A Wild-born Home

“That’s the issue. They had looked at it from that angle, but everyone who had access to these locations was clean, no ties to the yakuza organization. It was confirmed the documentation they looked at wasn’t tampered with at all.” They had been very thorough, and Naoto didn’t even have to sigh in exasperation in regards to them overlooking details like that. “Along with checking employees who decided to leave the company.”

She lets that hang in the air, then slides another file over. It’s rather thick, but there’s a reason for it. “We aren’t the first to be assigned. The company could afford to hire a few investigators to work on this at once, so while the disappearances are fairly recent, this much has been gathered. If you take a look, you’ll see that there are certain facts that defy logic.”

And that’s putting it nicely.

Maybe, Naoto wonders, it’s related to that. Nothing with Personae, but a step into a broader zone. Something with otherworldly things and such. She’s embarrassed to even think this, but no matter how much she had reviewed all the present files before today’s meeting, nothing firmly rooted in the ordinary jumped out at her.

She decides this to be the best time to transition and supposes Ms. Addams wouldn’t wish to delay the real reason for her presence. “In short, we’re looking at a few disappearances and stolen company information. The company has considerable presence overseas, hence why a number of foreigners and immigrants reside here in Aichi.”

Naoto takes two sips of her coffee. “What’s peculiar about the case is that a few workers, including the CEO, vanished without a trace. The security cameras caught nothing and were not have been tampered with. The police suspect members of the Kodo-kai to be responsible, but there has been no evidence linking them yet.” She pauses for a moment, trying to recall if the Kodo-kai had been mentioned anywhere in the files.

They aren’t.

“The Kodo-kai are a yakuza organization, part of the larger Yamaguchi family. Their activities are primarily within finance, such as banking or investments. As of now, I’m not sure if they are involved, but I figure it would be best to let you know in the event that they are.”

"I see." Hades discards her coffee on a coaster resting on the table between them for now, moving to cross her arms. "Given the manner of the disappearances and the fact that an executive was also taken…we have three real options. One, that the perpetrator either found some manner or method to avoid detection by the cameras. Two, they had intelligence provided that would help them know how to avoid any surveillance. Or three, that this was the work of someone internal, who would have an awareness of the current security patterns and had access to the right areas to make contact with the victims."

Hades pushes the rim of her glasses. They glide further up her nose and into place. "I'm not a police detective, so I will follow your lead. My services as a legal consultant should hopefully augment your research and findings and cut down on the workload." A pause.

"But if I may, my advice would be that we retrieve documentation on who had access to the locations these members were abducted from, as our first step for my side of things. I find it likely that even if this-- Kodo-kai?-- even if they are involved, they may have bartered for information with an employee, or coerced them. Otherwise there would likely have been something caught on camera, since sensitive information-containing corporations are usually quite good at adjusting protocols for safety and security reasons. But in order to have devices that were not tampered with and no footage, any perpetrator would need accurate and up to date intelligence on their placements and any guard rotations and routines. If everyone has been abducted from the office, cross-referencing the access of both current employees to those locations --and perhaps any workers that have recently parted ways with the company before any changes in security have occurred-- may find us a lead."

He watches her expression as she seems to mull over the information he's given. It's a lot to take in all at once, he's sure that must be why there's some hesitation on her end but he remains steadfast in his assertions. "I'm not sure--I'm positive." Sterling insists, her jabs at his intentions falling on deaf ears. The moment she asks for details, he's ready to fire, his gaze growing distant as he takes to recalling what he had seen in his vision.

"It's a silver blue 1965. You can tell because the grill has the vertical and horizontal bars, and the --- no. That's not important, scratch that. What is, is that... maybe I didn't give you enough credit." She pushes her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "We're dealing with an idiot, but one with enough power and wealth and apparently enough of a lack of sense to try something like this just to put off the inevitable."

Her tongue pushes the cigarette to the other side of her mouth. An idea is already forming. "....Mrs. Stivers is inside the building. Thankfully our suspect-- a Mr. Dan Lions-- his experience with her was dim-lit and... not conversational."

Once Ms. Addams returns—and Naoto switches to what she presumes is her surname, in order to maintain a proper professional distance—she asks, “Are you getting by all right? The language isn’t proving difficult, is it?”

"The language itself hasn't been much of an issue. Linguistics is something I've studied in my free time. I did refresh myself before coming here, but you could consider me a polyglot."

Her smile is polite. "I fear my struggle tends to be more cultural. I understand the etiquette when speaking to the degree a foreigner can, but some differences between here and where I live take some getting used to. Still, I think I'm settling in well enough. I'm sure that skill in my repertoire is in part why I'm here."

"That is a great question, Miss. The moment I knew something would go awry, I had to step in—rest assured, my visions are anything but circumstantial. Since you were hired specifically for this case, I feel it is imperative you’re aware of what I’ve seen.” His expression shifts into a far more serious one all of a sudden.

She shifts at his explanation, the tension in her shoulders easing a fraction when he chooses to share. Her arms remain crossed, but she no longer is looking at him. Her brows knit together, before her hold breaks and she pinches the bridge of her nose. It's a brief gesture, before her hands dig through her pockets.

".....Fuck." She exhales. One glove produces a cigarette pack, and looses one with a shake. She jams the thing between her lips, chewing on the filter while checking her phone.

It's 2:25.

".....Look. Are you sure? You're not known for your accuracy. If I didn't know she was in that salon right now, I'd think you were just trying to weasel your way into this job. But...." Oh, that infernal sliver of doubt, of knowing what could be out there, and knowing he might not be the lunatic everyone pronounced him as.

"Yes. My investigation. The one I was hired to collect data and evidence for. The one I've been working for weeks." Her voice is still controlled, but there's a note of tension that's growing. Why bother trying harder to hide it from the man who either doesn't give a shit, or is incapable of hearing what you say unless you spell it out for him?