“They could’ve, but I doubt they would’ve disposed of him in such a manner. Whoever did this wanted an audience, or to send a message to his colleagues.” Fox finished his roti and drank the rest of his water. “Like Ares.”
“You think they’re here?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised. They’re pretty resourceful. And they seem to be getting better at it. I’m surprised they were able to track him down this quickly. Hopefully, my informant can tell me more.”
“I’d be careful.” Parris held a finger to her lip briefly and then pointed it at Fox. “We don’t know anything about this informant. He said you can’t trust the Boeisho. They were expecting you and knew when and where to meet you, which means that someone tipped them off. And for this informant to know your whereabouts could mean that someone tipped him off also.”
“If he’s Boeisho, and let’s just say he is for argument’s sake, he’d have his channels. I doubt that he’s working alone.”
“And what if he’s one of Hashimoto’s men? Tanaka told you that he lost touch with his three agents. Who’s to say that your informant isn’t one of Hashimoto’s brainwashed cult members? I know I wasn’t involved in brainwashing all of them, but you have to still consider the possibility.”
Fox leaned over the table and looked Parris in the eye. “I realize that. But he has something to share with me. And with Valerik dead, it’s all we have to go on right now. If someone’s lying, then I’ll know soon enough.”
Parris copied Fox’s actions and leaned in herself. “In that case, I’m coming with you to meet him, the next time he contacts you.”
Fox dropped his head on a slant and raised an eyebrow. “Say what?”
“You heard what I said.”
“He asked for me. That means I should go alone.”
“So what. I’ll hide. If he’s one of Hashimoto’s men, chances are I’ve seen him around Hexagon.”
“And if he’s not, you risk blowing your cover.”
“I’ll be careful.”
“You’d be doing just that…by not showing up. You don’t need to attract attention to yourself. You’re NOC, remember?”
“I’m glad to hear you say that. I guess that’s why you sent me a boat-size bouquet of roses to my workplace?”
“Do you always have to have the last word?”
Parris got up and leaned on the table towards Fox with outstretched arms, eyes narrowed. “I do, considering I wasn’t aware you were put in charge.”
Fox stood up and duplicated Parris’s actions. “It’s not a matter of who’s in charge of what. It’s about the Boeisho not knowing about you, and its best that we keep it that way. I’ve done exceptionally well so far.”
“You think so?”
“Are you always this argumentative?”
“When I don’t agree with something, I’ll damn well let you know it. But if you want to go it alone, fine. You’re better off letting Tomas hook you up with one of his gadgets, preferably a mini video camera that can pin to your jacket. At least that way he can run a search on your informant. It’s the same way we caught Valerik’s image. Is that too much to ask?”
Fox looked away from Parris for a few seconds, to the television which now showed a chewing gum commercial.
“No,” he said and then looked back at Parris. “It isn’t.”
There, at least we actually reached a compromise. She couldn’t believe it. Just as they were starting to warm up again he had to insult her like this. Who’s he to tell me that I shouldn’t come? This wasn’t working, it was an unavoidable mistake that they wound up working together in the first place. She had to get away from him. Parris looked at her watch and stood up from the table. She grabbed her purse from the back of the chair as though she were in a hurry. “I have to go.”
Fox called out as she headed towards the door. “Don’t get me wrong, Dr. Parris. I just don’t want to see your obituary on the evening news.”
That did it. She turned around, and walked towards him slowly while she stared him straight in the eyes. “You expect me to get hurt, don’t you?”
“To be blunt, you already have been.”
“I’m quite capable of taking care of myself. I’ve learned that from the past, so I don’t need a bodyguard.”
She turned and walked back to the door. “You’ve found me so I assume that you can find Tomas. But let me warn you, he’s not as sociable as I am.”
Fox watched her disappear. He expected to hear the door slam, but she didn’t do that. She was feisty, irrational, not to mention cynical and paranoid, and maybe she was better off on her own. He would later get in touch with Tomas, but not because Parris had suggested it. He always thought one way of dealing with unpleasant people was to do or say the opposite of what they would expect. Parris didn’t expect him to agree with her on meeting Levickis, so he agreed.
It was the same way he dealt with Jessica. Always act unpredictably, that always calmed her down. He remembered when he had proposed to her. They had an argument the night before about how he put his life on the line all the time and that it wouldn’t be conducive to their relationship. He couldn’t forget the shock and delight on her face when he had walked into her workplace on her lunch break the next day, dressed in army fatigues with a large garbage bag. Then in full view of all of her colleagues, he had stripped down to his boxer briefs and bagged his fatigues telling her that he’s throwing it all away. Never mind the commotion that it caused, even the security guards that arrived didn’t bother to stop him. And that’s when he got down on one knee and showed her the engagement ring.
Before he realized it, something rolled from his eye and down his left cheek. He immediately wiped away the tear. Why the fuck is this happening? I’ve scarred her, and it has changed her life forever. Now she’s involved in a life that I was ready to leave.
His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. He hid his face from Sora. “We’re done. Can you please call me a taxi?”
“Yes, Mr. Ripley. By the way, someone dropped this off for you.” She walked up to him and handed him a letter-sized envelope.
Fox took the envelope while covering his eyes. “Thanks.”
She bowed and as she turned to walk out the door, she paused and looked back at him. “Is everything all right?”
“I’m fine. Thanks for being concerned. I just need to be alone for a bit.”
When she left, Fox tore open the sealed envelope and took out the paper that was inside. The handwritten note read, Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens tonight at 8:00 PM. I’ll carry a brown paper bag and will pass the Weeping Cherries.
Fox held the paper over the open flame on the table. He let the fire consume it until it reached his fingers, and then he blew it out. He dropped the blackened pieces onto his lunch plate.
This guy knew Fox better than he’d thought. How’d he know to look for me here? He had been certain no one had followed him and he had personally swept the premises for bugs or any other listening devices. The place was secure, but whoever this guy was, he was top notch, and if he was on the run from the Boeisho, it would explain why he’d been able to avoid them.
With that taken care of, his attention focused on the meal. Where else could one get a foreign meal prepared the right way on such short notice? He reached into his wallet and took out a wad of bills. He had already run out of Japanese currency. The last cab driver didn’t complain when Fox gave him two hundred dollars for dropping him off at the mall and then picking him up ten minutes later from another entrance in his new disguise. Oh, what the hell.
He tore out a few American bills and tossed them on the table, right beside Dr. Parris’s table napkin. Well, how about that-she forgot her own table napkin. She’s too steamed. Better to wait and give it back to her later when she’s cooled off. With West Indian women, it was always about timing. But Parris, as he now learned, was a
