."

I sighed. I couldn't tell Dad whether I wanted to or not. Someone like Dad would never believe me. My friends and siblings came from another world entirely. Why would a logical man like him believe me?

"What are you planning to do once your quest for the girl is over?"

"I haven't really thought that far ahead. Surviving day to day is really all I can manage right now."

"Are you doing everything yourself again?"

I laughed. "My friends would probably kill me if I did. They've at least gotten a glimpse of how bad it can get."

"A good leader needs dependable allies at his side. I'm pretty sure those kids qualify seeing as they followed you from whatever country they came from."

That was true. Everyone needed allies. I only knew the others qualified because T and Eni were my siblings. Dad didn't know it, but Recah was my girlfriend. They had the greatest reason to stay by my side. They didn't leave in spite of what I put them through, but I knew Duke and Marshall were here for Lie. I doubted Duke loved anyone more than he loved Lie. The only one Marshall loved as much as Lie was his sister, Recah. I could never forget that.

"When you're satisfied, when you find the girl, would you be willing to work for me?"

Work for Dad? Why would he ask me this now? Why did he want me to work for him? He wasn't the sort who would pick an idiotic family member over a moral stranger with merit. Why would he ask me?

"I really think you could help me with a project I've yet to test. You're good with puzzles and thinking on your feet. You also have the stamina to work through a long-term project for a reward you can't always see."

"What did I do to prove that?"

"There were times where one of the interns came up with solutions, we couldn't find merits in. If it caught your eye, you'd scribble down notes only you could read. Once you sorted it out, you'd leave me a note. It would solve many of the major issues, but you acknowledged when you had questions you didn't know how to account for. I was impressed. Those notes gave us some of our greatest ideas."

My flames pooled in my cheeks. "How did you figure it out? You just know my handwriting?"

"Sometimes the employees would see you scribbling away. They didn't think of it since you always had a mystery or an adventure into a fantastical world nearby. They figured that was what it was about."

"What changed your mind?"

"Andrea remembered seeing you work through one of your mysteries. It was methodical. Every day you took those scribbles and cleaned up the ones from the day before. She realized it was the same as what you'd eventually leave me."

I hadn't expected them to figure it out. I liked puzzles, but I didn't think it was that obvious. I did everything the shadows. I never expected them to figure it out.

"That isn't an answer I can give you now. I don't know where I'll be when I find her."

"I figured as much." Dad shrugged and smiled. "The offer's there if you ever want it."

***

Thoughts on Ain's dad? His offer? Theories? Predictions?

~Shino out!