Another Interlude

Mori
Itsukishima
Hiroshima Prefecture
January 30

To Ojiisan, Obaasan, and Chihiro-basan:

A curious piece of correspondence arrived today.


It goes on to explain -- quite in detail -- how Mr. Midnight went undercover to look for Yamato Aki-san. I wonder why he felt the need to go on the defensive. I certainly wasn't asking for an explanation. Anyway, Aki-chan is a wonderful girl and I am extremely glad to hear that she is safe and that she did not run away from home. Extremely. Over the moon with joy.

Maybe I am just a tad disappointed that I haven't gone to anywhere exciting since I started working for him. Lucky mistaken-runaways.

Midori

An Apology

Mori
Itsukishima
Hiroshima Prefecture
November 13

To Ojiisan, Obaasan, and Chihiro-basan:

First, an apology. I have absolutely no excuse to cease writing for nearly half a year. No excuse. Has it really been that long? I am extremely sorry. I am grateful, though, that Ojiisan hasn't stormed Faux-kyo to look for me. Did you have anything to do with that, Chihiro-basan?

I know you'd like it better if I wrote more, aside from making the occasional phone call. I will attempt to remedy that by giving you a summary of the things that I have not spoken of during our phone conversations.

First, Mr. Midnight returned from his unexpected trip to Vietnam. He brought home a dog, perhaps as an apology for his abrupt departure. A few months after, he took another trip, this time to Singapore -- but this time, he did manage to say goodbye. In his own way. I'll try not to go into the details; you might find it boring. He has not shown his face since then, so I've been left to deal with a few odds and ends at work and have devoted more of my time to my studies. You will be proud. Only, I wish my employer was back -- and only because I have other things to attend instead of minding his business! You understand, don't you?

Second, I was surprised to find Shin-chan here! Of course, he hates that I call him -chan, but I guess I haven't broken the habit. He will always be such a little boy to me! He says he joined a rock band, and I'm quite excited to hear him play. I suspect I might not like those bars he's always in, but I am determined to support him in this endeavor! Have his parents mentioned anything like this to you?

Finally, who else would come to Faux-kyo but Kumiko! Yes, the same Kumiko who has lived right next door to us nearly all my life! I must admit that thought she was a thief at first, so you can imagine my extreme relief to discover that I was wrong. Kumiko confessed that she had followed Shin to Faux-kyo. Who knew that she was so head over heels in love? I wouldn't have figured out on my own. Kumiko is usually glued to her computers; I never thought she would find anything -- or anyone -- half as interesting as them!

Anyway, that's all that's been happening around here! I hope things get a little livelier soon. I never thought I would say something like this but... it's too quiet. But please don't worry. I promise that I won't give you anything to worry about in the future.

Forgive me?
Your Midori

An Interlude

Mori
Itsukishima
Hiroshima Prefecture
May 9

To Ojiisan, Obaasan, and Chihiro-basan:

Eager as you may be to know what happened to Ms. Vance's case, I am still in the process of organizing my notes. I wrote, however, to tell you that once that case had been wrapped up, my employer suddenly disappeared. Oh, of course I don't mean disappeared as a coin would in a magician's hand -- more like he just left without telling me where he was going! The nerve! Yes, I know, I am well aware that he is under no obligation to tell me what he does in his spare time, but I just thought... well, never mind.

So you can imagine my astonishment when I received this:

It was rather thoughtful of him, wouldn't you agree?

Fondly,
Your Midori

Case 01: Scarlet's Letter (Part 2)

Mori
Itsukishima
Hiroshima Prefecture
April 22

To Ojiisan, Obaasan, and Chihiro-basan:

Where was I? Oh, yes.

After we said goodbye to Miss Scarlet Vance, we immediately got to work.

Seth: Midori, I want you everything you can dig up on Simon Yamada. There's something I want to check out on this blackmail letter Miss Vance received.

Midori: Acknowledged.

He did some scribbling on the blackmail letter while I scoured the internet and the local paper. A few minutes later, he glanced up at me smugly.

Seth: My suspicions have been confirmed. An indentation of Simon Yamada's signature was left on the letter. Even if he didn't write this, we can be certain that this page was indeed from his own stationery. But why resort to blackmail if he's so rich--?

Midori: Not according to this gossip column. It seems that Yamada-san is quite the gambler. This insinuates that the only thing keeping his investments -- including the Hub -- afloat are the fundraising efforts done by his secretary, a Miss Naomi Snow.

Seth: Why don't we go to the Hub and pay Miss Snow a visit? Let's see what she has to say about all this.

