"Sir?"
Chief Li Fei looked up from the paperwork on his desk at the young man standing in front of him.
His name was Taichi and he was one of the officers who had recently started working. Bright-faced and energetic, he had energy that reminded the chief of himself back in his younger days. A whole 20 years younger. He'd gotten plenty of grey hairs since then-mostly from his wife and only daughter Ku.
"What is it Akito?" He asked wearily.
He'd practically lived at the station for the past week after the case on the young girl, Konoe Konoka, had led to a dead end. He'd told his daughter that he would send out the police and he had but not many. As of this moment he still had no concrete proof that it Sakurazaki Setsuna was involved in this other than assumptions and estimations from her classmates. He suspected it was the case. Konoe was the grand-daughter of one of the most powerful businessmen in Japan. He could only imagine how much money her relatives would be willing to pay for her ransom but suspicion was not evidence. He couldn't afford to send that many of his men out on the streets to search for the girl, especially when they were still working on busting the illegal drug imports the yakuza were operating themselves. He was just glad that Konoemon hadn't been taken into custody for the discovery of those drugs. The old man had been innocent and the investigators had found no leads to who'd put it there.
"Konoe Konoemon would like to speak to you," Taichi said.
"He's here?" Li Fei sighed, his hand on the side of his head. "That's the 10th time this week. Tell him that we still don't have any good news."
"He's worried about his grand-daughter sir. If I may ask wasn't Sakurazaki Setsuna seen kidnapping her? Why haven't you followed that up?" Taichi replied.
"Yes but we don't have any information about where she's living. With any luck we'll find her during the drug busts and bring her into custody along with her family," Li Fei said.
"We'll get them chief," Taichi said confidently. He was a determined lad, headstrong and hardworking, that's what Li Fei liked about him. Now if only he could get the boy to stop sneaking around with his daughter he'd feel much better.
The phone on his desk rang. Picking it up, he pressed it to his ear and covered the mouthpiece, speaking to Taichi, "Tell Konoe that the police will contact him when we have news on his grand-daughter."
"Yes sir," Taichi nodded and turned, walking towards the door past the desks.
Li Fei watched him talk to the old man sitting outside on the bench in the hallway through the glass doors feeling heavy. He'd been in this job for 20 years now and this was the one thing he hated the most, breaking the news to family and friends who just wanted answers, some kind of reassurance. Konoemon's face was composed, listening to Taichi. When the younger man finished he stood up, hands clasped behind his back and began to walk down the hallway, his eyes shadowed.
"Hello this is Chief Li Fei speaking," Li Fei spoke into the phone, lowering his hand.
"You have to help me my husband he hasn't come home," It was a woman. She sounded hysterical as if she was crying.
"Just calm down madam tell me the name of your husband and when he was seen last," Li Fei said.
"His name is Saito!" The woman started to sob. "Watanabe Saito! He hasn't come home since Tuesday."
Li Fei straightened, his attention caught. Saito Watanabe had been a part of the yakuza in the local district five years ago but he'd served time doing petty theft and left a changed man. "Miss Watanabe, are you aware that your husband has been arrested before and is in our records for importation of illegal drugs?"
"He's not that kind of man anymore. Please, help he's a good man. He's decent."
"We'll see what we can do m'dam," Li Fei put the phone down, leaning back in his chair. It looked like they had a lead and a means to follow it.
Eating dinner with a gun to her back wasn't ideal but it was better than dying. They were in the dining room with yakuza guards posted around the table. One was standing behind each of them except for Kiyoko, guns aimed straight at their heads or in Setsuna's case, up against the small of her back. After what she'd done Setsuna had gotten herself washed and about three layers of bandages around her chest and antiseptic on the wound Kiyoko had given her. It was probably going to turn into a battle scar in the future. The cut on the back of her neck had been skin deep, not enough to leave a permanent mark. The blow she'd dealt her mother though still hadn't healed. She changed into a cleaner outfit too. She'd also taken Yuunagi and it was lying on the table at her elbow.
"Sorry about the guns but you understand don't you? We can't have you causing anymore trouble," Kiyoko asked her fingers interlocked together. She had been observing them the entire time with cruel, black eyes.
Setsuna just ate the rice on the plate in front of her, refusing to answer. Her attention was on Konoka who was sitting across from her. She hadn't said anything, hadn't even made a move to touch her food. Setsuna wanted to scream at her, do anything just to get a reaction. Kiyoko picked up the glass jug of red wine beside her hand and poured herself a glass up to the brim. Setsuna hoped she'd choke on it. Haru, who was sitting beside Konoka, was trying to cut a steak with his ruined left hand which was now no more than a stump. He'd been trying for the past 10 minutes now without success. Setsuna didn't try to help him, wanting to spare his pride. He was getting more and more frustrated, his mouth turning downwards. It was the only noise they heard for a very long while, the scratching of the knife against the plate as he tried to cut the meat. When the phone rang Setsuna's hand flew instinctively to Yuunagi which was lying on the chair beside her where it was out in the open.
"It's my phone relax," Haru told her, fishing it out. Setsuna relaxed but only slightly. Checking who it was he put it to his ear, "Hey Sawada what's up?"
Setsuna's eyes flicked over to him, feeling her insides jump.
"What? Hey, no come on man don't wuss out it's not worth it you're going to-," Haru said, shutting the phone off. He looked at Kiyoko but he avoided her eyes, apprehensive. "He's out."
"What do you mean?" Pausing with the wine glass at her lips Kiyoko gazed at him, one fine eyebrow lifting.
