Milk Tea Part 4

Now I know why Anton is dragging me into the case - the consequences of failure are too much for Causeway Kids to take.

We stopped at the Black Venus, gazing for Pamela. A petite figure came out -  her eyes covered in sparkling blue eye shadow; her lips curved in shades of pinkish red; her body masked in sheer layers of a black leather skirt. If Leanne was Venus, she would be the vixen .

'Hi, I am Pamela, but I only have 15 mins because my appointment is 20 minutes after.'

'We really appreciate that. Anyways, how did you know Leanne?'

She spilled her tale, 'Leanne used to be the ultimate figure of the club. You see, before she met Hiroshi, she was the girl of everyone's dream here. People raved about her, they gave her $5000 for 20 minutes of endless partying. It was good that she met Hiroshi, she doesn't need to sell her body here anymore. I am not being envious, but the boss here makes everyone put on Special K on their bodies just so the customers could feel the organism. And it is absolutely an electrifying experience..'  - strands of innocence flashed in Pamela's cheeks, as if a moment of purity transcended into her.

'Did you know the connections between Leanne and milk tea? She was killed near a milk tea cafe'

'Oh my goodness' - tears streamed out of Pamela's eyes, 'she was such a beautiful person that I never thought she would have gone so young..'

Pamela splattered the rest of her tale, wiping pouring falls of tears as she talked:

Leanne would have a never-ending love affair with milk tea, she needs 3 cups of milk tea a day since I first knew her. She adored the bittersweet scent of milk tea. Before Leanne met Hiroshi, she once had a boyfriend called Eric who worked in XTC, the rivalry cafe of Golden Hawk.'

Eric - an aura of mystery rises in his name. Pamela's reportage provided a trail of tales, but with more enigma. Is Leanne the femme fatale? And if Hiroshi is the hero, is Eric the classic noir? Or would it be the other way?

Black Venus was now in its bloom, and so were we..dissecting crimes in shades of grey.

'Might as well talk to Eric,' I laughed, 'see how the ex boyfriend thinks. Maybe it is the typical revenge that caused her death'

'But it maybe dangerous, Pandora, who knows if Eric attacks you?' Chris sighed, 'people come and go too much, I ..don't want to witness another death.'

Yet fate let us bumped into Eric, as he made himself a nuisance in a 7-11, arguing with the salesman so badly on a pack of cigar, a police stepped in.

'Look, Eric Fu, 7-11 doesn't offer discounts on club tickets to Dragon-I, so don't even bother bargaining with the sales.' - The police walked away, smirking on his face - he was a resemblance to Watson. *

'Eric? Do you mind me asking you about Leanne?'

A strike of maliciousness penetrated my eyes - he glared at me, as if attempting to engulf Chris and me into a hell.

'Why talk about that hellcat with me? I am over with her, she wouldn't forgive me because I bet. That's enough for you, pretty girl. Unless you wouldn't mind spending a night with me, or trading a ton of Special K.'  Eric whispered, tracing his fingers on my neck, spreading a drunken cologne onto my shirt.

'I don't need your help' - I mocked, 'your price was not worth it.'

Eric clenched his fists and hit towards me. Chris punched him, only to find Eric embracing him tight with his muscular body, attempting to attack Chris. Chris dodged. Eric turned around and drew a trail of blood on my cheeks with his knife.

Chris, however, emptied his pockets. He saw the glue that Eric craved - and cut it in half.

'My precious glue! Take this for your girlfriend's life!' Eric screamed outside the 7-11, as he put the blade towards my throat. Anxious, I grasped for air, but the knife seemed to be too close. 

Chris knocked Eric to the ground, striking him with a thunderstorm of punches and kicks, and eventually got his life.

But Eric's cut was too deep, maybe...maybe it wasn't an ordinary knife...I fainted.

***

I woke up, feeling a pair of arms, stroking my waist. My face, however, seemed tightened like strained muscles.

A picturesque impression of motherly love that I yearned for.

'Mum?' I whispered..

It was Chris, 'I kill that guy last night. Forced him to choke everything he could. He deserves to die anyway, and he was on the bounty list.'

'We still have work to do..' I sighed.

'Pandora Hayashi, do you know that you are in the hospital, covered in plasters and had a blood transfusion?' Chris shouted.

'I will figure a way..' I muttered, before Chris suddenly hugged me, and clicking sounds of leather shoes came nearer to me.

Were we the hunters, or now the hunted?