So Seth had me disguised as a reporter doing a feature on the Hub. As luck would have had it, we immediately ran into Snow-san.

Naomi: Excuse me, but the club opens at 10 PM.

Midori: Ya don't say? You're Naomi Snow, right? Recognized ya from the paper. I'm uh... Maddie Moore from uh... Midnight Daily. Think ya can gimme an interview on the new fundraising event Mr. Yamada's cooked up?

Naomi: Always a pleasure! I'm glad the press has caught wind of this great event; I sent out PR materials a week ago but no one's really contacted me for a story--

Of course I had to let Snow-san talk on about their fundraiser. Her eyes lit up as she babbled on and on about Simon Yamada's visionary leadership; the woman obviously had it bad. I knew, though, that sooner or later I had to move in for the kill.

Midori: So, yeah, ya think Mr. Yamada's latest squeeze will be there? His new girl... uh, Scarlet Vance?

Naomi: Where did you hear that? Mr. Yamada and Miss Vance have absolutely nothing to do with each other. There are more things worthy of Mr. Yamada's time than that two-faced spoiled brat. Please do not mention a word of her in your paper -- having her name linked to Mr. Yamada's will certainly be his undoing. Well, if you'll excuse me...

Seth came up to me as Snow-san walked away.

Seth: She may have done her job to deny the rumors between Simon and Scarlet, but it looks like there's no love lost between her and our client, huh?

Midori: And let's not forget that as Simon's trusted secretary, she'd have unlimited access to that stationery.

Seth: But... Midnight Daily? That makes no sense at all. Was that the best you could come up with?

Midori: If you don't like it, then maybe you should do it next time.

Seth: Where did you get those hideous glasses anyway?

Midori: From your desk.

Seth: Oh. Okay.

I'm sure Seth of the I-made-certain-those-glasses-were-hidden fame would have my head once he gets wind that I am sharing the details of this case with you, but I don't care! I would love it if you were here with me every step of the way.

Midori

Case 01: Scarlet's Letter

Mori
Itsukishima
Hiroshima Prefecture
April 13

To Ojiisan, Obaasan, and Chihiro-basan:

She had legs up to here and lips the color of an angry sky. When she entered the room, she didn't even glance in my direction; she headed straight for Seth, as if she knew instinctively who was in charge. Or maybe I really look like the hired help.

She said her name was Scarlet Vance.

Vance-san pouted her blood-red lips as she laid out her dilemma before us. It seemed that she had received a blackmail letter a few weeks ago.

Eager to shut the blackmailer up, she placed one thousand dollars in an unlined envelope, which she slipped into a garbage can in the park. She thought that was the end of it. A few days later, the blackmailer had written back, asking for more.

Seth: What was he blackmailing you over, Miss Vance?

Scarlet: My father owns the Vance Group of Companies, which runs restaurants and clubs and other establishments in the city. A young upstart named Simon Yamada has been aggressively challenging him and my father hates his guts. Simon also happens to be my boyfriend. We've always been very discreet! But this blackmailer sent me a photo of us together and threatened to send it to Daddy. My father would kill me -- or worse, take away my inheritance -- if he found out!

Was I supposed to say poor little rich girl? Vance-san didn't seem to strike as one who was looking for sympathy.

Seth: Can you tell me a bit more about this photo? Where were you? Who could have seen you together then?

Scarlet: It was taken at Simon's club called Hub. We've always had absolute privacy. No one knows we're dating, except for his secretary.

I asked if we could see the letter. Vance-san looked startled, as if she had forgotten all about me. She handed the letter to Seth, who examined it carefully.

Seth: What's this mark here?

Scarlet: Oh... I've never noticed that before! It's Hub's logo. It's printed on all their correspondence.

Midori: The dance club has official stationery? No matter how many people go there every night, I don't suppose just anyone could have access to the company stationery.

Seth: Then we know where to start looking.

Well, one thing's certain: things are starting to heat up at Midnight Confidential!

Midori

Longing

Mori
Itsukishima
Hiroshima Prefecture
April 6

To Ojiisan, Obaasan, and Chihiro-basan:

Nothing makes me more homesick than an afternoon at Little Tokyo. There is little in the city in the way of greenery, so I crave for every little hint of home. Last weekend, my employer and I joined a few of our other friends and acquaintances for an afternoon of food, photography, and good company. I saw Sachiko-san again, but she was quite preoccupied elsewhere. Seth was unbent enough to accompany me the entire day.

Again, Chris-neesan wanted to document each moment, and she wasn't taking no for an answer! But it was obvious that I found myself an unexpected ally in Mr. Midnight.

