《False Dendrite -heaven shouter-》 Chapter 1, part 1: [From one job to another] "Mission complete..." Lifting his weary legs from off the floor and propping them up on an antique desk that in no way deserved to be disgraced in such a manner, a young man leaned back in his reclining office chair and let out a long, regret-filled sigh. This most recent job was to find proof of suspected adultery, a simple task that was the bread and butter of any private detective agency... but that fact didn''t make it any less mentally taxing. Now it definitely wasn''t the "making use of a considerably vast network of informants and lookouts to find out if any illicit canoodling is actually going on in the first place" part that was the issue. After all, such things appealed to his inner delusional eighth-grader. And it wasn''t the "locating the party being illicitly canoodled with and then tailing them" part either, as any apex predator will tell you that the chase is the most satisfying part of the hunting experience. No, it was the "obtaining photographic and/or video evidence of said canoodling" part that never failed to fill him with disgust. Because human beings were disgusting enough without having to watch them grind their naked flesh against one another and record it all for posterity. "At least you don''t have to see that shit too..." A long sigh escaped his lungs as he reached behind his seat and clumsily searched around for something. And once he did... "Jailbreak! Jailbreak!" ...a large, ash-colored bird leapt from its cage while singing songs of its newfound freedom. "Yeah, yeah..." Laughing at the bird who was currently flying figure-eights around his head, the young man sat up in his chair and popped open the expensive container of pecans that he''d just bought with part of the bonus that his happy client shelled out when he handed over those hidden-camera pornos of her husband and his barely-legal paramour. "I wouldn''t have to lock you up when I leave if I could trust you not to wreck up the place when I was gone, you know," he said to the bird. "Meh," it replied as it landed on the desk. And then hopped over to the container of pecans. And shoved its entire head inside. "C''mon man," the detective groaned, "I didn''t even get to eat o-"Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. His words were cut short by a sudden splitting headache. Instantly shifting back into serious-mode, he pulled his legs off the desk and ran towards the window... TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP ...where one of his informants was already waiting. "Two people are heading for the building," he reported. "Both female, just got off a bus." "Thanks," the detective replied with a nod. "Be careful, they seem spooked!" "Great..." Right when he thought he''d have some downtime, more work showed up. And that headache meant that it was more likely than not involving"that,"too... which in turn increased the likelihood of actual danger. Alas, such is the life of a freelancer. "Yo Ankh!" Turning away from the window, he called out to the parrot who was both covering and stuffing his face with pecans. "Quit screwing around, we got clients! "!!?" The parrot immediately disengaged from the container and stood at attention. "Meal tickets!" "Yeah, that''s right," he sighed, "so get into position." ---------- Lights off, blinds open just enough to give an appropriate level of shadows without sacrificing visibility. A clean desk, save from an open notepad and a newspaper. This was the classic "detective receiving a client" look that was drilled into him over half a decade, and he was quite confident in his execution of this time-honored tradition. As two pairs of footsteps echoed up the stairwell that leads to his office, the young man put on his hat, placed an elbow on his desk to support his slightly hunched-over position and waited for the arrival of the potential clients. ---------- CLICK "Umm, hello...?" A husky voice called out as the office door slowly opened, revealing a lady who looked to be in her late twenties. Her attire consisted of the basic attire of a female professional, a simple blouse, blazer and miniskirt combo. However, the top buttons of her blouse were unfastened just enough to show off a bit of the valley between the ample mounds on her chest... ...and the way her wavy blonde hair was draped down over them only served to amplify this eye-turning effect. Now,mostpeople would take a glance and then take about ten more glances before concluding that she''s one of those types who enjoys flaunting her assets and leaving it at that. But a person with a more discerning eye? They''d notice the way that she was constantly shifting her weight on those uncomfortable six-inch heels. As well as the way that she''s squinting as if she''s having trouble seeing. And also the lingering scent of bleaching product in the air. Yes, any detective worth his salt would easily come to the conclusion that this was in fact a