Chapter Seventeen: My Last Job Was a Long Story Filled With Sighs.
His phone told him it was almost four in the afternoon. Trash wasn’t sure what to make of the strange call. Danny didn’t check out of his hotel? Did he miss his flight?
Well, there was nothing he could do. He didn’t have Danny’s phone number, so all he could do was send him a DM over Twitter. Besides, it was not his problem.
In the back of his head, he was a little concerned about the payment that he had been promised. He currently had nearly 250,000 yen, and if Danny was serious, there was another 500,000 on the way. Still, he had decided that he was done jumping through hoops to get that money. If he got it, great. If not, well he would be lying if he said it wouldn’t be a blow, but he was glad to be done with this drama.
He decided to go and take a shower, and clean himself up, and then make something to eat. After that, he would decide if he would go out or just stay in today and sort through the collection.
He looked around the room and realized that hissing day was already predetermined. He had no more clean clothes.
Half an hour later, he was at the 24-hour coin laundry that was a short walk from the other side of the train tracks.
The machines were large, and mostly empty at this time of day, so he should be done in about an hour. After loading up his clothes, he made a quick run to the convenience store on the corner to find something to eat.
He spent five minutes just repeatedly looking at the different lunchbox offerings. Any time he decided to splurge on a convenience store lunch, he went through the same pattern. He would check through everything they had, hoping that there was something interesting on sale. Then he would get tempted by the more premium options, pork cutlet rice bowl, grilled barbecue eels, or sometimes a German sausage stew. After weighing the costs to calories, he would inevitably fall back to one of his regular menus. Fried chicken with rice or Napolitan pasta.
Having filled up on fried food the night before, he went with the pasta. He also grabbed a carton of coffee milk to wash it down. The clerk rang up his purchases and heated the pasta in the high-power microwave behind the counter.
After throwing his clothes into a pair of dryers, Trash squatted outside the laundry and ate his lunch. He regretted, once again, not keeping a bottle of Tabasco on him. They never added enough to satisfy him. Still, the sour, sweet, and spicy noodles were filling and tasty. After finishing, he drained the milk, then wiped the red sauce from his mouth, grateful that the clerk had remembered to add the wet paper napkin to his bag. Sometimes they forgot, and when eating Napolitan, a face wipe was an absolute necessity for human dignity.
Trash had just finished cleaning up and tossing the remains in the garbage when his phone rang.
It was another unknown number. He didn’t like the feeling he had rising up his spine.
「Mr. Trash. This is the main reception of the Victoria Hotel in Yurakucho. We spoke earlier.」
「Yes?」
There was no chance that they would call an emergency contact number to tell him everything was fine.
「I’m terribly sorry to bother you again. I was hoping you have been able to contact Mr. Landis?」
「I’m sorry, I haven’t heard from him.」
「I see… That is concerning.」
Trash was about to end the call when the man on the other end said something so strange that he simply froze.
「Do you think it would be possible for you to come to the hotel? 」
The request was so strange, that he didn’t know how to respond. He had never heard of anything so absurd. Why would they ask him to come to the hotel? Maybe Danny was hurt, but then why did they ask him if he knew where to find him?
「Mr. Trash?」
His mind raced. They didn’t know his real name, but they did have his phone number. If he just hung up, then all they could do was keep calling him. But he had no idea what was going on. What if Danny had gotten into some kind of accident? Would he be held responsible in some way? Danny put down his information and gave it to the hotel. What if they gave that information to the police?
「Mr. Trash, are you still there?」
「Oh, sorry. Can you tell me what is wrong?」
「I’m sorry, It’s not something I can discuss over the phone. If you could come here we…, we would like to discuss the… situation.」
Oh shit. That sounded bad. Maybe Danny got hit by a car or something?
It’s not like he owed Danny anything anymore. If there was a problem, he was under no obligation to help him anymore. He was just a customer. He should just hang up.
「Mr. Trash?」
「Uhhh, I’m sorry, I don’t think I can go there right now.」
「All I can say is that this is a serious matter. We would greatly appreciate it if you could make some time.」
He hated it when people talked down to him like that. Spoke to him in a way that there was no choice but to simply comply. That was how his uncle always talked. Asking a question, but making it obvious that there was only one correct answer. This fucking hotel receptionist was acting like he could order Trash to do whatever he needed.