Midori: Excuse me, Chris-neesan? You really want me to sit on this rock? Aren't you afraid I'll fall?

Seth: Uh... I suppose if I put my arm here, you'd be better supported.

Midori: Okay... Thank you, then.


Midori: What a great shady spot! Let's take a picture... but uhm, you can remove your arm now, Mr. Midnight.

Seth: There was a beetle.

Midori: What kind? Is it a Trechinae Carabidae?

Seth: More like Invisibilae.

Midori: An Invisibilae Carabidae? I don't recall being familiar with one of that species.

Seth: Recent discovery.

Was he laughing behind my back? I really have no idea what to make of him. One minute he's very solicitous of others, the next one he gives me the brush-off. I'm still glad that he was more than civil that day. Towards the end of the afternoon, we realized that we had somehow broken away from the others, but that didn't seem to bother my business-like employer. We ended up spreading a picnic blanket on the ground; I presented him with some cakes and pastries that I made for the occasion. Seth seemed to like it. He seems to like a lot of things these days.

And somehow, at the end of the day, I wasn't really as homesick as I thought I was.

Always,
Midori

A Day at the (Other) Office

Mori
Itsukishima
Hiroshima Prefecture
March 12

To Ojiisan, Obaasan, and Chihiro-basan:

Perhaps taking pity on my overworked state, Chris-neesan took Seth and me to her new office. The place is a rather big studio of red and white walls. So very industrial and modern. I confess an ignorance to interior design, but from the approving looks of Chris-neesan's colleagues, it must be quite impressive. Large block letters that spell out their company's name greets visitors at their reception area, which Chris-neesan declared the perfect place for our photoshoot.



Notice that Seth and I were joined with another person. He was Mr. Grey St. John, but there was barely enough time to speak with him. I found it quite rude that Seth insisted on staying away from him. I was too tired to argue with him this time, but I do hope that I'll have better sense than to listen to Seth the next time we encounter Mr. St. John. I am not quite sure if you will approve of him, Obaasan, with his wild looks, but he gave me no reason to doubt that he was a perfect gentleman.

Maybe I'm not giving Seth enough credit, though. For all his cool posturing, he does seem to look out after me. Of course, he looks out for the Agency first and foremost, but perhaps I come a distant second. Today he made sure that I ate properly and he never left my side even when Chris-neesan did. Now, now, don't get mad at Chris-neesan; she had other things on her mind. Besides, as I pointed out, it was not as if I was really alone.

Yours,
Midori

The Different Roles We Play

Mori
Itsukishima
Hiroshima Prefecture
February 27

To Ojiisan, Obaasan, and Chihiro-basan:

I suppose I should have clarified what it meant to be Seth Midnight's assistant. After a few days of filing his paperwork, he hands me my first 'assignment.'

I should not have been thrilled. Here was how our conversation went:

Midori: You want me to go to a garage? Was there a car theft?

Seth: No, they need someone to fill in during the 3-6 shift for the next five days.

Midori: So I'm to go undercover? Why, is the boss harassing his employees? Is the garage a front for a drug-smuggling operation?

He clears his throat, looks deeps into my eyes, and says...

Seth: Midori, we operate a detective agency that just might find us dealing with the other side of the law. We can't very well advertise ourselves as such. We let our clients find us -- and believe me, if they're desperate enough, they will find us. So to the rest of the world, Midnight Confidential doesn't exist. What does exist is the Midnight Cleaners and Temp Services.

Midori: The Midnight whatta--?

Seth: (goes back to reading his paper) I knew from the get-go your obsessive-compulsiveness was just what I needed to operate. I'm temping you out at 3 PM. I hope that I will not need to remind you to be punctual.

So there I was, unaware of what dual overhead cams were, and suddenly I needed to know how a car worked. And we never even owned one! I suppose Ojiisan's prediction that 'we're going to need one in the future' was somehow right, Obaasan. Anyway, it was lucky for Midnight Cleaners and Temp Services, I was a quick study -- at least, enough of a quick study to tell the camshaft from the crankshaft and not be an embarrassment to anyone. I rather thought I did well, all things considered.

(Except for that time when I forgot to change a client's piston rings. I did apologize profusely.)

Of course, being a garage mechanic was only the beginning. Fortunately, though, Seth seemed to pick up that I wasn't too keen on getting jobs like that so the next one he gave me was comparably cleaner -- I worked as a waitress at a sushi restaurant. It was a good thing I had previous experience waiting on people that this time, it didn't seem like a task at all.

I discovered something surprising, though. When I returned to the office late one night, I found Seth Midnight sleeping on his desk.



