Morioh Grand Hotel.
Jolyne booted up the computer and logged into the shipping company's website. The ferry route from Morioh to Tokyo was indeed grayed out on the schedule. It seemed she really had been overthinking it.
Tokyo and Morioh were separated by the sea. With no other transportation routes available, her plan to return to America had to be temporarily shelved. She would have to wait a week and reassess then.
Knock, knock, knock—
Someone was at the door.
Jolyne shut the computer down, stood up, and opened the door. Seeing who it was made her instantly uncomfortable.
"Ellen." Jotaro stood in the doorway, one hand in his pocket, motionless, like an exquisitely crafted statue.
"Is... something wrong?" She was still terrible at interacting with her father, especially this version who was only nine years older than her. Just seeing him filled her with an indescribable awkwardness.
"Stand users attract each other. Be more careful next time."
Jolyne frowned. Was this guy lecturing her? Was he saying she had no brains, that she just went out and got targeted by a Stand user? Ha... His condescending attitude was infuriating.
"I want you to stay in Morioh." Jolyne was the last person Jotaro wanted dragged into this world. It was precisely because of this belief that he had chosen to distance himself from her and her mother. The dangers outside were his responsibility to handle as her father.
But to Jolyne, his words took on a completely different meaning. It sounded like the dismissive words of someone who, relying on his powerful Stand, looked down on everyone else and was now belittling her. It pissed her off to no end.
"Where I go is none of your business! What right do you have to interfere in my life?" Jolyne slammed the door shut, venting her anger on the poor door.
"Self-important jerk," she muttered, sitting back down to sulk.
Knock, knock, knock—
She didn't know how much time had passed before the knocking started again.
Jolyne ignored it.
Knock, knock, knock—
"So annoying! I said, are you done—" Jolyne got up irritably and yanked the door open, expecting to see Jotaro again, but instead was met with a pretty, harmless-looking face smiling at her.
Mari Nishikimi looked apologetic. "I came to apologize for my actions earlier." She held up a box in her hands. "This is a peace offering. Um, would it be okay if I came in?"
Jolyne looked at the exquisitely wrapped box, then at Mari's sincere smile, and finally stepped aside to let her in.
"Sorry for intruding." Mari swapped her shoes for the hotel slippers, neatly placing her own shoes by the entryway.
"Earlier, I noticed you had a faint scent of chestnuts on you, so I guessed you might like chestnut cake or similar desserts. I hope you like it."
This person was... scarily observant. She did like chestnuts. She'd had chestnut cake for breakfast at the hotel, and the scent must have lingered.
Seeing that Mari's apology seemed sincere and that she hadn't actually caused any harm, Jolyne decided to let the matter drop.
But the apology was done. Why did this person show no sign of leaving?
"Why are you still here?" Jolyne never beat around the bush; if she had a question, she asked directly.
"Ah, well... Actually, there's something I wanted to ask for your help with." Mari lowered her head sheepishly but couldn't help sneaking glances at Jolyne's reaction. When she was caught, she quickly looked down again. It was kind of cute.
"What is it?"
Mari looked up excitedly, her eyes sparkling. "I want you to help me look for my neighbor!"
"Your neighbor? I thought you just moved in?"
Mari looked a bit embarrassed. "I did just move in, that's true. I shouldn't really know anyone. But my neighbor, Miss Naginata, is a beautiful and very helpful person. She helped me a lot with moving these past few days, so I'm worried about her."
"What happened to her?" Jolyne had a rough idea but asked for details.
"She went missing yesterday." Mari's smile was replaced by worry, and her mood visibly dipped. "She lives alone in Morioh and never stays out overnight. So I suspect something bad must have happened to her..."
"If someone's missing, the first people you should call are the police," Jolyne said, subtly watching Mari's reaction. "Why come to me?" She didn't exactly see herself as the helpful type.
"Because some things can't be handled by the police," Mari said with utmost seriousness. "You should understand that very well, as a Stand user."
"I know I have no right to ask for your help," Mari continued. "But you're isolated and vulnerable right now. You need allies. If you're willing to help, I'm willing to be your ally."
Mari had seen everything about 'Ellen' on the beach yesterday. After returning, she had used all her connections to dig up information on Ellen but found nothing. So she deduced that Ellen was caught up in some serious trouble.
To get close to Ellen, she had orchestrated this morning's incident as a test. The results matched her suspicions perfectly; Ellen was exceptional, both in intelligence and combat ability.
"Hah." This was the first time Jolyne had dealt with someone like this. Even if Mari was a complete idiot in a fight, this woman's intelligence and deductive skills were ridiculously sharp. A true detective novelist!