Well, Trash had already decided not to live in that world. He did not have to do shit.
Trash’s anger had him ready to disconnect the call, and then the voice on the phone brought out bigger guns.
「We are trying to get things resolved without having to contact the authorities…」
Shit! Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.
The absolute last thing he needed in the world right now was to have to deal with the police. They had his phone number. They knew his handle name. Maybe they could access his emails and stuff. He had read some police comics where they could get into your emails and see who you were talking to and what about.
It’s not like Trash was a crook, but he wasn’t exactly pristine clean, either. If something did happen to Danny, they would have to find someone to blame, and he was the only one that was convenient.
Danny, that fucker! What had he done?
「Mr. Trash. We can send a car to pick you up if that is convenient.」
「No!」
Damn it! Now they had him.
「No. I’ll get there myself.」
The last thing he wanted was to tell them where he lived.
「 That is appreciated. How long do you think it will take for you to get here? Do you know the address?」
「Yes, I know your location. I can be there in… Is an hour acceptable?」
「Yes, that would be fine. When you reach the reception, please ask for Shinohara. If you need transportation, just call and we can send a car to pick you up.」
「No, I’m fine.」
「I see. Thank you for your time, and again, I sincerely apologize for disturbing your day.」
Bastard! Trash hung up the phone and resisted the urge to throw it against the wall.
Maybe he could just take the money in his account and make a run for it. It’s not like he did anything wrong, and his life here in Akihabara was pretty much over anyway. It’s not like he owed Danny anything else.
Except… The money he had in his pocket came from Danny. Pretty much everything in his bank account too. He hadn’t even come through with Sakamoto. Still, Danny said he would give him his full commission.
The buzzer rang. The drying cycle was finished.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Trash woke up from a daze. He quickly stuffed his laundry bag with the pleasantly warm clothes, then hurried back toward the factory.
He stopped at the threshold. Was he really going to go through with this? He thought to himself.
“An honest man only leaves his home once a day.”
The hollow voice rang in his ears.
“Wake up, go to work, do your business, come back, go to sleep. That’s it. Every day. If you want to be happy, that’s all you have to do. Never waver, never lie, never step outside a second time once you are home.”
When his father spoke those words in one of his drunken lectures, Trash hadn’t understood it all. It was nonsensical. Later, shortly before his death, he finally heard the whole story from his father. The cause of the collapse of his family. The reason why Trash had such a miserable life and the one mistake his father made that led to it.
It was a silly rule, but Trash had tried to keep it. With very few exceptions, he had kept it, too, not that it had brought him any happiness after all.
As he stepped through the door, Trash accepted that this would be another one of those times he broke the rule.
Considering where he was going, he decided to take a quick shower. He was glad that he had freshly laundered clothes and even smiled as he pulled on the warm shorts, jeans, and plain black t-shirt. Then he threw on his “bad-luck-jacket” as it would forever be called going forward.
The MS-09 was custom handmade. This was the only one in the world. It was also the only gift he had ever received from a girl. A thank you for a favor he had done for the tailor. He was sure it could sell for a fortune on auction, but of every treasure he had in his collection, this was the last thing he would willingly part with, regardless of the price.
Now, it had been tainted with misfortune, cursed even. Maybe after this was all over, he would retire it to the closet. But until then, he would wear it and let it suck up all the bad luck that he seemed to be swimming in.
He shoved his wallet and phone into his jacket pocket. Then stepped outside, heading for the station.
----------------------------------------
The Victoria Hotel had to be the most lavishly extravagant building he had ever stepped foot in.
The lobby, which faced the Imperial Palace grounds, was a ridiculous display of wealth. Golden wallpaper, stone floors, and elaborate chandeliers. No less than six staff members stood by the entrance, bowing and greeting guests. Trash felt that everyone in the lobby must be staring at him, wondering what someone like him was doing there.
Everyone here is dressed like a celebrity or a character in a TV show. There were no ill-fitting suits or flannel shirts. As alien as Shibuya was from Akihabara, this strange world seemed even further from his understanding.
