"Welcome back," said the Chief Superintendent, who had been sitting behind a large oak desk at the far end of the room.

Oishi nodded and took a cigarette out of his pocket, fumbling with the lighter. He was about to light it, but stopped when he realised he was being watched.

"I'm sure you know by now that smoking is prohibited in here."

Oishi sighed, then pocketed the packet of cigarettes and reclined into a chair opposite the Chief Superintendent, who'd begun to sort through a large mountain of paperwork. When he had finished, he straightened his back and hardened his gaze towards Oishi. An intimidation tactic no doubt. Oishi had seen that expression countless times.

"So, you were suspended for a week, correct?"

"Yes. Although it wouldn't be my first suspension would it?" Oishi replied, grinning.

"Well, you're right there," the Chief Superintendent stifled a laugh, "but we have to treat this matter seriously. Let's go over what happened. Exactly one week ago you were attacked while you were taking a stroll not too far from your house, correct?"

"That's right. I can't remember the exact location, but it happened down a nearby alley."

"Around what time did this incident occur?"

"About two o'clock in the morning."

"Two o'clock? What were you doing up that late?"

Oishi sighed in frustration. "Haven't you already read the report? There's no need to be interviewing me like this."

"It's not the same as hearing it from your own lips. Continue."

"I haven't been getting much sleep lately. I took a walk because I thought it might help."

"And this is when you were suddenly attacked?"

"Yes. I didn't see their face, it was too dark. But I heard footsteps approaching and realised it could have only meant trouble. There wouldn't have been any reason for someone else to be out so late, it couldn't have been a coincidence. I saw something in their left hand — at the time I was certain they were holding a knife. When they put a hand on my shoulder I struck a blow using a lead pipe that had been left leaning against one of the bins."

"What happened next?"

"I slipped away while they were stunned and returned home. I was off duty at the time and I was certain that they weren't alone. I've only got a year left until I retire you know. I officially reported the incident as soon as I could but they found no trace of the attacker."

"That's not like you Oishi. You used to be the most feared officer around here. I've never known you to back down from a fight."

"Ah, well I guess I just haven't been feeling right lately."

The Chief Superintendent nodded and scribbled something down into his notepad.

"I see… Well, you know why we had to suspend you, don't you?"

"That's right. They found a blood-stained pipe with my prints on. And without any witnesses there's no way to prove that I wasn't just lying."

The Chief Superintendent smiled and dug out a badge from the drawer of his desk, then passed it to Oishi. "Well, we didn't find any reason to accuse you. We're glad you're back anyway."

Oishi nodded and made his way back into the main building without saying a word. It was unusually quiet, had something happened while he had been away? He made his way to a coffee machine at the end of the room. One of his colleagues stood nearby and stared into his cup thoughtfully, unaware of Oishi approaching.

"Hey," Oishi said as he took a Styrofoam cup and jabbed at several of the buttons on the machine, "did anything happen while I was away?"

It took a moment for the officer to register Oishi's question. He placed his cup down and spoke in a lowered voice.

"One of the officers has gone missing. It's been several days since he came into work and there's no word from his family. We're beginning to think that something happened to him."

"I see, that explains it. Who was he? Do I know him?"

"He sits opposite to your desk. You know, that new guy."

Oishi realised who he meant. The person in question was a young officer who had quickly worked his way through the ranks. Even so, he was a shy boy who didn't speak often. He'd often ask Oishi for help; Oishi guessed that he must have looked up to him, or perhaps viewed him as some sort of role model. He spoke to Oishi more than anyone else after all.

"Yes, I know him. He's a bright kid but lacks a bit of common sense. Something might have happened to him. There should be a search party out looking for him though, right?"

The officer shook his head and looked back into his cup.

"Apparently the higher ups don't want this to be investigated. They said it was a 'waste of resources'"

Oishi crushed the now empty cup under his grip. This wasn't right. How could searching for one of their own officers be a waste of resources? Since when did the police ever treat one of their own so indifferently?

"Well, I'll find him on my own then. You can count on that."