ACT XII

"Wait!" shouted Ryo, his eyes widening. "We just passed the station."

"Uh, yeah," Touin said. "I'm taking you to Dee's."

"You said Commissioner Rose wanted me to come to the station," Ryo reminded him, his eyes a mask of confusion.

"Did I?" Touin countered.

"Where are we going?" Ryo demanded, finally realizing he was in some sort of danger.

"To Dee's," Touin repeated.

"No, we aren't," Ryo stated with certainty. "What's really going on? What kind of game are you playing?"

"You really want to know?" Touin asked, not looking away from the road.

"Yes," Ryo replied, trying to control his breathing. If he got out of this, Dee was going to kill him for sure!

Touin remained silent so Ryo spoke again. "Somma didn't escape, did he?" he asked, starting to feel really sick.

"No," Touin admitted as they left the city limits.

"You wrecked my apartment?" asked Ryo. Touin gave a tight nod. "But...but why?"

"Because you weren't there!" groaned Touin, gripping the steering wheel tight. "And keep your hands where I can see them," he snapped, noticing Ryo's hand inching toward his holster.

"You..." Ryo paused and swallowed fearfully. "You're the one Dee's after," he rasped.

"Bingo," Touin acknowledged, turning to give Ryo a quick grin.

"Why?" Ryo asked. "Why would you..." he broke off, unable to imagine what could drive a person to commit such a horrendous crime.

"Because of you!" Touin shouted, slamming a hand down on the steering wheel hard for emphasis. "Because something always came between us. But not this time," he continued. "There will never be another interruption."

"You...you're going to do to me what you did to the others," said Ryo, wanting to throw up.

"No, no," Touin hastily denied. "I'm just taking you home with me. We'll be together forever. You'll forget all about Dee."

"You won't get away with this," Ryo told him.

"Of course I will," Touin replied laughing. "Kevin and I would have been so happy together if he hadn't gone and tried to escape," he said. "He was the only reason I stayed in Detroit, you know. But even after I had to kill him, no one found out it was me. I'm a good cop. Who would ever suspect me?"

"But when you called from the station, someone must have overheard," objected Ryo.

Touin laughed again. "I didn't call you from the station," he informed Ryo. "No one knows you're with me. I was in your apartment building the entire time. I called you on my cell phone."

"Forensics will be able to find out you're the one who ransacked my place," Ryo told him.

Touin shook his head. "Poor, naive Ryo," he said softly. "I've been a cop a long time. The knife I used for the destruction of your pillows will be found. It's a special one purchased by some hood that, sadly, met his demised three days ago at the river's edge. His body will never be found. But traces of his hair and fibers from his clothing will be. Sure traces of me will be in your apartment as well, but then, even Dee knows I was in there by your invitation in the past."

'Gotta jump,' thought Ryo frantically, feeling Touin just might be right. He reached for the door handle but never made it. Touin's fist slammed into his left jaw. Ryo's head crashed into the window and his eyes closed. Blood dripped down his forehead and his body slumped as he lost consciousness.