hand, they had been quiet because Ran apparently bought the fact that he was only going on vacation here. But right there the next problem would come, a vacation doesn't last long and at some point the girl would wonder why he was still here. It was maddening and she didn't really know what to do next.
There was just so much against telling James or even talking to Shu, but there was also a lot to be said for it, because this was the only way they could be 100 percent sure.
Sighing, Jodie trotted her way, now she decided to go to Shuichi and talk to him.
Shu Shu Shu, she said to herself and thought.
So much has happened here, but so little has happened. Jodie became an English teacher trying to track down vermouth. At first she had been here as a normal vacationer, but over time she noticed that the actress was often with Dr. Araide was. The plan could be seen through quickly and the Dr. had been safe. With that they were now on Chris's heels and they also knew that police reports from the cases with Mori had disappeared, which is why Shu observed the detective agency from time to time, but it was slowly becoming apparent. They had to think of something completely different, Jodie knew that, but what?It wasn't long before Jodie arrived in the part of town where Shuichi moved into his apartment. It was a real block of flats, all high-rise buildings, but there was also a shopping center nearby, actually a good life if you didn't have a lot of money, which wasn't the case with Shuichi, but everyone knew that the FBI agents weren't for would always be here and so it was better if I could find a simple rental apartment.
Jodie had arrived at the lower door and now looked at the doorbell sign, she looked for one where the name Akai could be seen and found it right away. She always had to look for it, even if she knew that he was moving into his apartment on the 7th floor, it had always been a pleasure to read his name out of all other Japanese names.
"Yes?" The voice grumbled as Shuichi spoke down through the intercom.
"This is Jodie, please let me in, we need to talk," said the blonde and waited.
Shuichi didn't speak anymore, instead the door could be heard humming and so she could push the door open and immediately afterwards the elevator was in sight. Jodie pressed the button and waited for the elevator to go down from the top. She had to grin a bit, Shu had also chosen the apartment that had 13 floors and she was surprised that he didn't want to move in at the top, but they probably had no more apartment available there.
In the elevator the blonde pressed the button with the seven and waited. Above the door opened with a blink and she went to his door. She was about to ring when it opened.
"What do you want?" Asked Shuichi. Once again he had been a little rude and only looked once behind Jodie. He had to be sure that Ran wasn't there, even if it would be weird if Jodie brought this with her.
"Well, what do you think?" Said Jodie and looked at him. She didn't want to discuss it outside where someone could possibly hear them."Can I go in?" She asked and looked at him.
"If you have to," Akai said and held the door open enough for Jodie to enter. Then he completed it and just went back to his living room. After all, he hadn't intended to talk to her in the hallway.
"Wait a minute," said the blonde and followed him. Sometimes Shuichi really had no manners, but if you knew him then you had to live with it, and she definitely did.
"It's about Ran," Jodie began.
"I thought so. Don't worry about her, I haven't done anything with her," Akai snapped.
"I know that, she said that too, but she knows you work for the FBI and she told me too, even if it was quiet, but still, I can't believe you told her that, you you know what we're risking here, "said Jodie reproachfully.
"Now that lyre again," Akai sighed and leaned back. "Don't worry about that, I saw the girl in New York and she saw Agent Lowell back then, who was wearing the FBI jacket, so she knows I'm one of them. And she believed me, that I was only on vacation do, "he added. Sometimes Jodie really exaggerated, but she was like that. He had also got to know her that way, always her quirky manner, which she would probably never lose.
"Well, then I hope for you that she doesn't find out that it's actually different. And if you keep monitoring the Moris, then make sure that she doesn't see you, otherwise she'll think you want to see her." she said, thinking.
"You should know me by now, I'll be careful," he hissed at her. He'd been a little angry that she didn't trust him that much, but maybe she was right. Maybe he was getting worse and lulling too quickly. He quickly chased away these thoughts and thought only of the essentials and of his revenge, it was only important and nothing else."And you know me, I'm worried about you, but also about the job, if something goes wrong, it was all for nothing," she warned and thought about how much had already happened and that a small mistake would ruin all efforts could.
"Well, don't be like that, I also know what's at stake in case you've forgotten, I have a personal interest in the whole thing," said Akai and stood up. He went to the small cupboard in his living room and pulled out a bottle of Sambuca. There were also two glasses that he filled. Today, when there was nothing going on and since he didn't plan to go out anyway, he could have a drink or two, it hadn't been a big deal.
"Not for me, I want to come home sober, and maybe I'll be called to work," Jodie refused and before he could pour, she put her palm over the glass, so he couldn't pour her anything.
"As you mean, if you don't want to ... stay with me for more," said Shuichi and looked at her. Then he emptied the glass and left it at that, for the time being.
Slowly a little pain spread in him, it was the head and it didn't come from drinking.
"Do you have what?" Jodie asked. She became a little worried and knew that nothing should happen to Shuichi, they needed him, he was the trump card and shouldn't get sick.
"Just a bit of a headache," Akai muttered. And yet he was much too proud of himself to take a pill, he could get rid of this pain even if Jodie tried to give him something.
But Jodie didn't think about it and gin around the chair he was sitting on, put her fingertips on his temples and began to massage them lightly. "Better that way, darling?", She wanted to know and knew that she could piss him off with the darling. He didn't like being called that at all, but it had been a quirk of hers and she often said the word darling."Oh yeah and how," Akai muttered, suppressing his grin.

"Mhmm", Jodie snuggled up to him a little while Shuichi actually just leaned back and wished that none of this had happened. It had been a mistake, a huge mistake, and now he saw it. Not that he started an affair with his colleague, but rather the fact that after Akemi's death he was still able to do this even if he didn't love the other person. Worst of all, he slept with someone else on Akemi's birthday.
"What do you have?" Asked the blonde and looked at him.
"Nothing at all," Akai muttered, getting up. Immediately he grabbed his things and just put them on. What should he say? That he didn't like it? That would have been a lie, but he couldn't tell her what was really going on either.
After he finished dressing, he went out onto the balcony and picked up his cigarettes. Sighing, he put it back again, it wouldn't do any good and he now saw that too. A short time later he came back in, Jodie was already dressed and he went to her. It had been clear that it would be a secret between staying and then he could trust her.
"Well, you know that you have to be careful about Ran and if there are three of us, like before, we just don't know each other or we are just getting to know each other," she said and tried to make it a little easier to get into to which she went into what she was actually here for.
"You should know, I work hard," he replied.
"I know, but I like to say it," she grinned and then went to the door. "It was nice," she muttered, then went outside.