Part Eight

 The owner of the place Kaoru and Megumi worked, Kawasaka Ikeda, was counting his daily
profeit in the back room of his establishment the night that a family of four was murdered six miles outside of town. At least, that was his alibi.
 After he'd finally escaped the police and the red-headed swordsman the day before, he met up
with a few of his colleagues in the woods. That night they plotted and planned their next targets for their project. This morning consisted of paying his associates their percentage of the money he'd made the night before at his tavern.  During the day, he made himself visible, shopping and eating in other establishments to encourage the positive public image he'd so carefully constructed.  He also spoke to others about his establishment, including advertising his newest singer. Personally, Kawasaka was more than excited about the business his newest singer was drawing in.  She called herself 'Maku' and claimed that she was only looking for enough money to payback a debt she owed, afterwhich, she'd planned to quit.  The man shook his head in amusement, she hasn't realized yet, he thought, that no one has ever left his employment..alive, that is.  Especially not a pretty little wisp of a girl like her, he'd force her to stay, one way or another. He laughed as he walked north, out of town and entered the woods.  There, he found and entered his tavern.
Walking to the back of the main room, he turned and smiled at the scene in front of him.
 His little Nightingale was singing a very steamy love song to one of the customers.  His eyes
narrowed on the man, the very same man who'd chased him earlier.  That man has to be
Battou-sai.  Kawasaka's hand instinctively grabbed the handle of his katana before pausing and
relaxing.  His eyes narrowed as he watched the little drama unfold before him.  The girl was draped completely over the red-head as she sang to him.  Though he'd seen her sing to others before, he couldn't help but be jealous at the attention which was being lavished on that man.  Attention that was not being shared to the other patrons in the room either for that matter.  Not too good for business if she sings to no one else but him.   No, Kawasaka thought as his expression darkened, she is singing for him, not to him.  And if she's going to sing for anyone, he thought, it would be me.  I'm the one that pays for her services, not that assassin that she's wrapped around.  When the song ended he noticed the faint blush on her face and realized that she probably knew the swordsman personally.
 Angrily, Kawasaka turned and bumped into another new hire, she came with the girl for a job
here.  He couldn't remember her name at the moment though. When he looked into her
red-rimmed eyes, he sighed in displeasure but managed to look charming as he advised her, "My customers won't appreciate a woman who cries as she serves sake, do you understand?"
 Megumi nodded and pulled a rag from her pocket to dab at her face.
  "How's this?" she smiled brilliantly for him, though it was obviously a fake smile.
 Kawasaka smiled, "That's better.  Now, be a good girl and get back to work.  Also, could you
tell Maku to come to my office after her set?  I'd like to talk to her."
 Again he smiled an easy smile at Megumi and turned to go to his office.  As he passed by the
other girls, he smiled politely till he got to his door.  He knew he was handsome and was amused by the fact that many of the girls working for him had a crush on him.  And to them, he tried to be as charming as possible.  You never know when one of them would be willing to lie for you or at least lie with you, he thought.  As the door slid shut behind him, the casual smile he wore fled from his face, to be replaced by an angry scowl.
 "What do you want, Takida?"
 "I've got the information you wanted."  The thin, scrawny man sitting on Kawasaka's desk grinned nervously as he stood up.  "There's a family of four, a man, his wife, and two little girls traveling to Tokyo on the east road.  They look like suitable targets to me."
 Kawasaka's scowl twisted into a crooked smile, "Ah, we'll have to visit them before sundown.
That will certainly draw the Battou-sai out into the open.  A man who protects the people and all."
Kawasaka changed the conversation." Did anyone in the front see you?"
 "No, I came in the side entrance, why?"
 "Because the very man we've been hired to kill is in my tavern ignoring my sake and stealing my
women."
 Takida froze and frowned, "Do you think he's on to us?"
 Kawasaka laughed, "Impossible. I think it's a coincidence.  And I also think his being here has
something to do with my little Nightingale.  From the way she sang to him tonight, she definitely
knows him." Kawasaka thought of the surprised, confused face of his soon-to-be victim, "But I'll bet he didn't recognize her.  She looks quite different without all of her make-up and stuff."
 Takida relaxed somewhat, "Intriguing. Then we also have another card in the deck, huh?"
 "Yes, I think we do.  She makes pretty bait for plan B, doesn't she?"