shy young lady who was taking considerable efforts to try and make herself appear to be more "sexy." She''d be pretty enough without trying so hard, the detective thought to himself as he watched her carefully step into his office... ...which is when he finally spotted the girl of about twelve who was practically hiding behind the older woman. Her oversized hoodie and jeans were a stark contrast from her associate''s attire, but it was clear as day from her facial features that the two were related by blood. A suspicious mother/daughter pair. While this definitely reeked of trouble, it also might make for a decent payday regardless. As such, the detective adjusted his hat and put on his best disinterested expression. "Is there something I can help you with?" he asked in his usual gravelly voice. "Er-" The older woman stared at him with a look of utter confusion. "I could have sworn I had the right address..." Chapter 1, part 2: [Introductions] "...is this the Severin Detective Agency?" the tall blonde asked while her gaze repeatedly darted between the man behind the desk and the smartphone in her hand. "Yeah, you have the right place," the young detective replied with a curt nod. "Oh thank God..." Her tense shoulders drooped down as she breathed a sigh of relief. "Are you Mr. Severin''s partner, then?" she asked, slightly less tense than before. "Do you know when he''ll be back in?" "......" He lowered the brim of his hat over his eyes. "Sorry to tell you this, but he passed away last year." "Wha!?" she gasped. "He-" "Yeah, last April." "Oh no no no no..." The young detective took note of the way the woman started to pace around in a little circle while mumbling to herself. Did she know him? It''s definitely possible, I mean he was only forty when he died. Maybe she''s a former client... or maybe an ex-girlfriend? His gaze shifted from the panicking woman to the little girl who was standing motionless behind her. Dear God, please don''t tell me that she showed up hoping to have him take responsibility for a secret lovechild... ...though a second look at the girl''s face mostly shook that thought from his mind. Yeah, she''s too pale to be mixed. Probably. But instead of continuing with this idle speculation, his instincts of a professional deemed that he get back to business. "But even though I''ll never be able to fill his shoes," he said, lifting the brim of his hat, "I''m still carrying on this detective agency in his memory." "..." The woman finally stopped pacing and turned to face him. "The name''s Neil Schneider," he said. "Is there something you needed help with?" "Er... yes," she nodded. "Yes there is."If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. She looked back at the girl, who promptly took her hand and gave it a little squeeze of encouragement. "My name is Deborah Barnes," she said, "and this is my daughter Audrey. We''re trying to get away from my abusive hu-" "One thing before you continue." "Eh!?" she flinched at the young man''s sudden interruption. "When it comes to clients, I have one rule that absolutely needs to be followed. No exceptions." "...yes?" "Total, 100% honesty," he continued. And then he looked her dead in the eyes. "I''m sure you can understand that my line of business can get pretty dangerous, right?" he asked. "Y- yes, of course!" she squeaked out. "Well I''m not so nice a guy as to stick my neck out for someone who isn''t telling me the truth. Or someone who''s withholding important details that I really ought to know about their situation." The fact that he maintained full eye contact without so much as a single blink as he spoke only served to further amplify the already-present tension within the office. ".........I understand," the woman said, admitting defeat. "So long as you do," he nodded. "My real name is Lorraine Rochefort. And this is my sister, Denise." "Wha!?" The smaller girl pulled her hand free from her sister''s grip. "Why would you-" "If he gets even the slightest hint that we''re being dishonest, he''ll throw us out on the streets," Lorraine said, shaking her head. "And then we''ll be completely screwed." "Damn it..." While her sister clenched her little hands into little fists and gritted her teeth in frustration, Lorraine resumed her introductions. "My sister and I have caught the attention of some dangerous people," she said, "and we''re seriously fearful for our lives." "And that''s what brought you here," Neil replied with a nod of understanding. "That''s right." "Mind telling me what exactly you did to attract this attention?" he asked. "........." The two sisters turned to each other with the same pained look on their faces. "Lorrie..." "My coperation is dependent on your answer," Neil said. "I might be in the business of helping people, but I''m not about to get involved with anything without fully understanding the situation first." "Don''t be a sucka for a pretty face!" "!?" The sudden outburst of the parrot perched atop the headrest of