Ryo hung up with phone with a heavy sigh. The private investigator was insisting that they meet now at the coffee shop down the street. Bastard wouldn't come to his apartment despite how much he offered to pay him. The next available appointment was in a few weeks and Haichi wasn't even due for another hour or so. There was only one thing he could do. Meet him.

The bodyguard was just being paranoid. There wasn't some grand conspiracy to hunt him down. That was ridiculous. The e-mail was just that. An e-mail. The more pressing issue – for him anyway – was to find an answer for Chiyo. She deserved that much….and more importantly, if he did find an answer then maybe she'd come willingly into his arms. Or, at a minimum, consider it.

The events of last night had taught him one important lesson, he mused as he changed into a pair of loose fitting sweat pants and a casual shirt. Don't bring attention to yourself. If you're going out alone, don't dress to the nines. With a heavy sigh, he bent down to finish tying his shoe laces before heading towards the elevator. He'd be back before Haichi even arrived and he'd been none the wiser. What's the worst that could happen?

In retrospect that question was tempting fate. The minute he'd stepped outside he locked eyes with a strangely dressed man staring at him intently from across the street with a wry grin on his face. No, no. It was his imagination. He was just shaken up from what Haichi has said last night. He was being paranoid. Stuffing his hands in his pocket, he quickly took off down the street – occasionally glancing over at the man who seemed to be mirroring him step for step.

'Fuck me,' Ryo thought as he tried to take calming breath and stopped to turn back towards his apartment, 'I'll just head back and reschedule.'

The minute he stopped, the man across the street stopped as well and Ryo felt like his heart was about to break free from his chest. This was stupid. He needed to calm down. It was a coincidence. That's all. It was….

"Ryo-san! Is that you?" came a somewhat familiar voice from the other street corner, "I was on my way to the coffee shop when I spotted you!"

'Oh, thank god. The private investigator,' Ryo sighed with relief before glancing back and noticing that the strange man had disappeared without a trace, 'Perhaps it won't hurt to have him look into that e-mail.'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"How many cases?" the private investigator gasped incredulously – giving the man before him a once over and grimacing, "You can't be serious."

"I'm perfectly serious," Ryo continued shakily – occasionally glancing around for the strange man, "Listen, I believe I was followed here. And last night I was attacked."

"Shouldn't you get the police involved?" the private investigator scoffed, "This is far above my pay grade. Far, far above. You want me to antagonize the mob and some deranged individuals who've already kidnapped you once! No sir, my usual fee is not worth it."

"I'll triple it," Ryo insisted, "Or more. I can't go to the police on this. There is an officer involved."

"Oh well that just sounds fabulous," the investigator huffed sarcastically as he grabbed his suitcase and prepared to leave, "This is far too much."

"What will it take for you to do this?" Ryo hissed as he grabbed the man's arm and forced him to sit back down, "I'll pay whatever you want."

"It'll cost you at least one hundred thousand yen per hour. Roughly one thousand American," the investigator huffed, "Payment in cash on a weekly basis."

"Only if you show results," Ryo countered as he narrowed his eyes, "I'll pay you if you come up with results. I'm not just going to take your word on it."

"Oh, I'll get results," the investigator snorted derisively, "For the right price. Forget yen. A thousand dollars American per hour."

"$750 American," Ryo huffed, "And I expect results and documentation of your progress."

The investigator gave Ryo a once over before narrowing his eyes, "I want my first payment in advance."

"No," Ryo laughed as he leaned back in his chair, "Do you take me for a fool?"

"Do you take me for one?" the investigator hissed before adding in a sly voice, "Do you even know who you're up against? Do you have any answers at the moment? Sounds to me like your life is on the line."

"Results first," Ryo insisted – unperturbed by the man's statements, "You know who I am. I know you've done your homework. You know my net worth. I can and will pay you. But I expect results. No results. No payment."

For a moment, the two stared each other down before the investigator caved, "Fine. $750 American if I get results. And I'll get results."

"Good," Ryo chuckled – having expected to pay far more than that sum and felt he was getting the better end of the bargain overall, "So I'll meet you in a week's time, then?"

Nodding in agreement, the man collected the various items that Ryo had brought him before handing him a card, "I'll contact you from this number as to where we meet. Given what you've told me, if I do not say 'the weather in Hong Kong is fantastic this time of year', it isn't me. Don't meet them. Don't tell them where you are. Don't tell them anything."

"Whatever you say my fine fellow," Ryo agreed as he smiled down at the card, "A week then."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Haichi was furious. Not only was Ryo gone he hadn't left any notice about his whereabouts. The one consolation he had was that there was a strange man waiting near the entrance who fled before the bodyguard had made it down the block. He knew there was something going on there. He was getting his hands on that e-mail whether Ryo liked it or not. The girl would help him or try to at least. He was no investigator but he could do some digging on his own. Find out whether any conspiracies existed about who had created the popular franchise or whether the security cameras had managed to pick up any faces. Ryo needed to be more careful who he hired as well. He seemed to pick people based on whomever came first. His maid, his chauffer, his personal chef. Everyone was suspect.

And then to go off antagonizing the mob?! He was mad. Completely and utterly insane. It wouldn't matter if that girl ended up liking him if he ended up dying. As Haichi groaned and collapsed into his chair, the elevator dinged and Ryo walked into the foyer completely unharmed.

"WHAT THE FUCK DID I TELL YOU?! THERE WAS SOME STRANGE MAN OUTSIDE AND…" the bodyguard hissed – his muscles rippling with the effort of holding back. Taking a step back in surprise, Ryo merely shrugged and chuckled, "Merely getting coffee good man. That's all."

"And you didn't see anyone following you?" Haichi pressed – smirking when he saw the cocky smile falter, "Yeah that's what I thought. You can't be doing that shit. I'm moving in. I don't fucking trust you and your death wish."