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Continued from Volume 3 Chapter 3(c).
“You’re Lennix?” Dickens said in bewilderment when he arrived at Yuto’s room the next day. “You look pretty decent for someone who’s driven Heiden up the wall. Here I was imagining some shady-looking hulk of a guy.”
“Sorry to disappoint,” Yuto said with a wry smile as Dickens chuckled cheerfully. Truth be told, Yuto was also taken by surprise. He had expected a friend of Heiden to be a similarly snobby detective, but Dickens had a rough look and was sporting an overgrown stubble.
To give him credit, he was still in a suit, though it was wrinkled. He was the bare opposite of Heiden, who kept himself meticulously groomed. However, he seemed reliable and gave off the aura of a seasoned detective who had earned his stripes by working his way up from the bottom.
“Thank you for the call earlier. It was a great help.”
“Least I could do.”
According to Dickens, the president of General Mars, Peter Waddell, was the only one staying at the Marquiladin. He was in the most expensive penthouse suite on the top floor, and was staying for two nights – the previous night and tonight.
“As for your other request, unfortunately that was a no-go,” Dicken shook his head in dismay. “Housekeeping was afraid that hotel management would get wind of it.”
Yuto was disappointed, but not surprised. Dickens was helping them on a personal basis, and not as part of the police. Yuto had to be thankful that he had even agreed to such a bold request as placing a bug in Waddell’s room.
“It can’t be helped. I’m sorry for making such an unreasonable request,” Yuto apologized as he stood beside Rob. Dickens, for some reason, grinned.
“But you know what? I have a good idea. You just need to hear the conversation in the room, right? My idea is safer and less risky.”
Yuto and Rob looked at each other. What kind of plan did Dickens have in mind?
“The room next to Waddell’s suite is scheduled to undergo some renovations, and won’t be having guests until next week. There’s no construction going on today, so the room is an empty shell. Use this, and you’ll be able to listen in on any conversations in the next room. Good idea, huh?”
Dickens pulled out a concrete wall contact microphone. He was right – this device would enable them to listen in on the voices next door.
“Some let you listen remotely through wireless signals, but a careful guy would probably check for wires. This mic goes directly on the wall, so it won’t be detected by any wiretap detection devices.”
Yuto agreed to try Dickens’ method.
“Alrighty,” said the man as he handed him a key card to the room. “Sorry, but this is the furthest I can go. Best of luck to you guys with the rest.”
As Dickens stood up, Yuto thanked him and saw him to the door.
“Heiden feels the same was as you, you know,” Dickens said. “But he’s a little too ambitious, so he tends to ride a wave instead of going against it. I just hope you understand his frustration.”
Yuto admired Dickens for sticking up for Heiden in his subtle way.
Rob spoke up once the man had left.
“I can’t believe someone like him is friends with Heiden. I can’t imagine them getting along,” he said, sounding doubtful.
“That’s something that’s only privy to them,” Yuto replied. “Who knows – maybe they get along precisely because they’re so different.”
“You think?” Rob said, tilting his head sceptically as he sat down on the bed. Yuto was relieved to see Rob acting like normal, but at the same time, he was extremely uncomfortable.
Rob had come back to their room just before daybreak. When he saw that Yuto had stayed awake to wait for him, he apologized for making him worry, and confessed that he had been drinking with CJ. He went on to complain with a tired smile that CJ had taken him to one bar after another, but Yuto didn’t smell any alcohol on his breath. Yuto’s heart ached when he realized that Rob was so hurt that he couldn’t even bring himself to drink his miseries away.
“We should test this out,” Rob said, springing to his feet with the contact mic in hand.
“Test it out?”
“Yeah. Let’s head to the room next door to Waddell’s and check if this mic can actually pick up voices. Just act like we’re paying guests and no one will know any better.”
He was right. It would be reassuring if they could give it a test run beforehand. Yuto gave a brief explanation on how to use the contact mic.
