Heaven & Earth

"It was all a big land grab. Redstone Industrial Alliance was looking to remake the city in their own image. The same assault team that took out the Dragon Kings did a number on the Rippers first. The whole time we thought it was the Wolverines that did it."

"To what end?" Mitsamura said.

"To get them out of the way before they burned Flushing, then Little Beijing, all so they could graciously step in and help rebuild. All we can really prove is that AgraCon violated Genetic Replication protocols. The press is still gonna be all over them."

Mitsamura nodded and poured steaming water into a small mound of green tea, then used a Bamboo whisk to mix it.

Jinro accepted the cup that Mistamura slid across the desk and said, "Leonard Dean, Senior found out what was about to happen and tried to blow the whistle. AgraCon security killed him when he attempted to relocate."

"Your efforts in this matter prevented a much larger tragedy with even greater loss of life," Mitsamura said as he prepared a serving for himself. "You upheld the faith of your fellow officers and brought great honor to your department."

Jinro cradled the cup and blew across the surface of the tea, letting the heat radiating through the ceramic warm his hands.

"Thanks, I guess," He said and took a sip as he let his eyes drift over the small assortment of photos and Japanese prints in view. One was a painting of a flock of white cranes flying over an Edo-era castle. "So what do I do now?"

"Go home, get some rest," Mitsamura said slowly as he lifted his cup to his lips. "There will be more wickedness tomorrow, as there will always be."

***

"Lucy, I'm home." Jinro said in his best Ricky Ricardo accent, though it was well after dark before he'd escaped from the station. Holly appeared in the hallway wearing a robe that covered her shoulders and her legs to knee level, the one she wore to do house chores. Jinro felt a bead of sweat roll down his forehead as his eyes shifted from Holly's eyes to the tattered shoebox she held in her arms.

"I was making the bed when I found this. I'd like... I'd like an explanation please," She said as she handed the box to him, then added, "I noticed my card was on the top of the pile."

Jinro was stunned to silence by the realization that something he'd grown to cherish had come to an abrupt end. More than that, he decided as he accepted the box for lack of anything else to say or do. It was a train wreck.

His mouth flapped open several times as his mind cycled through responses, but there was nothing he could imagine that she would understand, but he had to say something.

"This us part of a life I've put behind me since I found you. Please believe me."

Holly folded her arms and said, "If that's true then why are you still keeping it? As mementos to all the women you've fucked? That's all I am to you."

"No... that's not true." Jinro said and put his hands up as she did. Holly put hers to her face.

"Way to go, Holly," She said to herself and wiped away the corners of her eyes. "You can pick the winners. Nice girls are no match for players."

She didn't recoil when Jinro put a hand on her arm. Her eyes were filled with tears when they found his and she said, "So what do we do now? Should I leave?"

"No," Jinro said as Holly pulled a tissue from her pocket and dabbed at her nose. "I don't ever want you to leave, but if you do I understand. This is my fault."

"Then would you do something for me?"

Jinro nodded and said, "Yes, anything."

He felt a chill of relief sweep over him as Holly tugged at the shoebox. Jinro released it to her and she turned, making her way into what he'd come to consider "their" bedroom.

A red candle was the only light in the room. It threw shadows onto the ceiling as the flame danced in the subtle drafts of air that came through as the winds outside ebbed and flowed. She set the shoebox down beside it and moved to take the cordless handset from the video-phone set on the wall.

Jinro took the handset as she offered it to him and sat down on the edge of the bed when she pushed down on his shoulders. He tapped the device against his palm to hide his nervousness and said, "Thanks for believing me."

"I do more than believe you," Holly said as she stepped up next to the dresser and took the top off of the box. "And tonight I'm going to make sure you put it behind you."

She untied the sash around her waist and let the robe slip from her shoulders, revealing that she wore nothing underneath. Jinro took a deep breath as he took in the smell of her powder. She reached into the box and removed a chit; a scrap of paper place-mat with the name and number scrawled in blue ink.

"Helen, should I give you the number?"

"No. She was definitely psycho." Jinro said. Holly touched it to the flame and pitched the smoldering remains out the window.

"Katherine, do you want to call her?"

When Jinro shook his head, Katherine's card got the same treatment, as did the other names in Jinro's box until it was empty. That night it rained fire in Little Beijing.