Neil''s chair pulled the girls'' attention in an instant. "...oh yeah," Neil smirked, "I forgot to introduce him." "...a parrot?" Denise mumbled. "This is Ankh, my right hand." "Hello, Ankh," Lorraine said, unable to keep from smiling at the headbobbing bird. "But back to the matter at hand..." he cleared his throat. "Y- yes, of course." Unfortunately, there''s only so much that a single bird can do to lighten the mood when things appear to be this serious. "Our situation..." Lorraine took a few moments to gather her confidence. "...it wasn''t caused by anything that either one of us did." "Is that right?" Neil raised an eyebrow. "......" Lorraine''s eyes clouded with anger as she bit her lower lip. "...it''s because of what we are," she growled. And then she returned the same piercing gaze that he''d been intimidating her with just moments ago. "Branch holders, just like you." Chapter 1, part 3: [Body language] "Stupid stripper heels..." Gritting her teeth, Lorraine desperately tried to maintain her balance on these glorified stilts. She''d never even attempted to wear anything aside from flats prior to today, and this experience definitely reinforced her appreciation of proper footwear. "Quit complaining, we''re almost there," Denise mumbled as she took her sister''s hand. "You''re not the one whose feet are about to fall off," Lorraine replied. "Or the one whose eyes feel like they''re covered in powdered glass." Footwear from hell and torture contacts. What a disgustingly masochistic combination. "Or the one who''s being eye-raped by everyone we pass by," she sighed. "That''s the entire point," Denise replied. "Use your sex appeal to wrap him around your little finger, Mom." "Ugh..." Lorraine habitually placed a finger to the bridge of her nose, only to be reminded of the absence of the glasses that should have been there. "I dunno why you think that having me go full ''Business MILF'' is gonna make him more willing to help us out." "He''s a guy, guys all think with their dicks, and this guy is a private dick so that goes double for him." "........." Lorraine shot Denise an especially nasty look for that stupid joke. "Haven''t you seen any noir detective movies?" Denise asked. "No." "Shaft?" "You know I''m not into that stuff." "Well trust me when I say that looking like you are right now, you''re practically a dream client." Her words were of course in no way assuring. "I mean I would do it myself, but you''re the one with the tits." She then reached up to give her Lorraine''s swelling chest a little poke, but her hand was quickly swatted away. "...open the top buttons too," Denise said while massaging the stinging sensation out of her hand. "You can''t be serious," Lorraine groaned. "We need to increase the success rate by as much as possible. So hurry up and put that cleavage on display." ---------- The closer they got to their destination, the fewer words were exchanged between the two sisters. And by the time they reached the front door of the building where the detective office was located, the tension of their current situation had completely overwhelmed them. CLACK CLACK CLACK Heels against tile. CLACK CLACK CLACK Step by step. CLACK CLACK CLACK Like drums sounding out their final moments. ---------- CLICK "Umm, hello...?" The first thing Lorraine noticed upon entering the office was how dim it was. It wasn''t enough to really affect visibility since it was still the middle of the day, but it was definitely noticeable. It''s kinda like one of those old movies... Her gaze then shifted towards the desk centered near the rear of the office. And the person who was sitting behind it. Wearing a dress shirt with rolled-up sleeves and a double-layered vest over that, he was slightly hunched over the desk while using an arm to support his posture. It was definitely a look befitting Lorraine''s preconceptions of what a private detective was, and the fedora pretty much sealed the deal... ...and then their eyes met. Wait a minute-The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Is there something I can help you with?" the man called out in a deep voice that was awfully close to a growl. "Er-" Lorraine stammered. "I could have sworn I had the right address..." She quickly brought out her smartphone and checked to make sure she didn''t mess up. Because while the man behind the desk definitely dressed in a similar manner to the owner of the Severin Detective Agency that she''d painstakingly researched, well... ...Nathaniel Severin was decidedly black. And this mystery detective(?) was decidedly not. "...is this the Severin Detective Agency?" Lorraine asked, checking her phone for a tenth time just to make double super extra sure. "Yeah, you have the right place," the young detective replied with a curt nod. "Oh thank God..." She allowed her shoulders to drop down as a wave of relief washed over her. "Are you Mr. Severin''s partner, then?" she asked, making a guess at the most likely conclusion. "Do you know