“This brass mic that looks like a cap is what picks up the sound. Put it up against the wall like you would with a stethoscope. Plug the earphones in here. Once you start hearing sounds, use this knob to adjust the limiter and find the band with the clearest sound.”
“Sounds easy. It feels like I’m in a spy movie – this is getting exciting.”
Rob left the room looking like a gleeful child with a new toy, but Yuto couldn’t help but feel like he was forcing himself to be cheerful. But if Rob was being kind enough to act like nothing happened, Yuto wasn’t about to wear a gloomy face around him, either.
Yuto figured that Rob would be back in about thirty minutes, but the man did not return even after an hour. Just as he became concerned and reach for his cell phone, the door opened.
“I was starting to get worried because you were taking so long. Did you run into some trouble?”
“No, none at all. I was able to hear everything. This mic is quite something.”
Rob took out a lined sheet of paper and began to draw out the floorplan of the room with a pen.
“This wall here, to the right-hand side when you enter the room, had the clearest sound. I think the other side was the living room of the suite. Waddell had guests over, and I could hear their entire conversation. I figured it’d be a bad idea to be walking around with a mic, so I hid it in the closet.
“Alright. So all we have to do is pray that Manning and Egan will have a meeting in Waddell’s room. It would probably be after the party, right?”
“Most likely, if Manning is coming late. —Oh, excuse me for a second.”
Someone was calling Rob’s cell phone. It sounded like Jessica. Rob gave a good-natured response and hung up, then hesitantly opened his mouth.
“Jessica’s wondering if we’d like to have tea with her in the lounge before the party. I told her I’d go, but what do you want to do? If you’re not up for it, you can meet up with us in the hall once the party’s begun.”
Of course, Jessica would come accompanied by Dick. Yuto hesitated for a moment, but ultimately agreed to join them. He knew he couldn’t keep putting his own personal matters first like this.
“Well, guess we should start getting ready, then.”
Rob and Yuto began changing into their tuxedoes. CJ had brought them classic tuxedoes with shawl collars. All of the other accessories required for evening formal wear, including stand collar shirts, suspenders, black bowties and cummerbunds made of the same material, pocket squares, and enamel opera pumps.
“Hmm
?” Yuto had wrapped the cummerbund around his waist and was trying to fasten the hooks behind his back, but the hook wasn’t catching. After he struggled for a bit, Rob came to help him out.
“You’re clumsier than you look, aren’t you? There, all done,” he said, giving him a light clap on the back. As he realized what a gentle touch it was, Yuto found himself choking up with emotion. He turned around to face Rob.
“What? What’s the matter?”
Yuto silently looked into Rob’s light brown eyes. Rob looked a little concerned as he stared straight back at him.
“Rob
 thank you.”
He had so many things he wanted to say, but that was all that came out.
“Why so solemn?” Rob laughed as he handed Yuto his jacket. “All I did with was help you put on a cummerbund. I’d help you fasten your bra if you asked.”
“I wouldn’t,” Yuto gave an exasperated smile as he took the jacket and slid his arms through the sleeves.
He knew that Rob’s stupid jokes were his way of showing consideration. By being lighthearted, he was saying that Yuto didn’t have to feel bad about what happened the night before.
Rob’s cheerfulness didn’t simply come from his sunny personality; he was constantly making a conscious effort not to let things get too heavy. It was probably a principle that he upheld in interpersonal relationships. Although intelligence was one of Rob’s strong points, it was no match for his attractive personality.
Once they placed their white pocket squares in their breast pockets as the finishing touch, Rob gave Yuto a satisfied look.
“Perfect,” he complimented. “Almost makes me want to take your arm and escort you.”
“Thanks, but no thanks.”
The two shared an understanding smile before stepping out of the room.
Once they arrived in the lobby downstairs and headed toward the lounge, they found that Dick and Jessica had already arrived and were having coffee at a table by the window. Dick was in a tuxedo, like Yuto and Rob, and Jessica was wearing a burgundy evening dress with a satin sheen. Her hair was done in an elaborate up-do.
Rob approached the table, his exaggerated compliment rolling smoothly off his tongue as usual.