His very existence in this place also seemed to create a disturbance. Moments after walking through the door, a woman who looked like she had been ripped from the cover of a fashion magazine stepped over to him.
「Welcome to the Victoria Hotel. Can I be of any assistance?」
He blinked, nearly blinded by her cheerful greeting. There was no sense of the forced smiles that he got from the maids in Akihabara. He was certain that underneath, she was seething at his audacity even to enter this place. She must be cursing him, and was ready to call the maintenance team to clean up after he spoiled this shining floor as soon as he left. Her mask was perfect, however. She gave the impression that despite being a higher life form than he, there was nothing that would make her happier than for him to tell her what horrible mistake had led him to wander into this place.
「Umm, I’m looking for Shinohara?」 He said, his voice full of uncertainty.
「Of course,」 she said, smiling as though it was the most normal thing in the world for a geek to come in here and ask for a staff member by name.
「Please,」 she motioned with her hand toward a large sofa to the side of the reception desk.
Trash sat down, not knowing how long he would need to wait.
The woman walked over to the reception desk and said something to another staff member who picked up a phone.
Less than a minute later, a man walked into the lobby from the back.
He seemed older than his voice on the phone. He looked like one of those elite businessmen they show in the movies. Or a CEO of a major company. While the staff all wore identical uniforms, expensive formal suits in dark colors, This man wore a very expensive-looking light grey business suit with a canary yellow tie.
The woman he had spoken to nodded to Trash on the sofa, and the man moved swiftly yet effortlessly to stand in front of him.
In perfect English, the man greeted him. It was clear this was not the man he spoke with on the phone earlier.
“Mr. Trash? Thank you very much for coming. My name is Harold Shinohara. I’m the General Manager of the Victoria Hotel.”
It took a moment for the words to register in his brain. Switching to English, he just nodded lamely.
“Y-yes…”
「Oh, forgive me. Is Japanese preferable?」
“Either…,” 「Maybe Japanese?」
「Certainly. If you don’t mind, can we go somewhere where we can sit and talk?」
He just nodded, and the man guided him to an elevator.
Swiping a card, he pushed a button, and the elevator started moving.
Trash watched as the numbers above the door kept climbing. Soon, they were near the top of the building.
As the doors to the elevator opened, Trash was shocked by the scene in front of him.
Glass walls directly in front of him gave him a perfect view of the Imperial Palace grounds and all of Western Tokyo. He had never been inside the home of the Emperor, even when they opened it up to official tours on special holidays. Now, looking down, he was amazed that they were even allowed to build a hotel where you could see every part of the palace.
The sun was just beginning to drop low in the sky, and it was creating an amazing view as it descended to the mountains west of the city. Trash could even see Mount Fuji, poking up above some clouds, far to the southwest.
Looking around, he realized they were in some kind of a high-end bar. There were no other people around, however.
The man, Mr. Shinohara, gestured to a table near the window, and they both sat down.
「Thank you again for coming here in response to our request. I appreciate the time and effort.」
Still stunned, Trash just shook his head.
「I’m sorry for being so abrupt, but time is a concern. Do you mind if I ask you what your relationship is with Mr Landis?」
「N-nothing. I mean. He is just a customer of mine. I don’t really know him.」
Trash noticed a small nod, as though the hotel manager was disappointed, but also well-rehearsed in hiding his true feelings. His face betrayed not even a shadow of emotion beyond his polite, smiling mask.
「I understand. I’m afraid we are having difficulty locating Mr. Landis, and this may soon become a… troublesome thing.」
「Is there something wrong? 」
「I’m afraid that Mr. Landis did not check out at the expected time this morning. He also missed the appointment for the car that we booked to take him to the airport.」
「Is that so serious? Maybe he just went out drinking last night and-」
Before Trash could go on, the manager continued.
「Of course, it would be no problem to simply extend Mr. Landis’s stay. We would be happy to help him rebook his flight as well. The concern lies with his room. I’m afraid that when the housekeeping staff entered his room this morning to service the room, they found some disturbing things.」
Trash didn’t like where this was going.