when he''ll be back in?" "......" Seeing the way that he lowered the brim of his hat over his eyes gave Lorraine a really bad feeling. "Sorry to tell you this, but he passed away last year." "Wha!?" she gasped. "He-" "Yeah, last April." "Oh no no no no..." What the hell are we supposed to do now!? The most trustworthy person I could find related to this crazy bullshit died a YEAR ago!? Lorraine was trying her best not to panic, but the prospect of having lost this final possibility had her at wit''s end. N... no, I can''t give up hope. If I do then Dad would''ve died for nothing, and Denise''ll be- "But even though I''ll never be able to fill his shoes..." The man''s words pulled her from her thoughts and back into reality. "...I''m still carrying on this detective agency in his memory," he said, lifting his hat back up. His words are sincere... Lorraine finally stopped pacing and gave the man a once-over. "The name''s Neil Schneider," he said. "Is there something you needed help with?" "Er..." A cautious offer of assistance. "Yes," she nodded. "Yes there is." She looked back at her sister, who promptly took her hand and gave it a little squeeze as if to tell her to keep pressing on. Alright. Just like we practiced. As per Denise''s plan, Lorraine was to act in the role of "a MILF in distress" while the smaller girl pretended to be her daughter. The idea of a mother in need would allegedly appeal to the detective''s masculine protective urges as well as his righteous sense of justice, thus making it easier for them to get assistance without having to give up too much personal information... One thing before you continue," Neil interjected. "Eh!?" Before she was even able to get into half of her cover story, the look on the detective''s face and the timbre of his voice and even his posture screamed that he was not buying it in any way. If nothing else, this confirmed his skills as a detective. "When it comes to clients," he said, "I have one rule that absolutely needs to be followed. No exceptions." "...yes?" Lorraine gulped. "Total, 100% honesty." He stared into her eyes with the look of a predator who had just cornered his prey. "I''m sure you can understand that my line of business can get pretty dangerous, right?" he asked. "Y- yes, of course!" she squeaked out. "Well I''m not so nice a guy as to stick my neck out for someone who isn''t telling me the truth. Or someone who''s withholding important details that I really ought to know about their situation." Full eye contact, the entire time. He gave no ground, declared his terms, and it was clear that any attempts at subterfuge would fail utterly. ".........I understand." Giving up to the butterflies in her stomach, Lorraine offered up both her real name and that of her sister. And while Denise clearly didn''t agree with this course of action, it''s not as if there was any alternative. "My sister and I have caught the attention of some dangerous people, and we''re seriously fearful for our lives," she said to the detective. "Which is what brought you here," Neil replied. "That''s right." "Mind telling me what exactly you did to attract this attention?" he asked. "........." There was no getting around it if they wanted Neil''s help. Both sisters knew this. "My coperation is dependent on your answer," Neil continued. "I might be in the business of helping people, but I''m not about to get involved with anything without fully understanding the situation first." "Don''t be a sucka for a pretty face!" "!?" Baffled by that sudden high-pitched outburst, both Lorraine and Denise traced the sound to its source... ...a bird who neither one of them had noticed perched atop the detective''s chair this entire time. "...oh yeah," Neil smirked, "I forgot to introduce him." "...a parrot?" Denise mumbled. "This is Ankh, my right hand." A detective''s right hand... parrot? One that offers advice? Their situation was already bizarre enough, but somehow this of all things was what finally began to chip away at the prison of nervousness that Lorraine had been trapped inside for so long. "Hello, Ankh," she said, not even trying to keep from smiling. So cute... "But back to the matter at hand..." Neil cleared his throat in an failed attempt to mask his amusement. "Y- yes, of course." Thanks for the confidence boost, little birb. Shoot straight and hide nothing. Since this guy clearly values honesty, she resolved to be as honest as it gets. "Our situation... it wasn''t caused by anything that either one of us did." "Is that right?" Neil raised an eyebrow. "......" Lorraine finally gave up. On holding back her anger at everything that happened and everything that she''d lost. "...it''s because of what we are," she growled. And without even intending to, she returned the same piercing gaze that he''d been intimidating her with just moments ago. "Branch holders, just like you." "Heh heh..." The detective''s cold gaze warped into a wide-eyed stare, and his closed mouth twisted into a grin