“Jessica Foster, is that you? Have some pity for the Hollywood actresses, would you, you’re putting them all to shame.”
Rob continued to admire Jessica openly even after sitting down. Yuto knew it was an act, but he was impressed nevertheless. Both Rob’s and Dick’s acting were so good, it almost made him doubt that they were gay.
“I’m so jealous of Steve for having the honour of escorting such a beautiful woman. Hey Steve, could I ask a huge favour of you once we get inside? Will you let me take Jessica’s arm and walk around with her for a bit? Ten minutes is all I ask. You wouldn’t mind, would you?” Rob begged.
Dick glanced slowly at Jessica. His gaze was hard, as if to ask her incredulously, “Would you want to walk around with such a brash man like him?” However, Jessica gave a gracious smile.
“A little walk wouldn’t hurt, would it? Rob’s my friend.”
“
If you say so,” Dick said sullenly. Jessica looked at Rob and Yuto and gave a light shrug of playful exasperation, as if to say what a hassle it was to have a jealous lover.
Perhaps it was thanks to what happened with Rob last night; Yuto was able to keep his personal feelings in check this time as he observed Dick and Jessica. It was evident that Dick knew Jessica inside out and had her in the palm of his hand. Jessica had close ties with the main actors of this case. How much information had Dick been able to glean from her?
“It’s almost time for check-in. Let’s head over to the party, shall we? If I may, Jessica. A promise is a promise, right?”
Rob extended his hand, and Jessica stood up with a wry smile. As Rob and Jessica began walking arm-in-arm, Yuto and Dick naturally fell in behind them. The pair in front of them were chatting animatedly, but Yuto and Dick didn’t exchange a single word.
The party was being held in a room on the seventh floor, and many of the guests had arrived already. The extravagantly decorated ballroom looked like it could hold about a thousand if it was a standing-style event. The buffet table against the wall was filled with various luxurious dishes, and many waiters and hostesses were going around with glasses, handing out drinks to the chatting guests.
General Mars was a large corporation that not only held a large share in the United States market, but in overseas markets as well. This party to celebrate its fiftieth year since establishment was appropriately lavish.
“Wow,” Rob gave a cry of awe. “Even the ceiling and walls are glittering. It’s almost blinding. It feels like I’m in a palace.”
“Sure does,” Jessica said with a laugh. “Apparently they’re also using this venue to hold the reception for their international summit happening next month.”
“A ballroom as nice as this is certainly good enough for world leaders, too.”
“Rob, there’s Waddell. Would you like me to introduce you to him?”
Jessica had already spotted Peter Waddell, the star of tonight’s party. Waddell was a plump man a little past middle-age, and at present he was surrounded by a crowd of guests.
“If I went and jammed myself in there, I don’t think the ladies and gentlemen waiting to exchange words with him would like it very much. Jessica, you’re acquaintances with him. Go on ahead without me.”
“I’ll see you later, then. Let’s go, Steve.”
With that, Jessica and Dick disappeared into the throng.
“Let me tell you, it’s a pain in the butt trying to keep a self-important woman in a good mood.  Kudos to Dick for keeping it up,” Rob said wearily as he rolled his neck.
“You’d make great marriage scammers. You and him both.”
“Hey, that’s a bit harsh, no? I might make it look easy, but it’s taxing on me, too. 
Hm? Hey, Yuto, look at that. Looks like Egan’s joined Waddell’s fan group.”
Yuto turned around at Rob’s words to see Egan from Smith-Backs Company standing beside Waddell. They looked well-acquainted, leaning in as they chatted with each other.
“We’ve got two actors so far. I wonder when the third one will make his appearance.” As Jessica said, it looked like Manning was running late.
A few minutes later, the ceremony began, and Waddell went up to the podium. His speech was on the long side, and although it was kept a quiet and dignified tone, it was peppered with an appropriate amount of humour that sent laughter through the crowd. Overall, his audience seemed to be pleased with it. Waddell waved confidently to the crowd as they applauded him, looking more like a veteran Oscar-winning actor rather than the president of a company.
