Malik jumped out of the carriage before it came to a stop, tipping his driver without sparing a second glance. He growled under his breath, pushing past a group of people congregated at the entrance of the police station. He had tried to remain patient like Rishid suggested. He knew Rishid was just as worried as himself. But Malik couldn't sit around any longer.

Three days had passed since Isis went missing.

Malik had expected to receive word from the station after reporting the case. The inspector at the front desk had promised to update him on their progress. The commissioner had urged him and Rishid to remain calm and to "let the police do their damn jobs." Malik hadn't exactly left a favorable impression on the officer in their first meeting, though he had deferred to his judgment for the time being.

And as much as Malik would rather not meddle in affairs that were not under his expertise, this involved family. He couldn't let this go any longer.

So despite his brother's suggestion to follow the commissioner's orders, Malik decided to find some results himself. He pushed past the heavy doors, eyes adjusting from the sunlit morning to the shadowed office. Malik wandered about, eyes flicking back and forth in his search for the police commissioner. He noticed the curious stares in his direction, but Malik didn't pay any notice. He had more pressing issues to attend to.

Malik spotted the nameplate while perusing the offices down the hallway, alerting him to the commissioner's whereabouts. The door was closed, but that didn't dissuade him. He made a beeline for the private office. He knocked firmly, glancing over his shoulder to see a secretary eyeing him. Malik glared at him until the man blushed and snapped his gaze away.

Malik turned back, sighing in annoyance. His lavender eyes narrowed as he leaned against the door, pressing an ear to the wood, listening for any noise inside. He pounded on the door again. "Kaiba, I know you're in there!"

After a few moments of ignoring him, Malik decided to take a less tactful approach. He examined the door lock, glancing behind to make sure the nosy secretary wasn't still watching him. He pulled out a steel scraper, one of the various tools that always seemed to be on his person. While Malik wished he hadn't needed to learn this skill, it proved useful in certain situations.

Malik smirked when he felt the lock click. Shoving the tool back into his pocket, he flung the door open. His smirk widened when he saw the frustrated look on Kaiba's face. The police commissioner's eyes were cold, his arms crossed. He stood behind his desk, glowering at the interruption.

"What part of a locked door was so difficult to understand, Mr. Ishtar?"

Malik just gave the commissioner a dirty look, ignoring the third person in the room who was apparently having a meeting with Kaiba. "What part of filling me in on the progress of the case is so difficult to understand, Commissioner Kaiba?"

Kaiba scowled, his annoyance seeping through. "I said I would fill you when there's something to update you on."

"It's been three days. Have you gotten nowhere?"

Kaiba frowned, his eyes flicking down to a file on his desk. He ignored Malik's question, which only confirmed his suspicions. Malik let out an angry snarl. "So that's it then? You've got nothing? Is my sister's well-being not important?"

"This is a missing person's case, Mr. Ishtar. These things can take time. If this were a murder case, then you would likely be receiving news far too soon. And frankly, the murders in this city are more concerning than your sister having a late night out," Kaiba snipped, a harsh glint to his eyes.

Malik firmly stood his ground. "It's been three days with no word from her. Isis's not one to just up and vanish. That's why I brought it to your attention. I think my sister's disappearance is related to the serial killer case."

Kaiba snorted, rolling his eyes, which only made Malik's blood boil. "Yes, I remember you telling me that Jack the Ripper kidnapped your sister. Tell me, how many kidnappings has he done in the past?"

Malik bristled at the jab. He knew that the police and even his brother didn't take Malik's accusation seriously. But the more Malik looked into his sister's disappearance, the more he was certain that she had been kidnapped. And that her kidnapping coincided with the activities of the infamous 'Jack the Ripper.'

Jack the Ripper had become an overnight sensation in London after his first victim had been found at the end of summer six months ago. A prostitute had been dissected and left out in the open for the city to discover. What was thought to be a one-off instance became a series of murders, the killer always picking apart his victims in a horrific show of gore and blood. In the span of a half-year's time, there were at least seven known victims.

Malik knew that Kaiba saw his plight as nothing more than a tabloid scheme. That Malik was using the hysterics of the serial killer who slaughtered women in the night to escalate the case into finding his sister. But it went deeper than that. Malik didn't really have words, but it was more of an intuition. His instincts told him that Isis's disappearance was not just a case of "having gotten lost." He suspected this was all connected.

"I have proof! Just let me speak to the inspector in charge of the Ripper case and he can decide if my evidence is enough to tie the two together," Malik argued, trying to get somewhere – anywhere for his sister's sake.

Kaiba waved a hand to dismiss Malik. "My team working on the Ripper case is far too busy to waste time on false leads. I told you when we get any leads on your sister's whereabouts, we will inform you immediately. That's all I have for you, Mr. Ishtar. Now be on your way."