that bared his canines for all the world to see. It only lasted for a split second, but the message was delivered loud and clear. Threaten me and it''ll be the last thing you ever do. Chapter 1, part 4: [Sisters’ story] Branch Holders. The common term for those who possess any of an uncountable variety of what can only be referred to as "psychic powers." Under normal circumstances, one would typically do one''s best to try and keep others from learning of this status, but... "...ahem." The boldness of Lorraine''s sudden declaration definitely threw Neil off for a bit, but it was the implications of what she said that really stuck with him. Here I was wondering which one of them was the Branch holder, and it turns out to be both of them... He didn''t know if this was a positive development or a negative one, but at least it was interesting. "So you''re being pursued for your talents," he said, throwing a likely guess out there. "You could say that," Lorraine replied with a sigh that caused her other "talents" to do a quick bow. However, Neil was far too much of a gentleman to stare. "I''m ''that which sees through the pattern,''" she said with some reservation. "''Code Breaker.''" "Can''t say I''m familiar with that one," Neil replied honestly. "To put it simply, I''m able to read and comprehend any language," she sighed. This new information caused Neil to come to a sudden realization. "I''m going to guess that that includes body language," he said with a smirk. "......" Lorraine''s face held the stunned expression of someone who had just been completely seen through. "And since I''m not giving off any signals of wanting to take advantage of you," he continued while pretending not to notice, "you decided to trust me even though I''m not the person who you were hoping to see." A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation."Basically, yeah," Lorraine sighed. And then she turned to her sister. "Denise..." "I know," the smaller girl nodded. "it''s fine." I''m guessing that the little sister''s the one wh- "My sister''s Branch is the one that they''re after," Lorraine said, immediately confirming his suspicions. "Go on." "''That which presides over the cycle of decay,'' ''Ever Spiral.''" Well it definitely sounds foreboding... But before Neil could ask what it did, Denise stepped in front of her sister and began to speak. "I was stupid enough to use it on some sunflowers in a park out by where we used to live," she said, clenching her fists so tight that her hands were starting to go pale. "I didn''t even consider that someone might''ve seen me." "Denise, you don''t have to-" Lorraine reached for her shoulder, but her hand was batted away. "No," Denise shook her head, "I''m a shitty enough big sister as it is without pushing everything on you." Wait, what? "So after I exposed myself like an idiot, they followed me home and then waited until everyone was asleep..." The little big sister''s eyes started to well up with tears. "But our Dad heard them breaking in, and-" "They killed him," Lorraine cut her off. "They killed him and then they grabbed both of us..." "But you were able to get away and eventually find your way here," Neil said, hoping to spare them from having to relive a situation like that any further. Both girls nodded in unison. "Alright," Neil said, hiding his eyes with the brim of his hat. Their story was more than enough to make him resolve to help them out in whatever way he could. "Before I can give you a decision, there''s one more thing I need to know." However, his active thoughts were far too beholden to chasing a certain image for him to consciously admit to this fact. "It''s Denise, right?" "Yeah," the smaller girl replied. "What are you able to do that would make someone go that far just to get their hands on you?" It took her a while to respond. "Anything that''s alive, plant or animal..." Looking down at the floor, she took a deep breath. "...I have total control of their aging process." Then she pointed at Lorraine. "Lorrie is my little sister, she looks the way that she does now because I aged her up." "......" "And I aged myself down to look like this, I''m not actually twelve." "...well shit," Neil mumbled. Of course she''s being pursued, she''s like a living fountain of youth. Chapter 1, part 5: [I’ll take the case!] "Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act." Neil recited the words that were said to him back when he had been at his lowest point. "...wha?" But Denise just stared at him with a look of total confusion. She must not be much of a church girl... "Basically," Neil said while adjusting his hat, "it means that you have my help." "R- really!?" Denise gasped. "Yes, really," he nodded. "You''re lucky that you came to me with this instead of going to the authorities." Because those shady bastards''d be just as bad as the people who kidnapped you in the first place. "...I don''t get it," Lorraine chimed in. "Huh?" Denise turned to her sister, who was in the middle of squinting daggers of suspicion at the young detective. "You don''t care," Lorraine said to Neil, her words dripping with accusation. "I''ve been reading you this whole time and you haven''t shown the slightest hint of interest." "Well I have a strict policy against fraternizing wi-" "I''m not talking about that," she snapped. "When Denise explained what she''s able to do, you barely batted an eye." Heh, she really is sharp. "...he didn''t?" And now Denise was staring at him too.