Mari was right. She was in serious trouble right now, isolated and vulnerable. She needed allies. And Mari Nishikimi was the perfect candidate.
"I agree. When do we start?"
Relieved, Mari immediately pulled out a stack of prepared documents from her backpack and handed them over. "This is all the information I've gathered so far."
Jolyne: "..." This person... had been sure she would agree even before coming.
Annoyed but impressed, Jolyne took the documents and started reading. They detailed all the missing young women cases in Morioh over the past 10 years—47 cases in total, a shocking number. Not a single victim had ever been found.
All 47 victims were between 17 and 30 years old, showing a strong pattern. It was definitely the work of the same person.
"It's a Stand user," Jolyne stated with certainty. Only a Stand user could pull something off this perfectly, leaving no clues behind.
But the problem now was... where to even start?
They knew nothing about the perpetrator. They didn't even have a crime scene...
"Maybe we can look for clues at the cemetery," Mari suggested. Even though no bodies were found, after all these years, some of the victims' parents had given up hope and bought plots anyway, so they'd at least have a place to visit each year.
Jolyne agreed. They decided to meet at the cemetery entrance first thing the next morning.
That night, Jolyne slept restlessly, dreaming all night. She dreamed of Emporio. After her death, the priest had still caught up to him. The moment the priest struck, she woke up in a fright.
Jolyne was immensely relieved it was just a dream. Wiping the fine sweat from her forehead, she saw the sky outside was starting to lighten. Since she couldn't sleep anymore, she might as well get up.
After a quick wash, she suddenly realized she had no clothes to wear...
Just as she was debating whether to call Mari and bother her, the room phone rang. "Hello?" Jolyne answered.
It was a hotel staff member on the other end. "Miss Ellen, we apologize for disturbing you so early. There's a gift for you left at the front desk. Would it be convenient for us to bring it up now?"
A gift? She didn't know many people here. The only person who could remotely be considered a friend was Mari, whom she'd just met yesterday. Was it from her?
"Please bring it up now," Jolyne said, feeling strangely expectant. Mari was always so thoughtful. Maybe she had sensed Jolyne's awkward situation of having no clothes and had thoughtfully sent some over.
Soon, a hotel staff member knocked on the door. Jolyne opened it and stepped aside to let the staff member and the cart full of gifts inside.
After arranging the gifts neatly on the bed, the staff member politely left.
Looking at the bed now completely covered with gifts, the prominent brand logos on the exquisite packaging loudly declared their expensive worth.
Although her family had never been short on money, and her mother had fulfilled every wish she'd had since childhood, receiving so many luxury gifts at once was a first for Jolyne.
Jolyne unwrapped the packages. The gifts included, but were not limited to, various styles of clothes, dresses, cosmetics, and accessories. Every single item perfectly matched her taste.
This Mari... she'd have to thank her properly when she saw her later.
She picked out a green crop top paired with black wide-leg pants and a baseball cap. Once ready, she headed for the public cemetery.
The Morioh cemetery was located on the outskirts of town, about a half-hour walk from the Morioh Grand Hotel where she was staying.
When she arrived, the cemetery entrance was empty. It was a weekday, and nobody visits graves this early in the morning. The place felt desolate, even slightly eerie.
The occasional breeze sent a chill down Jolyne's spine. Fortunately, she didn't have to wait long before Mari arrived.
"Sorry, I didn't keep you waiting, did I?" Mari apologized.
Jolyne waved it off generously. "I just got here myself. Besides, you're not late; I'm early."
"By the way, thank you for the gifts. The clothes fit perfectly, and I really like everything else too." Jolyne wasn't the shy type; when thanks were due, she gave them freely.
But Mari looked confused, pointing a finger at herself. "Huh? Ellen, what are you talking about? I didn't send you anything besides the chestnut cake yesterday..."
"What?!" Jolyne was stunned. She couldn't think of anyone else besides Mari who would send her gifts. It couldn't be...
An image of a certain person suddenly popped into her head... Jolyne quickly shook her head. No, it absolutely couldn't be him!
There was no way her dad, that kind of straightforward guy, could pick out gifts that would please a girl like this! Besides, Jotaro currently had no idea she was Jolyne, so it was even more impossible.
Then who on earth could it be?
"Maybe it was from a secret admirer?" Mari said, her face full of gossipy excitement. "I mean, Ellen, you're beautiful and responsible. Who wouldn't like you?"
Jolyne listened with a dark expression, spitting out the words one by one. "Mari. Now is not the time for jokes."
"Yes, yes." Mari instantly turned serious. "The priority right now is to search the cemetery for evidence."
"Right, let's go."
Jolyne stopped worrying about who sent the gifts. Taking care of business was the most important thing right now.