Rhapsody in Red

Chapter 18

After returning from the toilet and before beginning the last part of her daily performance, she realized that her cell phone had sounded and that she had messages both in her voicemail and in her what's app.

 Surprised by the insistence, she hurried to open them and when verifying that the sender was Yoshida in both cases and that the text was also the same her pulse started to beat a little faster.

"Call me urgent!"

As soon as the first ring of his phone rang, the teacher immediately responded and, betraying his anxiety, answered directly without giving any greetings.

"Aiko. A tall man dressed in a black suit is about to enter the restaurant where you are along with several other people. The former is Korean while the others are all Japanese. Look where they sit and try to film their activities while they are there. It is important that you try to get the most detailed possible close-ups of their faces to facilitate the use of facial recognition techniques. Use the zoom of your camera for it."

Yoshida paused and then continued.

"It is also necessary to be attentive to their movements, if they get up and in which direction they go, if they talk to other diners and in particular if someone joins them later."

The girl responded with two words.

"All right."

She then cut off the communication and pressed the camera icon on her cell phone as she focused it vilely in the direction of the door. After a few moments, the girl  verified that a contingent was actually entering the premises. She used the zoom in order to capture different planes of the group and of each of its members. The maître approached quickly the group and without a word led them to a table in the corner of the restaurant. Immediately a waitress approached them and took their orders.

Aiko, who had been distracted observing the dynamics of the group saw that the manager Mr. Suzuki was watching her and soon realized that she had to continue with her performance so she approached the piano and began playing making sure that the camera was always in a suitable position to capture her target.

"I'll make this part of the performance five minutes longer so that Suzuki does not get angry." She thought.

As it often happened to her Aiko was literally possessed by her music so that the agreed period of performance between intervals flew by and she soon saw Suzuki giving her a satisfied smile. The girl smiled back and then she paused. An idea had crossed her mind while she occasionally looked askance at the diners in whom Yoshida was so interested.

Although the group was in a secluded and partially hidden place Aiko had noticed that it was on her way from her place on the piano to the toilet. She got up and walked in that direction carrying her purse hanging by her arm. When approaching the group the woman decided her course of action and in a somewhat careless way she passed behind the tall Korean and her handbag accidentally hit the fork that the man had left on the edge of the table; the utensil fell loudly to the floor and Aiko covered her face with embarrassment.

"Excuse me, how clumsy I am. No, please leave, I will pick it."

She bent down indeed and quickly picked up the object requesting a waitress to replace it. The girl understood and hurried to find the new fork while Aiko went to a place where the waiters usually placed the used cutlery to be processed by the dishwasher. She then made a gesture of throwing the fork in that site and continued her way to the toilet. Once there and after verifying that she was alone, with the tip of her fingers she took out the fork of her sleeve, put it carefully in the plastic envelope in which she carried a vial of hand cream and kept everything in her purse .

When she came back from the bathroom Aiko saw that the tall man in the black suit was getting up from the table, leaving the rest of the group and heading towards a door behind which the young woman knew that the offices were located.

Later, while Aiko was interpreting the last part of her show she saw that the group of interest was leaving the premises accompanied by the obsequious Suzuki who had approached and opened the glass door before them.

Aiko momentarily interrupted the performance and changed her cell phone from camera mode to phone and called Yoshida.

"They're coming out."

"Well, I'll tell Shinzo to follow them."

She found the sensei in an exultant mood and they were immediately joined by Matsumoto who despite his imperturbable face approached the young woman and kissed her on the forehead.

"Fumihiro told me about the material you got last night and I'm impressed."

At that moment, Mrs. Yamaguchi entered without knocking on the door with her knuckles as she used to and the director told Yoshida who was holding the plastic envelope with the fork in his hand.

" Give it to Harumi." It was evident that the excitement had made him forget the formalities and the hierarchies. Then he instructed the secretary.

" Send it to our people immediately so that they can obtain fingerprints of the fork and compare them with their databases. Surely they will have to send the data and perhaps the object to Tokyo, so let´s do everything as expeditiously as possible. Remember that they will also find Aiko's fingerprints on one end of the utensil."

Yamaguchi withdrew without comment to comply with the orders and Matsumoto addressed the girl.

"Aiko, yesterday you showed a remarkable degree of initiative and courage. Depending on if we have the data of this Korean man in our bases and who he is we can be in front of the tip of a ball and we do not know what will be at the other end."

" Could Shinzo keep track of him when he left the restaurant? " Yoshida asked.

 "Yes, the Korean went to his hotel." The director mentioned a five-star hotel." He probably  has checked in there with a false name."

"Don´t they ask for documents in the hotels?" The girl asked, immediately realizing the naivety of her question.

"Even if they have these characters tend to move around the world with a series of false passports looking absolutely genuine."

"Will Shinzo be able to track him from that point on?" asked the instructor.

"He surely will try but it is possible that at some point he will lose the track. Anyway, if we can determine that a major terrorist is in New York and is in contact with the owners of the chain of restaurants where Aiko works, that in itself is a piece of information of extreme importance. Let's wait for the results of the dactyloscopic test and of the faces recognition not only of the tall man but also of his companions."

That afternoon Aiko left the offices of the Mount Fuji Association with a light heart.

"Today you look especially cheerful, I would say festive." Leandro told her with a smile. "Do you have something to tell me?"

Aiko hesitated, then replied.

"You know there are things that I cannot talk about."

"I understand." Both the tone and the gesture of the boy were sad." You know? I feel that just as your music united us when we met, now your ... other activities are separating us."

The young woman did not answer immediately and after pondering her answer she said.

"But I feel that our relationship is progressing. Don´t you feel the same?"

"What you say is true ... in part. But there is a wall of smoked glass that prevents me from seeing inside you."

"I told you before. A woman must have secrets."

Aiko realized that her answer was unsatisfactory from the point of view of the man who loved her. She then took his arm and told him.

"We do not have time to go to your apartment because I have to act tonight, but I need you today, I want you to make love to me. Take me to a hotel nearby."

The girl began to dress slowly; both were satiated after the evening spent in bed. However, a cloud passed through Leandro's mind.

"I see you euphoric but I still do not know if I am the reason or simply an instrument for your exclusive celebration. The true reasons of your state are hidden for me."

Aiko knelt on the bed and said seriously.

"Do not tarnish our happiness. I beg you to accept me just as I am."