“What a party,” Rob said, glancing around and taking tabs of the guests. “Lots of political big wigs here. Especially neoconservative politicians – pretty much all of them showed up.”
Yuto was busy keeping watch on Waddell. Suddenly, there was a buzz amongst the crowd near the entrance. They could even hear some scattered applause.
“Who is it? Some celebrity?”
As Yuto and Rob looked on, the crowd parted down the middle like Moses and the Red Sea to reveal a single man in the middle. He looked to be in his early fifties, and his well-structured face hinted at how handsome he must have been in his younger years. Although the eyes of the crowd were gathered on him, he appeared unbothered, a natural smile gracing his lips as he briskly made his way across the room.
“There’s our guy, the star of the show,” Rob said. Yuto nodded in silence. He was Bill Manning – a face they had seen on television in the news almost every day as election coverage hit a fever pitch.
“He’s going to say hello to Waddell.”
Manning and Waddell were shaking hands. Their friendly exchange looked almost staged. To Manning, Waddell was his father-in-law; to Waddell, Manning was his daughter’s husband. They were family, and yet they seemed awkwardly distant. Perhaps it was an act they were putting on due to the upcoming elections.
“Looks like they’ll be meeting up after the party to talk,” Rob said confidently. Yuto had an idea of why Rob had arrived at that conclusion. The three men were married, and yet none of them had brought their wives along to the party. Usually, it was the norm to attend as a couple, with their spouses dressed up as well. For Manning especially, it would have been excellent PR to have his wife, Waddell’s daughter, in tow to show how well they were getting along.
“Objectively, it’s quite a sight. You have two companies from two industries that have total control over the government – munitions and oil – getting married, and their resulting God-sent gift is Manning. He’s bound to be some type of monster. Let me get closer and scout them out,” Rob murmured as he set off, threading through the crowd closer to Manning.
Yuto observed Manning carefully from a distance. He was approaching fifty-two years in age, but like Egan, he looked much younger. Not only that, he looked sincere. He could see how many people would fall for his dashing smile. Physical appearance was important for politicians, and Manning had all his bases covered in that area.
As Manning grinned, flashing his white teeth, Yuto spotted an elderly man hobbling toward him. The white-haired man had a slightly-bent back, and was sporting small round sunglasses with a short cane. He had an impressive mustache and beard, as snowy as his hair.
Manning lent an ear to the old man, nodding attentively to his words. Perhaps the man was expressing his support for him in the upcoming election. After a few more minutes of talking accompanied by animated gesticulation, the old man nodded several times before finally leaving Manning’s side.
Yuto was standing against the wall, and as the old man passed him, he turned and flashed Yuto a grin. It was impossible to tell his entire expression because of his sunglasses, but the man’s wrinkled face was filled with glee.
There was no one standing close to Yuto. The smile was clearly aimed at him. Yuto gave him a slight nod, not wanting to completely ignore him, but inwardly hoped that the man wouldn’t try to start a conversation with him. Lonely elderly people tended to go on and on with their stories once they found someone who might listen. If Yuto had time to kill, he wouldn’t have minded being a conversation partner, but now was not the best time. Yuto inwardly prayed that the man wouldn’t approach him, and it appeared to work – the man resumed walking with his cane.
Yuto let out a slight sigh of relief just as Rob returned. With uncannily good timing, Dick and Jessica also came to join them.
“Hey, Rob, Ralph Hamill is standing at the buffet table right now. You knew him, right? Would you mind introducing me to him? We would really love to consult an expert like him for advice on a bill that we’re considering proposing. Please?”
Jessica’s plea was earnest. For lobbyists like her, these parties were not only places for socializing, but were great opportunities to expand networks and connections.
“Sure. Let’s head over.”
“Thanks. Steve, what about you?”
“I’m a bit tired. I’ll wait here with Alan. You two go on.”
“Alright.” Jessica nodded and disappeared again into the crowd with Rob.