Chapter 4

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------It only gets worse from here ladies and gentlemen. Now that's three times.
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4:15pm He had been at work now for at least 3 hours and despite repeated calls on both the phone and over the neural network his partner still wasn't answering. All he wanted was an answer to which hospital that kid was in cuz thus far all hospital's deny that they even have or had a Shinji Hikari he couldn't understand why Togusa would've said a false name let alone make up interviewing someone he hadn't. Finally giving up on doing this alone he went to Ishikawa's office. At least he made time for him.

" Hey Ishikawa, do you know where Togusa is?" He asked walking up behind the man and placing a large hand on his shoulder. Ishikawa was online again but his ears were never deaf unlike a curtain Major he knew.

" Umm…. I thought the Major sent him home. You too if I'm not mistaken." Was the bearded man's reply

" Yeah well I went there, did that, now I'm here. Trying to solve this bizarre case, and wouldn't you know it, my partner's ignoring me." He removed his hand and folded them across his chest instead.

" What do you mean ignoring?"

" I don't know maybe he's having some personal time with the Mrs.'s but I doubt for three hours I mean I don't think natural's can do that for that long." That remark prompted Ishikawa to log off and remove his visor. He swiveled the chair around and looked at the large cyborg.

" I highly doubt that. But anyway it's unlike Togusa no matter what he's doing to ignore the office or you."

" Ya'know I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me Ishi," he smiled brightly. The older man ignored him.

" So I guess you want me to try and get a hold of him? Didn't you try the neural network. He can't turn that off."

" I did but nothing I mean really nothing."

" Well did you e-mail him?"

" Yep."

" Cell"
" That too and nothing."

" Well, what do you want me to do? Sue him into coming out of hiding?"

" No…. you'd think that'd work?"

Ishikawa gave him a shame on you look and crossed his arms over his chest, " Face it man you'll have to go over there and scare the kids," he smiled though with all due seriousness.

He sighed, " So there's nothing you can do?"

" Nope. You've done all the conventional ways."

Sighing again he resigned him self to his new task, " alright. But hey while I'm gone can you locate a Shinji Hikari for me? He's suppose to be a pizza delivery boy who was involved in some kind of accident and well I need to talk to the kid but I don't know which hospital he's at I've called around and no one has him either in the in patients, surgical, or out going patients."

" Well that sound's weird I'll look around ok?"

" Ok keep me posted I'm countin' on you if I can't get this lazy guy up!" he said waving goodbye and heading for the elevator.

Getting to Togusa's house wasn't especially difficulty or long but it still drained him anyway. Having to come all the way out here to the suburbs just to find his partner was not a job he liked. He didn't really care for how house broken men lived their lives. Truth be told he never actually got it, the whole family idea. When he was growing up he only had a dad and the military that was his family and a vastly different one from Togusa's version of one.

" Slacker," he grumbled getting out of his bright yellow vet and heading up to the front door doing his best to give it a firm yet not too firm knock. After all Togusa always had a comment about how hard he was on poor defenseless doors. A woman he'd never seen before opened the door she looked worried before she laid eyes on him and looked even more concerned after she did. She opened her mouth to talk but nothing came out. She looked terrified.

" Um, excuse me ma'am but is Togusa home?" he asked as softly as he could. She didn't respond right way. She just stood there blinking and opening and closing her mouth a few more times before she finally got her voice back.

" Togusa?.." she finally said her voice was a nice pitch, " As far as I know no."

"No!" Raising his tone the woman stepped back a moment.

" I mean Cathy, Jesse, and him went to Yokohama but they should've been back hours ago and well Cathy isn't answering her phone neither is Togusa. Are you the police I've called them a dozen times."

" Um. Well something like that I'm Togusa's partner."

" Partner…. oh I didn't know Togusa went out for that kind of thing, " she said blushing and looking down.

" What! No I don't mean THAT kind of partner I mean police kind of partner!" He yelled then sighed to gain some composure, " So his wife and him left for Yokohama then? Who are you?"

" I'm Cathy's sister, Risa, and you?"

" I'm Batou may I come in?"

" ………." She just stood there giving it an awful a lot of thought before answering, " yes but please try not to scare the baby, " she finally said moving away from the door and gesturing for him to come in. He was upset that everyone thought he was good kid scaring material but tried his best not to show it. This woman may be his best bet in finding his partner.

He was instructed to sit in the living room and wait while she made some drinks. All he really wanted was some information and to leave.

" When did they leave exactly do you know?" he hollered

" Ummm…. I think around 8:30 today but she told me that they'd be back before sun down and that she'd call me when they got there and more often to check up on their son and she hasn't called yet" Risa called back from the kitchen. Kyle laughed in the kitchen but he didn't know what the kid was doing.

" So he wasn't here at say around 1 pm right?"

" Yes that's right see I started calling them around noon It doesn't take that long to get to Yokohama from here even at the slowest."

" Why where they going there do you know?"

" Yes. It was originally suppose to be a girls day with just Cathy and Jesse but then Togusa came home and opted to go with them to the beach."

" Beach eh? Slacker," he grumbled

" Yes the perfect day for it I'd say. I'd go but I don't like the beach." She finally emerged from the kitchen with a try, " Tea? It's green."

" Thank you. Where's the kid?"

" Oh. Coloring he's fine, " she smiled pouring him a cup and handing it to him.

" It should only take an hour to two and a half hours at the most to reach Yokohama beach," Batou struck up the conversation again.

" Yeah I know that's why I'm worried. See, Mr. Batou, it's not like my sister not to check in. If she say's she's going to she will. And of course they'd call about their child."

" Have you baby sited before?"

" Yes and if they don't call about going to a location they always call to see how things are going with the children. Several times in fact. This is so not like either of them. I mean Togusa is always calling home at work to see how she and the kids are. It just doesn't make sense."

' Batou' he heard Ishikawa's voice in his mind and soon a screen jumped into his eye site almost canceling the sister out he decided to tune her out and focus on Ishikawa's report, ' Batou you there?'

' Yeah. What's up?'

' I found your boy.'

' Really where? '

' He's dead. '

' Dead? How? When?'

' Around midnight . Complications from the surgery'

' But I check surgery and they said – '

' Yeah I know. According to the papers the boy suffered only minor injuries and was only kept as a precaution his leg and ribs where broken.'

' I don't really call that minor'

' Well enough considering how fast the car was going it is that kid should've died but according to reports was doing alright and then he just suddenly up and died for no reason'

'……. Damn. There goes our witness'

' You mean considering he was one anyway?'

' Well yeah but now we'll never know right? I'd say that's too much of a damn coincidence.'

' Why?'

' Well look the kid get's thought of as a witness and conveniently turns up dead? For no reason for complications on a surgery that was never done anyway? What about that isn't suspicious and speaking suspicious can you find out where the hell Togusa is?'

' I told you to go to his house.'

' Where do you think I am? According to the wife's sister their suppose to be at Yokohama beach but they never called to say they were there or to check up about the kid'

' The kid? I thought he had two.'

' He does. Ones with them. Not to mention like I said about him ignoring me.'

' I can't track him he doesn't have that in him. But if his phone is on I can track that'

' It is on it rings before going to message. So track him like that ok? '

' And what are you going to do? '

' I don't know. I guess I'll head over to Yokohama see if he isn't there.'

' Don't you have work to do?'

' With the way I drive? I'll be there and back before six. Besides hanging out here with the sister has gotten me paranoid. She is right this isn't like the little guy. '