Malik fumed, wanting to argue his point further but he could tell by the equally stubborn look on Kaiba's face that any further discussion would only serve to hurt Malik's case. Did he come all the way out here for nothing then? Malik bit back a sigh, lingering in the room. He knew leaving wouldn't solve the case. He pressed a fist against his teeth, biting down as he tried to think of some way to convince Kaiba.

A new voice interrupted the tense silence. "You're not going to tell him, Seto?"

Malik glanced down, finally paying attention to Kaiba's original visitor. He blinked at the crown of black and violet hair with blond bangs, a curious look on the visitor's face. Even though he was sitting, Malik could tell he was of short stature. Malik glanced over to Kaiba, whose expression remained frigid. "Tell me what?" Malik inquired, wondering if he could get information out of this officer.

"Yugi, shut it," Kaiba snapped, a scowl growing on his face.

Yugi gave the commissioner an unamused look. Malik half-expected Kaiba to throw him or Yugi out of the room but raised an eyebrow when Kaiba didn't stop Yugi from speaking: "The reason he doesn't want you to relay your case to the Ripper case is because that team is understaffed."

Malik blinked, turning back to Kaiba, who looked pissed as usual but kept his gaze focused on the file in his hand. He looked as if he just wanted to get this conversation over with. Malik crossed his arms, eyes narrowing. "Why cut corners on your most needed team? That hardly seems wise."

Kaiba glared at Malik, but he wouldn't back down. He wanted to get to the bottom of it. If it was a matter of too few bodies, then that wasn't a reason to dismiss a possible lead in the case. At least, to Malik it wasn't a good reason.

Kaiba sighed, standing up from his desk. He towered over Yugi, accentuating his rather impressive height as he walked to the door. He slammed it shut, trying to fix the lock that Malik had broken past. As soon as they were alone, Kaiba turned around, raising a hand to rub his temple. He sighed, finally conceding as he divulged information on the operation.

"We initially had a team of a half-dozen detectives and a journalist collaborating on the case. This was back in August when the murders had just begun, and we had recognized the pattern. The case progressed as much as it could. However, after a nasty post in the paper, the journalist on the team was suddenly killed in the same manner as his other victims. Leaving no question who had committed the murder."

Malik kept his gaze locked with Kaiba's. Malik understood the message the killer was trying to send in the journalist's death. He suspected that his death hadn't been reported to avoiding creating a stir. Most of the public had assumed he only targeted prostitutes in the dead of the night.

"So the killer cares about his public appearance, then?" Malik asked, still somewhat surprised that Kaiba had told him this much.

Kaiba sighed, glancing away. "Perhaps. No one really knows what goes on inside a killer's mind. The team continued to investigate, but a few weeks later two of the investigators were brutally murdered on the same night. Same way as the journalist. We had initially figured Jack the Ripper went after the journalist because of the article he published."

Malik swallowed, his stomach feeling uncomfortably empty. "He'll kill anyone who might be a threat to him."

Kaiba nodded. "We thought he didn't care if we gave chase. He seemed to have encouraged it initially. But upon those three deaths, the other investigators asked to be transferred from the case. No one wanted to be targeted by a madman killing whores at night."

Malik glared at Kaiba, swallowing against the bile filling his chest. "So they would rather be cowards and let a murderer go free?"

Kaiba snapped back, his eyes a cold, icy blaze; "If they haven't gotten the resolve to catch this serial killer, then I don't need them wasting my time. Be careful about judging others while you live comfortably away from the dangers of the city."

Malik had a retort ready on his lips, unafraid to face a madman if it meant saving his sister. Perhaps it was a brash statement, but he felt it in his entire being. His family meant everything. His family was all he had upon moving to England, his one constant. He refused to give up on them even if the world was determined to.

Before Malik could argue back, Yugi caught his attention. "You know Seto, it might be preemptive to say, but perhaps Malik could help in the case. If his sister's disappearance is related to the Ripper case, slim as that may be, it would be a major boon. It would be better to play it safe than potentially gloss over a possible lead."

Malik glanced down at Yugi before returning his gaze to Kaiba. The commissioner let out an annoyed sigh, his expression bitter. Malik waited for Kaiba to reject the advice. The man was stubborn and irritable as it was. But as if by some magic, his stature caved. Malik didn't know what sort of power Yugi had over the anal commissioner, but he could definitely learn a thing or two from him.

Kaiba raised a hand to push back his bangs, messing up his neat hair. His eyes settled on Malik. "You enjoy causing me trouble, don't you Ishtar?"

Malik shrugged. "I'm just trying to find my sister. Through whatever means necessary."

Yugi smiled at Kaiba, almost disarming in nature. "Surely you can understand that, Seto!"