"He's cut off that shipment of marijuana that was supposed to come in from Osaka," Haru said. "It's getting closer to his court case and he's panicking. He sounds like he's going to give himself up the cops any second."
"He wouldn't dare," Kiyoko took a sip from the glass.
"What if he does?" Haru asked. His face was tight. "He knows all the major drug hideouts. Everything's going to lead back to us."
Kiyoko was tapping one manicured finger against the tabletop slowly. Peering at Haru over the rim of the glass she said with a mother's tone, "Stop worrying. We'll take care of him."
Setsuna didn't say anything. There wasn't anything to say. Senji had gone back on a deal with the yakuza and there was only one consequence for that-death. Torture first maybe, but ultimately death. He'd probably end up just like anyone else who did that-dead somewhere in an snuck a glance at Konoka to see if she was reacting. Not even a muscle twitch. Watching her Kiyoko placed her hand on the top of Konoka's head slyly. Setsuna stiffened.
"Eat something Setsuna. You need to be healthy if you're going to help us," Kiyoko said.
Setsuna set the chopsticks down on the wrong side of the plate, gazing at her stone-faced and silent. Kiyoko's fingers flinched as if she wanted to strangle her. Setsuna felt satisfied until Kiyoko's hand touched Konoka's neck in a vice grip. Setsuna froze, her stomach feeling like lead. Her mother's hand trailed down to rest on her the back of her neck delicately. Konoka jerked, fear in her eyes.
"Leave her alone," Setsuna snapped, standing up.
"I thought I raised you better than this Setsuna. Sit down," Kiyoko said, not moving her hand.
Something cold and metallic pressed up against the back of her head. Right, she forgot about the gun.
Watching her tensely Setsuna settled back into her seat, picking up her spoon. Konoka wasn't eating anything. Her eyes flicked from side to side, as if she was watching out for something.
"Ojou-sama?" Setsuna said gently.
Konoka gave a twitch. Her eyes seemed to focus and Setsuna felt a trickle of relief pour through her.
Kiyoko let go of her, surveying her. She had a glint in her eyes.
"Would you like to know about your father?"
Haru glanced across at her then looked at Setsuna in confusion. She was wearing an identical look. Konoka's father was Eishun Konoe and everyone knew who he was. He'd never associate with the yakuza. Setsuna thought back to what Kiyoko had said. She was full of lies and tricks, twisting and shiftingher words like a snake but when they'd fought and she'd mentioned about te man Takeda the emotion had seemed real enough. Konoka wasn't responding.
"Yes…he was a very kind man," Kiyoko continued. "Caring, funny, fun…never did seem to take anything seriously and he was a flirt as well."
Setsuna choked on her food. That didn't correlate with the image of Eishun she had in her mind. She'd seen him on TV and in newspapers.
"You said you knew her mother as well," Haru said.
"I think I may have known both of them very…well," Kiyoko's smile was growing wider. There was something heartless about it. It was like a cat playing with a mouse. It was as if she was keeping some secret.
Setsuna felt a cold shiver run down her spine. Dread was making her stomach do flip-flops.
"You…knew my parents?" Konoka finally spoke but when she did it was a low whisper. "But that's…daddy doesn't do horrible things like you. He would never hurt anyone."
"Don't listen to her she's just playing games with you," Setsuna said tensely.
Placing a hand on the top of Konoka's head, Kiyoko said in a tone dripping with poison, "Would you like to know something?"
Setsuna was searching for a weapon, any weapon. Maybe she could get a shot in before she did anything. Konoka shuddered at Kiyoko's touch then straightening visibly, strength in her voice she said, "I would like you to get away from me."
Part of Setsuna was proud of Konoka but the other part was terrified. Eyes lingering on Konoka she squeezed her fingers, "Funny but you do look exactly just like her…"
"I said get away from me," Konoka raised her voice. It was becoming stronger, braver.
Setsuna had never felt two conflicting emotions in her life. Looking from one to the other with pure unadulterated fear and growing admiration she inched her fingers over to the knife at Haru's plate. He shot her a brief look, questioning. Setsuna shook her head discretely, the slightest of movements.
"I suggest you learn some manners," Kiyoko said dangerously, yanking a fistful of Konoka's hair. "Or I'll make you lose more than your pretty hair."
As she yelped in pain Setsuna's hand shot out, the knife hurtling towards Kiyoko's exposed wrist. Her plate tumbled to the floor. Gunfire rang through the air. Setsuna felt a bullet scrape her side. She'd been lucky if she had twisted her body then it would've hit her spine. Kiyoko had blocked her knife by angling it with the back of hand so it only caught the flat of the knife. Knocking it aside Kiyoko lashed out, clutching the nerve cluster at the base between her neck and shoulder with her hand and crushed, pushing her forwards as she applied pressure. Setsuna cried out, tunnel vision appearing as she began to lose consciousness. Spots of black appeared. Then just as her eyes drifted shut Kiyoko let go. Blinking as the table shifted back into focus she pushed herself up groggily.
Konoka was silent, her eyes on Setsuna who tried to give her a reassuring look, as much as she could while being held at gun-point. Konoka didn't look completely relieved but she'd stopped gripping the knife so tightly.
"Go get your knife Setsuna," Kiyoko said. "We don't litter in my home."
Hatred coursing through her Setsuna scraped her chair backwards so abruptly it slammed into the man that had been holding the gun at her back. He tumbled to the floor, winded. She crossed over to the knife, kneeling down and swiping it up without saying anything. Standing up she made her way back to the table, keeping her attention on Konoka out of the corner of her eye.
Konoka still hadn't touched her food.