Category : Books-Fiction

Sub Category : Suspense/Mystery

Chapter 1: Arthur A. Kirkland

Walking down the street, examining his surroundings, a certain criminal smiled in appreciation of the bustling city around him. Ah, London. So nostalgic and lively. His previous residence, the humble town of Bath, was lovely, but… He always did crave the faster paced things in life. Crossing from one sidewalk to another, he laughed under his breath at the officers as they scurried past him, giving them their space to run past. It would seem they had already given chase after his small home in Bath had been discovered empty that morning. It was all over the tele, after all.

Moving with the ebb and flow of the crowd, he wandered through London. Familiarizing himself with it. He memorized the alleys, dark corners, narrow streets, what shops seemed new and what other shops remained exactly where he had remembered them. More officers flurried by and he cracked a smile at how he went unnoticed. Hiding in plain sight was his favorite hobby as of late. Crossing another road, he paused in front of a poster and tutted at it. 
                                               
                                      WANTED
                                            
                            ARTHUR A. KIRKLAND
                                     $1,000,000
                                       REWARD

"They always exaggerate my eyebrows," he muttered, scowling at the otherwise handsome likeness. The poster was created back when he had been using a cover of a civilian heavy into punk rock, his hair dyed black at the time. Shaking his head, Arthur moved along, eyes roaming for a tea parlor or small coffee shop. A cup of tea would soothe his fatigue after having just moved to town. His new flat was conveniently located at the southern end, in a cusp of out of the way houses and alleys, where no one asked questions and questionable deals were made.

Relaxing in the window seat of a parlor of his choice, Arthur enjoyed his tea. Although it was an irritation to climb the stairs to reach the shop, the view was advantageous. Breathtaking, too. He could see practically the entirety of London from here. On some streets far off, he spotted a Spaniard in what seemed to be a lover's quarrel. Not too much further from the pair, a girl in traditional Japanese attire was hobbling along with a large suitcase. Eyes wandering as he took another sip, Arthur spied a nervous platinum blond walking with a loud man whose hair seemed to defy gravity. The blond seemed vaguely familiar to him. Sighing softly and setting down his cup elegantly, he checked his watch. He should head to his new flat soon to claim his keys. But finishing the tea first was his priority. Resuming his 'people watching' as he resumed his tea, he saw a German strolling with a cheery friend through a market, an albino and a snobbish man behind them. In the park down the road from the market was an intimidating man walking his dog with what appeared to be his wife, and another young man passed by them. Arthur's eyes softened as he watched the young man in his red hoodie walked into the park with his hockey stick.

So many interesting characters of all different walks of life. Another reason why he loved London. Cup pausing before it could touch his lips, Arthur took notice of the suspicious amount of police cars congregating outside the building he was in with mild amusement. It would seem they finally took notice of where he was…

"Freeze!" Turning to meet the voice, Arthur smiled coyly. "Put your hands where I can see them, Kirkland!" Setting down his teacup with a deliberate slowness, he cocked his head in observation of the officer in front of him, eyes twinkling mischievously. This particular officer had been following him since the beggining of his crime sprees three years ago, and had a knack for causing a ruckus in his pursuit of him. Arthur made sure to leave an extra tip under the cup.

"We haven't seen each other in a month and this is how you greet me? How cold, Alfred," he feigned fondness. Not that it was hard. His response was met with a scowl.

"That's Officer Jones to you, Kirkland," the blond man kept his gun level and trained on Arthur as he rose from his chair.

"I'm quite aware, thank you, Jones. Now, put that silly thing away, guns are dangerous, you know."

Alfred glared, calming himself at the taunt.

"We have you surrounded. Come willingly, or we'll be forced to shoot." 

Humming, Arthur rolled a coin between his fingers, unconcerned.

"We both know you wouldn't do that."

Three men entered behind Alfred, vaguely reminding Arthur of some of the characters he spotted on the streets some minutes prior. He didn't bother to commit them to memory.

"I'll repeat: come willingly, or we'll be forced to shoot."

"Such tantalizing options," Arthur smiled, "but I think I'll opt for a good old chase."

The officers tensed as Arthur let the coin drop from his grip, silence broken perfectly as it hit the worn carpet of the shop. In rapid succession, the coin spewed a thick smoke that overtook the room, setting off the fire alarm and soon after the sprinklers set off and guns of the officers behind Alfred were down, this gave Arthur the opportunity to slip down the back stairwell in the shouting and confusion. Jogging down the backstreet on the other side of the building, Arthur smirked. The naïve officers always fell for that particular coin trick.

"Hold your fire, hold your fire!" Alfred shouted, frantically waving away the smoke. He was annoyed with himself for not having seen that coming sooner. His men gathered near him warily, all of them drenched and jumpy. They were all equally humiliated.

"Now, if I were Arthur Kirkland, where would I go…?"

Spotting the emergency exit as being open, Alfred bolted down the stairs, his men following closely behind. The native Brit was leisurely jogging ahead of them, headed in the direction of a bridge. He laughed heartily at him,

"Nice of you to join me, Alfred!"

Scowling, Alfred sled up, "You're not getting away this time, Kirkland!"

Another laugh was all he heard before he looked up to see Arthur vaulting off the bridge with a devilish grin. Nearly colliding with the railing of the bridge himself, Alfred slowed down in time to see Arthur float off to safety on a river boat, waving pleasantly while Alfred's men fell uncermoniously into the water in their haste to chase the Brit. He had gotten away. Again.

Alfred roared in frustration, throwing his hat on the ground.

Damn it, Kirkland!
_______________________________________________

Arthur bowed to the captain of the riverboat as they left him at the southern end of town, near his new flat. They were rather generous in letting him escape on their boat, giving him a bag of hard meats and cheeses from their wares and asking him to sign a wanted poster of himself and participating in a few selfies. It would amuse him constantly how the public loved a good villain.

Chewing thoughtfully on a hunk of red Leicester, he ambled towards the direction of his new flat. He stopped mid-step as he made eye contact with a girl stepping out of her own flat from the same building where Arthur was going to move into. Their eyes widened at the same time. The landlord has said Arthur would be the only one living in this building. Arthur struggled to swallow his cheese.

"Are you…A-Are you Arthur Kirkland…?" The girl asked, her words awkward with an Asian accent, registering in Arthur's mind as the Japanese girl he spotted while 'people watching' earlier. The Brit felt his cheeks warm at the timid voice.

"…Yes?" Was his lame response. The two continued to stare at one another for a few moments longer.

"You're not going to report me…Are you?"

The girl seemed to fluster.

"I…I do not have a phone…"

An awkward silence.

"I see."

Clearing his throat and examining the building  before them, Arthur smiled humorlessly at the building number, seeing that yes, it was the same building he was going to live in, like he had saw moments before.

"Have you rented a flat here?"

"W-Why do you ask?" The Japanese girl stuttered, wary of him.

"I do believe that we are to be neighbors."

The girl seemed to fluster again when Arthur held out his hand for her to shake. She reluctantly accepted. Criminals were not to be easily trusted, after all.

"Arthur Kirkland, at your service. A pleasure to meet you." 

"S-Sakura Honda, at yours and your family. A-A pleasure to meet you as well," she murmured, and Arthur found himself delighted

"You may call me by my surname if that makes you feel comfortable. I'll try to do the same for you."

Sakura smiled nervously at the politeness, hands clenching at her kimono in a timid habit.

"Th-Thank you, Kirkland-san."

They smiled at each other then, openly, and felt a bond forming. It seemed as though they were going to be friends, against better judgement or not.