Page 102 of Mercy Written in Blood

Haruki looked around the nearly empty café.

"Where?"

Renji frowned.

"Where what?"

"This patient you're speaking to."

"You are Mr Ishida."

"I was under the impression we had progressed to Haruki."

"We had not."

"That is disappointing."

Renji looked towards the corridor. He could leave.

Haruki lifted his cup.

"I'm not asking you to examine anything."

"That is reassuring."

"Unless you've changed your mind about dinner."

"No."

"You answered before I finished."

"You finished that invitation three weeks ago."

Haruki considered this.

"So you remembered."

Renji took a sip of tea. It was too hot.

"That does not make the answer different."

"No. But it makes the refusal feel less impersonal."

Haruki gestured towards the chair opposite him.

"Coffee?"

"I have tea."

"Sit with your tea."

"I have a meeting."

"When?"

Renji looked at the clock above the counter.

"In nineteen minutes."