Aly

In truth, Vince had a reason for being in Akai Island. He was looking for someone. Aly Lin Arnold-Parkman. She was his wife. Or rather estranged wife. Aly and Vince had been separated since 2066. Almost five years now. Vince never did understand that woman. Her moods changed rapidly. The woman never came to violence. But, she would disappear for weeks at a time. This time should have been no different. But, something didn’t feel right about this one. No requests for money came in. Her wild friends kept calling Vince asking if Aly had come home yet. After a month, Vince got worried.

Mind you, it wasn’t that bad in the beginning. Aly started out as almost normal when she and Vince first met. As it always is with love.

Spring in Kyoto 2055. Vince had just started his second year at university. He hadn’t changed from the cold wolf he had grown into at present day. Only back then, Vince didn’t really care about mankind. He just… existed. Anyways had and always will. But then, he met her.

She stood at the foot of the shrine stairs looking up. Her long blackish-purple hair flowed sweetly in the wind. The yellow summer dress looked cute on her. Vince usually ignored people around him. But this girl held his attention and wouldn’t let it go. Suddenly, the young man found himself walked closer to her. The girl turned around to him. Vince froze up in his tracks. The girl’s face looked like an angel’s. Her smile became his earliest memory of her. Her navy blue eyes became the second.

“Hi,” the girl greeted him.

“Hi,” Vince said back. “You by yourself here?”

“Yeah!” she answered. Silence passed between them.

“I’m Alicia Arnold,” the girl said aloud as she bowed to him. “But you can call me Aly.”

“Vince,” the stoic young man spoke back. “Vince Parkman.” The girl smiled at him again. Vince smiled back at her.

“What?” he asked. Aly shrugged at him.

“Take a walk with me!” she called. Vince raised an eyebrow at her.

“Why?” he asked in suspicion. Aly leaned in close to him.

“Let’s just go!” she said aloud. Then, she dragged him through the whole city.

“Whoa!” Vince called out. “Slow down, you crazy girl!” Aly didn’t listen. She dragged him onwards.

Over the course of the day, Aly pushed through Vince’s invisible shield and got to know him. Then, something strange happened. Vince began to… open up about himself. A first for him. He never spoke so much as a word about his personal life. Vince just couldn’t stop after that. He and Aly spent the whole day exchanging life stories. If one didn’t know any better, one could say that they were old friends.

“Can I see you again?” Aly asked him. Vince looked at her blankly.

“Why?” he asked. Aly shrugged at him innocently.

“Cause,” she said. “I just want to.” Vince just shrugged at her.

“Fine,” he replied.

“Saturday sound good?” she asked.

“Sure,” Vince replied. “Why not?” Aly smiled at him brightly.

“Great!” she called. “It’ll see you at one on Saturday!” Then, Aly kissed him on the cheek and hurried away. Vince watched on confused. Strange duck she was.

They ended up dating for three years. Vince grew to love that smart funny crazy girl named Aly. They married on July fifteenth 2058. Fairy tale ending, yeah? Not so much! You see, Aly had bipolar I. She had been diagnosed with it since high school. The woman had been on meds for years. Vince learned that while snooping in her room while they were visiting her family for the summer. The young man was so surprised at how many pills she had.

“Pills?” he thought.” I can’t have a sick girl!” He thought about dumping her. But that all changed once Aly explained her condition. Vince then decided to stay with her.

Aly stayed on her meds for a short while when she dated Vince. But after a while, she slowly stopped taking the pills. By the second year of marriage, Aly stopped taking them altogether. Soon, the symptoms began to show. She would be depressed for days at a time. The woman wouldn’t get out of bed. Vince didn’t know how to help her. However, those were only the depressive times. The manic phase proved to be much worse. Aly would be completely wired! She drank enough to drown a fish. She dabbled with other drugs from time to time. Vince even suspected that his wife had affairs behind his back. But he still stayed with her. He loved her and wanted to help her. The man was willing to take anything that she threw at him.

After eight years in 2066, he couldn’t take it anymore. Vince filed for separation. Aly begged him not to. She promised she would change. But Vince didn’t believe her. She told him that lie before. The results were the same. Nothing changed at all. So, Vince threw Aly out of their apartment in January.

At first, she would call everyday to beg him to take her back. Vince would just hang up and ignore her. Then, the calls grew less and less until they became about money. Then, Aly disappeared…

Vince only had Aly’s last known address. 782 Rakuen Apartments on Akai Island. When he got there, the apartment was vacant with no evidence of anyone ever living there. The PI had a gut feeling something bad had happened to his estranged wife.

Now, Vince had two cases to solve. Aly and 1974. He was determined to find them both at all costs.

London Calling