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. "No, and that doesn''t make sense," Lorraine replied. "Any normal person would jump at the thought of extending their-" "Normal people are greedy and stupid," Neil cut back. Finally getting up from his chair, Neil walked around his desk to where his new clients were standing. He was often described as kind of lanky, and his loose-fitting clothing and eternally poor posture didn''t do him any favors in this regard... but even so, a height of six feet and three inches still meant that he towered over the two sisters. "S- so you''re saying that you''re better than ''normal people?''" Lorraine squeaked out in a futile attempt to hide how intimidated she was. "Well I''m not greedy at least," Neil replied with a smirk. Bullying clients wasn''t exactly a professional thing to do, but this girl''s reactions were too much for him to resist. "Life is suffering enough as it is," Neil said. "Only an idiot would want to make it last forever." "That''s awfully pessimistic," Lorraine replied. "Probably," he shrugged. "But it also means that I''m not even the slightest bit interested in locking your sister up in a secret basement somewhere so she can become my own personal rewind button." "..." Shit, I got too carried away- "Well I guess I should be thankful for that," Denise said with a pained smile. "Maybe so," Neil replied. A sigh of relief. "So like I was saying before," he said with a fake cough, "you two have my help." "Thank you," Denise replied. "...yeah..." Lorraine nodded. "But with that said, I dunno how much I''ll be able to help you until I know what exactly it is that you want me to help you with." Looking up information on the people who kidnapped them is one thing, but if they- "Transportation," Denise said. "Hm?" Now it was Neil''s turn to be completely thrown off for a change. "I don''t care how, but we need to get far the hell away from here," Denise continued. "Ah." Train tickets, maybe a pair of fake IDs just to be on the safe side... "And we also need protection for how however long it''ll take for us to skip town," she said. "Alright," he nodded. "Both of those are doable." Neil made a silent prayer of thanks that they weren''t here to ask him to avenge their father''s murder. Because after seeing the way that they''re crying tears of joy and carrying on just from him agreeing to do this small amount for them, he sincerely doubted that he''d be able to tell them "no." Chapter 1, part 6: [Safehouse] Denise didn''t even know what to say. This guy, Neil? He wasn''t even the person who they came here to see. And he didn''t let her weak-willed sister get more than a sentence into their cover story before bullying her into blabbing EVERYTHING. Their real names, what they''d been through, their Branches, all of it. But after he''d heard them out, he didn''t try and take advantage of them or blackmail them or do any of the countless other horrible things that she was afraid he''d do. Instead, he agreed to both of her requests without any apprehension. And if that wasn''t crazy enough, he wasn''t even interested in Denise''s Branch! She seriously expected to have to shave a couple of years from his age in exchange for his assistance at the very least, but nope. Nothing. And that''s why the only thing she could conceive of doing at the moment was hugging her little sister as tightly as she could while bawling her eyes out. The relief from having finally found an actual good person was just too much to bear. ---------- "Ahem..." The sound of Neil''s gruff fake coughing as he walked past them was what finally pulled Denise out of her crying fit. And while she may not have shared Lorraine''s ability to literally read people, she could still tell that seeing their emotional outburst had him feeling extremely uncomfortable. He''s probably the type that tries to keep up a certain image in front of other people... After all, he''d clearly gone out of his way to make his office as close to something that you''d find in some noir movie as possible. Hell, he even dressed the part. And while in the process of examining his clothing that probably wouldn''t have been out of place back in the ''40s, Denise also took a proper look at the man wearing them for the first time. He looked to be in his late teens at the very most, with brownish-yellowish eyes and a reasonably handsome face. His hair was light brown, reaching just past his shoulders and tied back in a ponytail... ...but the