Kaiba groaned, rolling his eyes in some unspoken defeat. "Yugi, you're just as big of a pain as the Ishtar family."

Malik raised an eyebrow at the insult, but Yugi didn't seem put out by it. Kaiba glared at Yugi a moment longer before walking over to his desk. He grabbed a spare sheet of paper, scribbling down what looked like an address.

Malik straightened up as Kaiba handed him the note. "For better or for worse, I have one detective still working on the case. Ryou's office is on the second floor in the east wing, but your best bet is to try his flat. He prefers to research there since he prefers working late into the night and, frankly, I have too much on my plate to worry about that aspect of protocol."

Malik's brow furrowed as he studied the address. He was familiar with the street, though Malik didn't frequent the area all too often. If he wasn't in his office now, then Malik would make the trek out.

Kaiba fell back into his chair, brushing his hair back into place as he tried to regain some semblance of control. "Now both of you get the hell out of my office. I have business I need to attend to."

Malik snorted, wondering if Yugi would actually listen. To his surprise, Yugi stood up, placing his files back into his briefcase. He still wore that winning grin on his face. "I'll be back later to discuss more on the hospital and police department plans."

Kaiba didn't even acknowledge that he heard Yugi, leaving the two to make their way out of the office. Malik examined the address once more as he waited for the shorter man to close the door behind him. He glanced back, a small smile on his face. "Thank you for the help back there with Kaiba."

Yugi shrugged, turning to head out of the building. "Not a problem. Seto can be harsh, but his heart's in the right place."

Malik shoved his hands in his pockets, trailing along for a moment. "I'm surprised he heard you out as it was. I thought he was about to have a stroke back there, he was so worked up."

Yugi laughed at that, a sly grin growing on his face. "I think the only reason he listened is because my elder brother works for the State Department and is, by extension, his boss. Stuff like that gives me the sway where I need it."

Malik chuckled, thankful for his timing. His stubbornness and determination paid off unexpectedly. He looked back over at Yugi. "Then it was lucky that I ran into you today, er… Yugi, was it?"

Yugi nodded. "Yugi Muto. And you are?"

"Malik Ishtar." He offered out a hand.

Yugi raised an eyebrow, switching the briefcase to his other hand so he could shake. "Ishtar as in the archaeologists?"

Malik gave a sheepish chuckle, feeling his cheeks heat up. "It seems you've done your reading."

Yugi laughed, giving him a big smile. "I remember seeing news about your family's work in the papers before. My brother is also familiar with Pegasus from previous state events."

Malik hummed thoughtfully, thinking how oddly coincidental it was that his boss knew Yugi's older brother. "Small world we live in."

"It feels that way, doesn't it? Granted my work makes me feel like this city is too big for its own good."

Malik winced as he realized that he probably made Yugi's job more difficult by intruding on his meeting. "I'm sorry for interrupting you, back there. I needed Kaiba's attention and I don't always think through my plans."

Yugi gave a small shrug. "I don't mind. I get the sense that Seto wasn't really paying attention. It's hard for me to do my job as a city planner if I don't have the cooperation from all party members."

"City planner, you say? My condolences – you must have a lot of work as of recently."

Yugi sighed heavily, lifting his briefcase to gesture to the papers inside. "That's an understatement if I ever heard one. Ever since the dock fires last May, we've had to consolidate several departments into fewer buildings until the damage is assessed and repaired. Seto is annoyed that he has to work around these inconveniences, but it is what it is. I'll have a plethora of pleasant conversations with Seto ahead of me yet."

Malik smirked at that. He imagined that Yugi had his work cut out for him as a city planner. Many state officials claimed the fire to be the worst fire of the century, but then again, London did seem to have an arson problem.

Yugi and Malik arrived at the atrium. Malik offered his hand, feeling awkward as soon as he did. "Anyway, thank you for the help today. It was a pleasure meeting you, Yugi."

Yugi smiled, his expression lighting up the dimly lit foyer, grasping Malik's hand. He pumped their hands vigorously. "Likewise. I wish you the best of luck. I hope you find your sister."

The mention of his sister came like a shadow over his mind. Malik's smile tightened, unable to hide his anxious thoughts. "I hope so as well."

Yugi nodded before turning to leave the police station. Malik glanced down at the note he received, reading the address listed. Kaiba mentioned that Ryou preferred to work from home. Malik would check out his office, but he was already anticipating catching a cab back towards the detective's neighborhood.

Malik wasn't entirely sure what he would accomplish, but if Ryou believed him, then perhaps they would finally find some indication of his sister's whereabouts. Much of what convinced Malik that Jack the Ripper had a hand in this was based on speculations. But Malik trusted in his intuition. His instincts told him that his inferences and analysis weren't off.

He could only hope the detective felt the same way.

Malik shoved the note into his pocket, making his way upstairs to meet Ryou.