「I’m sorry, I don’t think I can help you. I haven’t seen Danny since yesterday afternoon. I have no idea what he was doing last night.」
「I see. That is unfortunate. As we are unable to determine his current situation, we would have no other option but to contact the authorities in order to gain their assistance to ensure his safety.」
「Huh? Why involve the police?」
「Mr. Trash, may I rely on your discretion?」
That was confusing. Why was this man acting so suspiciously? Bringing him up to this place and talking to him like this?
「Umm. Y-yeah?」
「Mr. Landis is a VIP guest of the Victoria. As such, he is given extra care and consideration. We also do whatever we can to ensure his time with us is pleasant and, of course, safe.」
「I thought this was Danny’s first trip to Japan?」
「Yes, of course, but he has has spent many nights with us in our Singapore, Hong Kong, and London Hotels.」
Of course, that hadn’t occurred to Trash. He nodded his understanding, and then Shinohara continued with his explanation.
「When the state of Mr. Landis’s room was reported to the front desk, I was immediately contacted. 」
「What was wrong with his room?」
Immediately, Trash regretted interrupting the man again. The reaction was subtle, but Trash could tell that he had better let the man finish before interrupting again.
「In addition to Mr Landis’s possessions being left unpacked, there was considerable disorder in the room. There was also some damage that we cannot determine the cause of.」
Manager Shinohara reached into his pocket and took out his phone. Trash noticed that it was a new iPhone 4, the model released just the day before. He had forgotten all about it. The new design was certainly eye-catching compared to the previous model. He wondered how a busy man like this had gotten ahold of one.
Activating his phone, the manager selected several photographs and angled the phone so that Trash could clearly see the screen. What he saw was a huge hotel room. It was one of those rooms with multiple rooms. More like a house, with bedrooms, dining rooms, and more comfort than you could ever need while traveling.
Then, as he focused on the photographs, Trash saw what the manager was talking about. The room was trashed. The furniture was smashed. The television set seemed tilted down from its position on the wall. There were plates and bottles with what looked like red wine splashed all over the white carpeting.
「As you can see, we feel there is more than enough reason to be concerned about Mr. Landis’s absence. If at all possible, we would prefer to maintain his privacy, but if his safety is at stake, we must contact the authorities to get their assistance in locating him.」
Trash was still staring at the photographs with wide eyes. Reaching out, he swiped his finger across the screen, looking at the carnage in the opulent room. Then, he swiped past the last photograph and saw what appeared to be a video taken from security cameras. The color was bad, and the movement was choppy, but the image quality was good.
「That is security footage from the lobby from this morning. It is the last time we were able to locate Mr. Landis on the premises.」
Looking at the corner, it appeared the video was captured shortly after eight this morning.
Trash watched as a disheveled-looking Danny stepped out of the elevator. He stopped, checking himself in the reflective surface of the elevator door, then tidied himself up, straightening up his clothes and fixing his hair.
The video switched to another angle, following Danny as he walked to the front entrance. Trash was about to look away when he saw another figure enter the video.
Danny walked up to the new arrival, then they both turned together and walked out the front doors.
Shinohara caught the shocked look on Trash’s face as the video played.
「Do you know who that man is?」
Realizing his face just gave everything away, Trash simply nodded.
Trash took the phone from the manager, restarting the video and watching it more closely. There was no question who Danny had met.
「Please give me a few hours. I think I might know where Danny is. He should be safe… I think.」
Thinking over his options for a moment, Trash came to a decision.
「I’ll track him down and get him to contact you. Is that okay?」
The manager looked at an expensive watch on his wrist. Then he nodded.
「That would be a great relief. If I can’t get in contact with Mr. Landis by tomorrow morning at 10 AM, I will have no choice. I’ll need to contact the authorities. Please do what you can to let me know that he is fine by then.」
Taking a business card holder from his pocket, the manager removed one card and presented it to Trash with both hands. Trash accepted it in the same manner.
「Also, could I get a copy of this picture?」
Trash had stopped the video at the moment Danny stood alongside a large African man wearing a poor fitting suit. It was the old goat’s manservant, Agbor.