thing that she found the most striking about him was his height. Her father was always proud of his 6''1" stature, but there wasn''t a single doubt in her mind that Neil was even taller than that. Though her current twelve-year-old stature probably skewed her perspective on such things at least somewhat. He could definitely stand to eat a little more, but it''s not like that''s a dealbreaker... "C''mon." "!!?" Anyone would be frazzled at least a little if the person they''d just been checking out suddenly called out to them. "Y- yeah?" Denise responded, hoping that he didn''t notice her wandering eyes. "I''ll show you to where you''ll be staying until I can work out how to get you safely out of town," Neil replied. Keeping his back to them, Neil opened the office door and stepped out into the hallway. A safehouse? It''s a safehouse, right? More likely than not in a subconscious attempt to take her mind off of the events of the past few days, Denise''s imagination began to run wild with thoughts of what sort of place a real-life safehouse might be like. Maybe a spooky abandoned house, or the residence of someone who owed him a fa-Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. "Eh?" "What?" Neil glanced back at Denise. "Those stairs are leading up." She pointed up the stairwell that he''d already placed a foot on. "But the way outside is down there." She then pointed down the stairs that they''d taken to reach his office in the first place. "Yeah, well we aren''t going outside." "?" Neil looked up at the ceiling and let out a sigh. "I have some vacant rooms upstairs," he said. "That''s where you''ll be staying." "Huh, I was expecting some kind of safehouse," Lorraine said, clearly just as confused as Denise was. As expected of my little sister. "Yeah," Neil shrugged, "well I can''t think of any place that''s safer than where we are right now. I have eyes on this building 24/7, and they''ll let me know the second that someone suspicious approaches." Eyes? Once again, Denise''s imagination went on autopilot as all sorts of possibilities flooded her mind. Maybe some kind of underground connections? Or even a spy network of homeless people like in that one movie... ---------- "Welcome to your new home for the next however long." Neil led the two girls into what one might expect to find in a medium-end hotel, a single main area with a connected bathroom and furnished with a queen-sized bed and loveseat. Tracing his fingers along the wall, he walked over to the other side of the room where its only window was located... "There we go." ...and pulled out what could only be described as a collapsible wall. Holy crap! Upon a closer look, Denise could see a groove running along the floor and ceiling, seemingly the track that the false wall was meant to travel along. CLICK And with that, the deed was done. The room''s area had just been shaved off by maybe a tenth and its only source of ambient lighting was now completely cut off. "Sorry if it''s kinda stuffy in here," Neil said as he brushed the dust from his hands, "but a safehouse isn''t any good if people can tell from outside which room you''re in." "Oh, I get it!" Lorraine nodded her head over and over again. "The false wall is to block any light that''s inside the room!" "Clever girl!" Ankh called out from his perch on Neil''s shoulder. Whoa, so that''s why he- Their mysterious benefactor''s stock rose even higher in Denise''s eyes. "So, uh..." After turning on the light so that everyone could actually see, Neil pointed at the ceiling. "My place is upstairs," he said. "So if you run out of food or whatever while you''re here, just pop in either there or the office downstairs and I''ll take care of it." "Thanks," Denise nodded. Come to think of it, she was starting to get kind of hungry... "I''m not sure about clothes, but I''ll see what I can do about that. Worst-case scenario, I''ll go pick up something for you tomorrow." "...I''d really appreciate that," Lorraine said, taking the opportunity to finally kick off what she''d so lovingly referred to as "stripper heels." ---------- After giving them a quick rundown of how to turn on the TV and where the extra rolls of toilet paper were and a bunch of other vital details of their temporary living arrangements, Neil started towards the door. "I need to step out for a bit," he said, "did either of you have any questions before I go?" "No," Denise shook her head, "I think we''re good here." "Cool, then-" "Actually," Lorraine called out just as he was about to step through the doorway, "there''s something that I wanted to ask you." "Oh?" "...yeah..." Lorraine closed her eyes and took a deep breath like she always did when she had something important to ask. "...how deep does all of this actually go?" "Hm?" Neil seemed kind of confused. "Branches, I mean." Leave it to Lorraine to ask the questions that I''m too dumb to even think of. "Like, I randomly woke up one day with universal translator powers," Lorraine said, "and