Funny how he didn't look the least bit cold or sarcastic while he was sleeping. I suppose it would have been strange if he did. I often wondered what the man did during the day aside from read his newspaper or scribble his notes while I slaved away on his temp jobs but there was something almost vulnerable about him in that position that I lost my irritation.




I thought maybe I would just tell him tomorrow.

Your Midori

His New Assistant

Mori
Itsukishima
Hiroshima Prefecture
February 9

To Ojiisan, Obaasan, and Chihiro-basan:

When Mr. Seth Midnight unexpectedly called and asked me to meet with him, I was more than prepared to engage in a verbal tussle. I am aware that I had let my emotions get the better of me during our previous exchanged but I was now ready to meet him head-on.

So imagine my surprise when he said he wanted me to be his assistant. It seems that Mr. Midnight is a detective, and he was pretty impressed with the way I broke into his office. Also, he claimed that my paper showed clear thinking, excellent organization, and an almost obsessive attention to detail. I was floored.

(Again, I shall quote him verbatim. I suppose if I will be recounting all my conversations you shall have to get used to this.)

Seth: So will you take the job, Midori-san? Or will you have to consult your grandparents in Miyajima first?

Midori: H-how did you know that?

Seth: When I said I was in the business of investigating, please don't mistake it for haphazard fabrication of theories. I am good at what I do. You smell distinctly of vanilla, and you left that scent in this room when you personally delivered your paper which, by the way was impeccable, save for that tiny smudge of food on the last page. Upon closer examination, I deduced that it is dragonfruit-flavored momiji manju. While momiji manju is not exclusive to your island of Miyajima, the only shop to produce such a flavor is located there. Someone must have sent it to you. And since Miyajima is so small, a quick look at the registry shows only one listing for a Mori family -- an elderly couple and their locksmith daughter, your aunt. Am I right?

I couldn't even nod. But was this man ever long-winded!

Seth: Or actually, I could have just called your former employer and asked. She did mention that one of your best qualities was that you were even-tempered and practical. You no longer have a job. I am offering you one. While it seems that we have started off on the wrong foot, I can assure you that as long as you do as you're instructed we will have a very efficient working relationship.

Put like that, how could I refuse? So that was how I ended up working for Midnight Confidential.

Practically,
Your Midori

The Insufferable Seth Midnight

Mori
Itsukishima
Hiroshima Prefecture
January 29

To Ojiisan, Obaasan, and Chihiro-basan:

It is quite possible that I have met the most insufferable man on the planet.

By now you know how much I've enjoyed working at Barbie's. Well, I was eagerly on my way there when I noticed a strange sight. The sign on the cafe door read 'Closed", which was a shock in itself, but there was also the fact that our chairs and tables were piled outside.

When the door opened, I came face to face with said insufferable man. I immediately demanded to know where Barbie-san and the others were and what he was doing to our cafe.

(At this point, I feel compelled to repeat our argument verbatim so that you may the kind of person I was dealing with.)

Seth: My name is Seth Midnight. The previous proprietor agreed to sell the building to me, so I've shut down the the establishment previously operating here. As to her whereabouts, it is of little significance to me so I didn't bother obtaining that information.

Midori: B-but this is where we work! This is what Barbie-san does for a living!

Seth: True, the owner was a bit discombobulated when I paid her cash for this space, but she seemed only too happy to take the money home.

Midori: I don't know where you're from but around here, those things just aren't done without proper notice.

Seth: May I point out that the fact that it has happened constitutes a possibility?

Midori: You can't just do that!

Seth: I think you have a severe problem accepting facts.

The man was infuriating! I stomped away. I knew I wasn't going to get anywhere.

Instead, I made sure I had the right ammuntion. I went home and researched ideal courses of action that would benefit all parties involved -- and if he wasn't satisfied with that, I also detailed legal actions that I would take for Barbie-san's sake. It took me all day and all night but the results were worth it.

But the building was locked when I visited it the next day. But did I let that stop me? Of course not. Chihiro-basan, I hope you know that there is an exception to every rule and Mr. Seth Midnight is one such exception. So I used everything you taught about lock-picking, broke in, and left my excellent paper on his desk. Believe me, that's ALL I DID! I certainly refused to touch anything else in that office.

You see, I was pretty sure that he would have just thrown my paper away if I had left it outside his door. I had to make sure that he read it, and of course, I wanted to get his attention.

That got his attention all right; he called me that evening and offered me a job.

I swear, he is the most irritating, impossible, -- confusing -- man that I have ever met.

Midori