Chapter 11043Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo7e9ebwcD1
The city was loud. And not just in the usual noise of the city kind of way. Of course, people were walking by chattering as usual, cars drove by honking horns, and the noise of daily life continued. But underlying it all was a certain tense fear.1043Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7FKXzCkceX
Silva sat in her usual corner in small coffee shop, watching the subtitles on the television scroll by. There had been another murder in the city, the body another woman found brutally mangled and marred. Newscasters and journalists were now dubbing the killer a modern day Jack the Ripper. Many had initially snorted in derision at the name, but slowly tension built as body after body was discovered, while the police continued to be perplexed, unable to find any leads. Silva had the suspicion that something not human was responsible for the killings, though they were not her concern. She was not going to get involved.1043Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1yKLUnU0Ya
But that was what made the city especially loud for Silva. Being what one would usually call a medium, she could hear the collective tension of the city like the high note of a violin, endlessly screeching. While her affinity was more towards the memories held in objects, especially those that dealt with especially strong feelings like anger or guilt, the fear of the city was growing day by day. She could hear it in the back of her mind, and it was beginning to become nerve-wracking. She had to concentrate in order to push it out.1043Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMT65Vivqu1
Sipping her coffee, Silva returned her attention to the stack of papers in front of her. Ever since she had moved into her late-grandmother’s small cottage, she had been jobless. It was only meant to be a short-term arrangement, since her mother was supposed to sell it off, but finally it had become apparent that the woman couldn’t be bothered to actually put forth the effort. She was a big name lawyer in New York after all, and was constantly busy, therefore having no time to make the hours long trip. Finally Silva decided that she was fond of the house, with her grandmother’s memory firmly attached to it, and determined to stay. Now it was officially hers, but she needed a job to pay the bills.1043Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtHEoyIyc6Z
Suddenly she felt two strong presences enter the building. A cold shiver ran down her back, and she peered up from her papers, scanning the room carefully. She finally spotted two men standing at the counter. One was a bear of a man, tall and stocky, with a full red beard. He was standing next to a smaller Japanese man in a suit, who was ordering coffee nonchalantly. The taller man, however, was looking around the room nervously. Finally he glanced at her, and tugged at the smaller man’s sleeve and whispered something in his ear1043Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs7KaFkjMrD
Silva began gathering up her things. She knew they were both Gifted, being in possession of high levels of chakra like her which allowed them various skills. Her previous encounters with others like her had been extremely displeasing, and she had no wish to deal with anyone today. Throwing her things in her bag, she walked out of the café. But she only made it partially down the sidewalk outside before she was stopped.1043Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd7JaJiFNpH
“Wait just a moment, please miss,” a calm voice called behind her. Silva paused and sighed, turning the see the Japanese man approaching her. “Forgive my being blunt, but you have the Third Eye, do you not?”1043Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbFMm9lKB7d
“I do,” she replied tersely, scanning the man carefully, reluctant to trust him. 1043Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT51sU6eIo9
“Wonderful,” the man replied with a smile, pulling a card out of his pocket. He handed it over to her, and she glanced down. It read: CARLISLE INOUE AND ASSOCIATES: INVESTIGATIVE SERVICES. He also held a hand out to her, but she refused to take it. Seemingly unperturbed, he continued, “My name is Carlisle Inoue. My associate and I run a private investigative service that deals specially in paranormal activities. Lately we’ve found ourselves in need of someone with your skills. I would love to speak with you, if you have a moment.”1043Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7WqNIwJqa0
Silva was about to decline, but the large man suddenly burst out from the café. “I’ve got our coffee! Did you stop her-AHH!” In his rush, he nearly barreled into a man walking past the café, and had to twist in order to dodge him. In doing so, he tripped, spilling a full cup of hot coffee all over the front of Silva’s shirt.1043Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1fYEK9CidT
She gasped and pulled the cloth away from her body to keep the hot liquid from touching her skin any further. The man just stuttered incoherently in an attempt to apologize, as he pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and began trying to wipe away the coffee. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean-“1043Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA4ZsQF1uD3
Silva stepped backwards away from the man. “It is fine,” she seethed quietly. “I was going home anyway. I’ll just change there.1043Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP5vw7EYi5M
Carlisle was sighing, pulling his wallet out of his back pocket and holding a twenty dollar bill out to Silva. “I believe this will be enough for dry cleaning.”1043Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRD7IGwdQEA
She shook her head, declining the money. “It’s fine. Really, I should be going. Good day to you both.”
“Oh, but I did not finish my-“
“No, thank you,” Silva replied tersely, turning to leave.
“I can pay you thirty dollars an hour, most likely full time,” Carlisle countered, causing Silva to pause in her steps. She quickly did the math mentally, coming to the conclusion that was her best prospect for a job.
“What does this job entail?” she questioned, drawing a small smile from Carlisle.
“Ah, how about we go over that in a more private setting? Why don’t you come to our office tomorrow?” he suggested. “The address is on the card I gave you. How about ten o’clock?”
Silva turned the card over to see the address, and nodded. “Very well then. Tomorrow. Good day.”
“Alright, ready to go Rhone?” Carlisle asked, looking up at the taller man beside him. He noticed that he had a pensive look on his face as he watched the small woman walk away. “What’s wrong?”1043Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF4L7nabzE0
Rhone sighed and shook his head. “I botched that one. She was so pretty, and I spilled coffee all over her like an idiot.”
“Pretty?” Carlisle questioned with a smile. “Why, my friend, I’ve never heard you call a woman that. That is good. I suppose that means you are getting over what happened to you, all those years ago?”
Scowling as he thought about it, Rhone shook his head. “It is no matter. How do you know she is the right one for the job? Those with the Third Eye can have a wide range of skills. What if she can’t do what we need? Are you even certain she will actually help us?”1043Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5y2mmOLFff
“Then I suppose we either make do with what she can do, or find someone else. I believe she will be just fine, however.”
Rhone looked down, considering Carlisle carefully. The man always had a way of reading people, of knowing their true value and skills, that perplexed him. He didn’t understand how he just knew things. He pursed his lips in thought. “You didn’t tell her we were hired to look into the murders either.”
“Ah. Well, I guess that is a discussion for tomorrow then. Let’s go back to the office, shall we?”
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