CHAPTER VII

DEAD

1 A.M. HONKY TONK (PRESENT)

Just like what he has been doing the past three months Ban finishes his day at work the same way every day. He throws out the trash, hangs his apron, and puts off the lights and closes the shop doors with his extra keys on his way out while his "boss" Paul has already settled in his couch on his room just above the coffee shop.

He then lights a cigarette stick or two on his way back to his apartment.

It has been six months since his last GetBacker job, and his life has been pretty plain since then. He spent more than a month in the hospital and about two months bumming around; sulking; drinking; until Ginji sparked him up, metaphorically and literally.

For some reason that night, he was going on his third stick, he dug on his shirts pocket but instead found the calling card and the card behind it which was about its size, must be the photo. He did not bother take a peek.

"Mr. Yusuke Sonyu." He read the card. "Sorry man, nothing personal." He lit the card and picture with the lighter and watched it go up in flames and continued his way home.

He got into the elevator to the 8th floor where he stayed. Just as he got off the elevator he saw Ginji by their apartment door digging his pockets for his keys.

"Yo Ginji! Use this!" he said across the corridor as he tossed his set of keys to him.

"Thanks Ban-chan! I think I left mine inside." He then got it open and both got in and popped on their couch.

"You're kinda late. Which motel did you bring Himiko this time?" Ban teasingly asked.

"We're not like that!"

"C'mon. You guys have been going out for months!"

"Yeah, were dating but—" Ginji paused and then said softly. "We're not boyfriend-girlfriend yet."

"What?" Ban exclaimed. "Don't tell me you haven't kissed."

"Cheeks."

"You gotta be shitting me!"

"Well aren't you suppose to act like an overprotective big brother instead of pushing me to do things with her."

"Show more affection. Do what you can do while you still..." He paused. "...have her."

The conversation was going a dangerous direction. This topic hasn't popped for months. He diverted the conversation.

"Well I'm hungry. Aren't you, Ban-chan?" He stood up and went to the kitchen.

"Oh no, you're not getting away yet. I'm not finished." He tried to get his composure back too. But Ginji ignored him, instead turned on the kitchen TV and turned the volume up. The volume was filling the room.

"Nice escape, Ginji." He said, he then slouched and rested his head closing his tired eyes. His eyes shot open as he heard a name on TV that jolted him up and then rushed the kitchen to see it.

"What's wrong Ban?" asked the surprised Ginji. But Ban shushed him as he paid attention to the TV.

"… the dead body was found approximately 9:50p.m. Just a block away from the police station…"

"That corner's just two blocks away from Honky Tonk." Ginji said but Ban shushed him again.

"… the victim identified as Mr. Yusuke Sonyu was…"

"That name! That was him." Ban thought.

"Ban-chan! Isn't that the guy that was looking for you earlier?" Ginji said as he saw the victim's ID flashed on TV.

"Yeah."

"And?"

"What?"

"Aren't we going to do something?"

"He's dead."

"Ban-chan."

"No, we're not doing anything." he said, walking into his room away from Ginji.

"Well, if you're not. I'm doing something!" he shouted from the kitchen.

"Go ahead." Ban loudly replied from his room.

"Where's that picture and calling card he left you?"

"I burned it."

"You did what?"Hearing this Ginji walked over to his bedroom door.

"I burned it!"

"Yeah I heard you, but why did you do that for?" there was no reply. "Did you remember his wife's picture?"

"Never took a glance on it. Good night, Ginji."

"Ban."

"Good night." He plainly replied and slammed the door of his bedroom.

Ban woke up to another routinary day.

It will end it like any other day, in Honky Tonk. The chimes rang as he entered.

"Ban-chan! someone's looking for you again!" Ginji exclaimed from his seat at the bar.

"That's Ban Mido." pointed Paul.

"Look, I'm don't let me say it again. I'm no longer accepting retrieval jobs." Ban said, walking over behind the counter and put on his apron and started his job.

"Mr. Mido. I won't be asking you to get something for me but I need to get something from you. Answers." spoke the male stranger stretching his hand showing his badge. "Detective Taka. I'm in-charge of the Sonyu case."

There goes his normal routinary day, going the not normal way. It all started with that Sonyu guy.

"I won't be much of help. I only met the guy yesterday."

"He badly wanted to meet you. Get your retrieval services."

"Yeah. It was about his missing wife. I refused."

"Why you?"

"Look I actually recommended that he seek you, the police. Don't want to deprive you of your rightful duties."

"Still, why you?"

"I have no idea!"

"Do you know his wife?"

"I don't think so."

"His dead body was holding on to a picture of a woman. Can you identify?" Asked Detective Taka.

"He gave you a picture of his wife, Ban." said Paul.

"I disposed of her picture before I even saw it." replied Ban. The detective pulled out a blood stained picture in a sealed plastic bag, placed it on the counter. Ban was uninterested and went about his washing and cleaning.

"He left a different picture but I'm sure that's her. That's the woman in the picture." Paul confirmed as he looked closely at the wallet sized photo of the couple.

Ban did not want to care. But headmits, he's curious. Just a little bit. Ban tilted his head to peek at the small photo.

He just stared at it.

Just silent.

"Mr. Mido?"

"..."

"Ban?"

"..."

"Mr. Mido? Do you know her?"

He just stared at the picture then picked it up and held it close to see better.

"Ban-chan?" Ginji tried to decipher his friend's unreadable expression as he continued to silently stare at the sealed picture in his hand.

He softly spoke. "She's dead."

"Mr. Mido, do you know her?" Dtetective Taka asked again with more command this time.

"I do."

"You do ban-chan?" Genji was surprised.

"Mr. Mido, who is she?"

"Evelyn."