a little voice in my head yelling ''remove'' at me whenever someone pissed me off. I thought I was going insane." The detective''s gaze hardened a little after hearing that last bit. "But then barely a month later, the same thing happened to Denise." Denise nodded in confirmation. "And now we have some kind of weird psychic detector headache sense thing that knocked both of us the hell out the first time it happened," she added. "...yeah, that''s standard," Neil sighed. "But why?" Lorraine asked. "I had no idea that any of this stuff even existed, but then my entire life gets shot to hell because of it?" Noticing her sister''s increasingly agitated state, Denise took her hand. "It''s a curse," Neil growled. "The two of you... and I''m no different, we all just had the shit luck of getting caught up in it." A curse...? "Only a tiny percentage of the population ends up with them naturally, but they almost always try to take advantage," Neil said. "And the ones who don''t end up getting taken advantage of themselves more often than not." "Like me..." Denise mumbled. "Most of the time they try to keep all this Branch nonsense under wraps, but any overt incidents end up getting covered up anyways." "B- by the government?" Lorraine gasped. "By everyone," he shook his head. "None of the big groups want this stuff out in the open." So if we''d gone to the police, then- "The only real advice I can give you going forward is to keep your heads down," he sighed. "Especially considering what Denise is able to do." And with that, he left them to their thoughts. Chapter 1, part 7: [Softboiled] "Panty raider!" The stupid bird clearly had no qualms with lobbing insults at Neil, even while using his shoulder as a perch. Never mind the question of where the hell a parrot would have even learned such a term. "These aren''t panties, you little freak." Just to prove his point, Neil pulled a hoodie from a dresser drawer and held it up so that Ankh could see. "Hoodie raider!" "..." Why do I even bother. Ignoring the relentless flurry of verbal barbs, Neil shifted his focus onto finding a suitable-looking pair of sweatpants to go with the hoodie. ---------- "Wha?" Lorraine looked down at the bundle of clothes that had just been thrust into her arms. "Mr. Schneider, what are these fo-" "A change of clothes," Neil replied. "It''s the best I could do on such short notice, but..." "No, this is more than good enough!" Neil was expecting her to be happy to change out of that uncomfortable getup, but to actually start tearing up because ofsomething so minor? "Thank you so much, you have no idea how grateful I-" If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation."Don''t worry about it." And with those words, Neil coolly exited the scene. ---------- "Yer soft." Ankh''s shrill insults resonated through the office. "Soft. Softy soft soft cheese." "Shut up." A long sigh escaped Neil''s lungs as he returned to his desk. "Softshelled." "Seriously..." After locating his notebook, he fished around for a writing implement. "Softboiled. Yer a softboiled detective." "Hey." He cut the parrot a sharp look. "Keep it up and I''m gonna leave you in the cage when I go out." "Sorry. I''ll be good." "You better." Now Neil did have fairly thick skin when it came to insults, but ones that happened to involve his chosen profession were a notable exception. And as someone who had known him for half a decade now, Ankh was well aware of this fact. But at the same time, Neil was every bit as aware of how much Ankh hated being separated from him for any length of time. As such, threatening to put him back into the box was essentially a "win" button for any argument between the two. And so, taking advantage of the newfound peace and quiet, he picked up a pen with his right hand and scratched out a couple of lines of text in the notebook. "Looking for information regarding recent murders within the past two weeks. Name/location/circumstances, etc." Terrible handwriting, but still a respectable effort when taking into account that Neil was left-handed. Meh, at least it''s legible. One of the most vital things that his predecessor instilled in him was the importance of obfuscation. Asking around about something can tip off the people involved with what you''re asking around about in the first place, making contact with an informant can give away the fact that there''s something that you''re trying to look into, and so on. After all, you never know who might be watching. So after tearing the page from the notebook, Neil folded it up until it was around half the size of a drinking straw and then slid it under the window of his office that he always kept barely cracked open. "And now to wait for a response," Neil sighed. Not that he was about to just sit in one place until it came, of course. "Promise to behave?" he asked the bird on his shoulder. "Scout''s honor!" Ankh saluted. "Alright, then let''s go for a walk." How in the hell did Nate teach him how to salute?