Read Online Collector of Secrets by Richard Goodfellow - Free Book Online
Authors: Richard Goodfellow
Tags: thriller
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freezing! I’m so sorry,” panted a familiar girlish voice.
Tomoko stood to get a better look, and her jaw dropped. “Wow, I can’t believe it!”
Miki’s flattened, shoulder-length, bleached blonde hair was held in place at the front with three pink plastic barrettes. A white T-shirt covered in large black stars peeked out from under a red Betty Boop jacket, and her pleated miniskirt almost covered her leggings. She was a five-foot-tall billboard begging for attention.
“You like?” Miki spun around. “Here, put this on.” She handed over a silver goose-down coat.
“Thank you. I’m so cold.” Tomoko’s voice rose close to a whine. “And you’re really late.” She could barely take her eyes off her old college friend.
“Hey, you’re the one who came this far north without warm clothes.” Miki stepped closer to help. “This sticks sometimes.” She twisted the zipper and it finally moved.
“Well, it’s spring in Tokyo.”
“Which is five hundred miles south of here,. Come on, let’s walk and heat you up.” Miki’s bracelets rattled as she adjusted her shiny pink purse.
“All right, but you need to explain your outfit.”
“So you don’t like it?” Miki placed an index finger on her lower lip and stared up with a pout as they both broke into hysterical giggles.
Morning traffic was light, and they crossed the street to the next section of the park. “You try working in a boring government job. I have to wear this awful uniform and the work is so, so, so boring.” Bitterness edged into her voice. “I didn’t get an exciting job like you.”
“I know,” Tomoko conceded. “But you deserved it.”
“Well, some of us are short and a bit on the fat side.” Miki snickered self-consciously, before holding up an open hand. “You don’t need to say anything. I’m happy you got the job. And besides,” she said, throwing her blonde head back, “I’ve decided that I’ll simply compensate with style.”
Tomoko nodded and enjoyed the warmth beginning to build up inside the jacket. “So why are we meeting here? My hotel is only a few blocks from the TV Tower.”
“I was worried about handing over private government information with too many people around. I could get in trouble, you know.” Miki scanned the area. Several other couples could be seen, but nobody was paying them any attention. “I know my job is bad, but I can’t lose it.”
“Well, if you’re playing secret agent, you’re not exactly blending in with those stockings.”
They both laughed.
“It took me about a week, but I did get most of what you’re looking for. Although, if you don’t mind my asking, why do you want the information?”
“I just have a strange feeling about Max’s boss, Yoko. Something isn’t right.”
“You’re really crazy about this American guy, aren’t you? Tell me what he’s like.”
Tomoko beamed as she spoke. “He’s tall, with amazing blue eyes.”
“No, not that. I’ve seen pictures already. You know what I mean. Most white guys are bad news—they come here for a while and then they’re gone.” Miki snapped her fingers. “I want to know what he’s like. Does he have money? Do you love him?”
“Don’t worry. It’s only been a couple of months, and we’re taking it slowly.”
“You’re avoiding the question.”
“Fine. If you must know, he’s kind-hearted and he makes me laugh. I know that sounds dumb, but it’s true. You remember the guys we went to school with? They got jobs with big companies and became exactly like all the boring businessmen we used to ridicule. Well, that’s not Max. He’s spontaneous and willing to try new things. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I’ve always pictured my life as an adventure. I think it can be that way with him.”
Miki pressed on with the line of questioning. “So what about his family?”
“He hasn’t said much, really, other than that they moved around a lot. His mother lives somewhere in California.
Tomoko stood to get a better look, and her jaw dropped. “Wow, I can’t believe it!”
Miki’s flattened, shoulder-length, bleached blonde hair was held in place at the front with three pink plastic barrettes. A white T-shirt covered in large black stars peeked out from under a red Betty Boop jacket, and her pleated miniskirt almost covered her leggings. She was a five-foot-tall billboard begging for attention.
“You like?” Miki spun around. “Here, put this on.” She handed over a silver goose-down coat.
“Thank you. I’m so cold.” Tomoko’s voice rose close to a whine. “And you’re really late.” She could barely take her eyes off her old college friend.
“Hey, you’re the one who came this far north without warm clothes.” Miki stepped closer to help. “This sticks sometimes.” She twisted the zipper and it finally moved.
“Well, it’s spring in Tokyo.”
“Which is five hundred miles south of here,. Come on, let’s walk and heat you up.” Miki’s bracelets rattled as she adjusted her shiny pink purse.
“All right, but you need to explain your outfit.”
“So you don’t like it?” Miki placed an index finger on her lower lip and stared up with a pout as they both broke into hysterical giggles.
Morning traffic was light, and they crossed the street to the next section of the park. “You try working in a boring government job. I have to wear this awful uniform and the work is so, so, so boring.” Bitterness edged into her voice. “I didn’t get an exciting job like you.”
“I know,” Tomoko conceded. “But you deserved it.”
“Well, some of us are short and a bit on the fat side.” Miki snickered self-consciously, before holding up an open hand. “You don’t need to say anything. I’m happy you got the job. And besides,” she said, throwing her blonde head back, “I’ve decided that I’ll simply compensate with style.”
Tomoko nodded and enjoyed the warmth beginning to build up inside the jacket. “So why are we meeting here? My hotel is only a few blocks from the TV Tower.”
“I was worried about handing over private government information with too many people around. I could get in trouble, you know.” Miki scanned the area. Several other couples could be seen, but nobody was paying them any attention. “I know my job is bad, but I can’t lose it.”
“Well, if you’re playing secret agent, you’re not exactly blending in with those stockings.”
They both laughed.
“It took me about a week, but I did get most of what you’re looking for. Although, if you don’t mind my asking, why do you want the information?”
“I just have a strange feeling about Max’s boss, Yoko. Something isn’t right.”
“You’re really crazy about this American guy, aren’t you? Tell me what he’s like.”
Tomoko beamed as she spoke. “He’s tall, with amazing blue eyes.”
“No, not that. I’ve seen pictures already. You know what I mean. Most white guys are bad news—they come here for a while and then they’re gone.” Miki snapped her fingers. “I want to know what he’s like. Does he have money? Do you love him?”
“Don’t worry. It’s only been a couple of months, and we’re taking it slowly.”
“You’re avoiding the question.”
“Fine. If you must know, he’s kind-hearted and he makes me laugh. I know that sounds dumb, but it’s true. You remember the guys we went to school with? They got jobs with big companies and became exactly like all the boring businessmen we used to ridicule. Well, that’s not Max. He’s spontaneous and willing to try new things. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I’ve always pictured my life as an adventure. I think it can be that way with him.”
Miki pressed on with the line of questioning. “So what about his family?”
“He hasn’t said much, really, other than that they moved around a lot. His mother lives somewhere in California.
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