Malik wasn't entirely sure what to make of the thief that had so rudely interrupted their quiet morning. Even more shocking that Ryou seemed to know Bakura, and, by the way Bakura teased and flirted, Malik suspected that it hadn't always been strictly business.

That was a line of thought that he didn't particularly want to continue. Malik had remained polite and collected throughout lunch, asking about other cases the detective had worked on. Ryou had been involved in several murder mysteries and famous burglaries in the city of London. If there had been an unsolved case of mysterious circumstances, Ryou had taken on the challenge.

Ryou had also explained that was how he (unfortunately) met Bakura.

Malik laughed at that, teasing Ryou for his friendly acquaintance. Ryou had been somewhat mortified at how Bakura behaved, specifically towards Malik. And while Malik had reassured his companion that he was quite fine, he was still trying to process what exactly transpired the hour prior.

After Malik and Ryou finished their meal and went back on the road, Malik was left to ponder the strange albino. Like Ryou mentioned, he suspected the man hadn't kidnapped his sister, but he didn't believe he was entirely innocent. Ryou probably already knew, but Malik suspected that Bakura was still hiding something.

As for his flirtatious behavior, Malik had no idea what to make of that.

The idea of courting a woman never really appealed to Malik. The idea that a man might express romantic interest in him was even further from his mind. He hadn't known London to be that sort of city, but then again, he supposed anything was possible in a city where a serial killer hunted prostitutes.

Perhaps that was a bad comparison to make, but then again, Malik had other things on his mind as of late. Any frivolous thoughts would have to be put on hold until his sister was found. How could he think of selfishly indulging in his own desires when Isis's life remained in peril?

That constant reminder weighed on Malik, souring his mood and leaving him more stressed than before. Malik sighed, glancing around and noticing Ryou had led him back to the Whitechapel district. He caught up to the detective. "Are we looking for more evidence?"

Ryou shook his head. "No, there's someone I want to talk to who might have seen something around here. She should be home right now."

"A local to the area?"

"In a way. I hope she's around," Ryou muttered, trailing off as he approached the alleyway where they had found Isis's necklace. Malik paused as he saw Ryou walk up to the apartment complex just off the main road, the door hidden from clear view. He blinked and followed the detective, not remembering this entrance from yesterday.

Ryou knocked on the door, a relaxed look on his face despite the grungy world around them. Malik stood close by, watching the pedestrians pass on the road not far from them, their eyes dead, focused on the path before them. Despite their apparent of lack of interest, Malik couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. A serial killer had once been through here only a few nights prior.

Ryou knocked again, a bit louder the second time. Malik continued to gaze around, eyes sharp for any sign of danger. The sound of a lock shifting caught his ear, Malik turning sharply to watch the door creak open. A busty woman with curly, dirty blond hair stepped into their frame. Her violet eyes flicked over Malik for a moment before settling on Ryou. An eyebrow raised upon recognizing the albino.

"Detective Ryou? I didn't think you'd be knocking… and at this time of day no less."

Ryou laughed, a grin breaking out on his face. He gave an apologetic shrug, though Mai's knowing smile matched the detective's. Ryou certainly seemed more relaxed around Mai than he did Bakura. "Don't worry, Mai, it's not one of those calls. I'm working on a case and thought you might be able to help me."

Mai snorted, resting her shoulder on the door frame. "Don't tell me – the Jack the Ripper case?"

Ryou nodded, a small smile on his face. "Surprised much?"

"Not really. Prostitutes turning up dead everywhere and suddenly London cares. It wasn't a question of if, but rather when the police would question me." Mai shook her head, a wry smile on her face. She left the door open, walking back into her flat. She called back to them as she left; "I'll make us some tea. I guess that's the polite thing to do."

Malik turned to look at Ryou, a bewildered look on his face. "A prostitute?"

Ryou shrugged, not arguing back. "She lives close to the scene of the crime. She might have seen something or heard something the police haven't been tipped off about."

Malik took a deep breath, exhaling in a huff that ruffled his bangs. He supposed that it only made sense to ask Mai, but he hadn't expected to visit a brothel today. This case was a chaotic, emotional mess in Malik's mind and he just wanted to find his sister. If Mai knew something that could help, he could stick it out a bit longer.

Malik followed Ryou inside, adjusting to the dark interior sequestered from the sunlight just out the door. The moss green wallpaper appeared near black without any lighting. Malik passed a set of stairs, leading up to what appeared to be a series of bedrooms. His eyes flicked over a desk situated in the atrium, where clients would come in to do business. Malik bit back a sigh, regretting entangling himself in the case.

He followed Mai into the backroom, where a small kitchen sat. Connected to the kitchen was a small bedroom and personal bathroom, likely Mai's personal quarter. Their hostess grabbed a gray shawl off one of the chairs, wrapping it around herself before closing an open window facing the narrow alleyway.

Realizing that Mai was the proprietor of the complex, Malik stood back, watching her get a kettle going on the fire. She tugged her hair over her left shoulder, quickly braiding it as she leaned back into her chair.

"Don't stand there like statues. Make yourselves at home."

Ryou nodded, sitting down next to Mai at a small round table. Malik took the last spare stool, feeling a twinge a disappointment for not moving quickly enough. He knew if they sat here for a long period of time, his back would probably ache, but he trusted Ryou to make an effective use of their time.

Ryou raised a hand to twiddle a stray piece of hair that had fallen out of his ponytail. Malik had started to suspect this was an old habit that the detective couldn't shake. "What do you know about the Jack the Ripper case, Ms. Valentine?"

Mai snorted, her shoulders slouching. Sitting at the table, Malik could see the crow's feet at the corners of her eyes. Mai finished her braid, resting her chin on a propped-up arm. "Only that he has it out for prostitutes. Just what this business needs."

Ryou furrowed his brow, his voice lowering to a soft murmur; "… Did you know any of the victims?"

Mai paused, considering her words. She glanced away to look at the kettle. "I knew Mary Anne Kelly. Not well, but I was none too pleased to hear what happened to her. Such a charming young lady. And, of course, I'm close friends with Joey and Serenity, if that answers your question."

Ryou nodded in understanding while Malik flicked his eyes back and forth between the two. Malik finally turned to Ryou, hoping for an answer. The detective leaned in, speaking quietly; "They found Serenity in the Whitechapel district about three months back, having been attacked by her kidnapper. Though we're not certain, we suspect that she might have been an intended target for Jack the Ripper."

Malik inhaled sharply, stunned by this revelation. As far as the public knew, Jack the Ripper left no survivors. This revelation was… startling and filled with Malik with sudden hope. "Did she see who assaulted her?"

Ryou glanced away, uncurling the piece of hair around his finger. He didn't speak for a long second, debating how to proceed. "… The whole incident was rather traumatizing for her and we haven't been able to get a full report on the incident. Her attacker blinded her and she hasn't regained her sight. From what we gathered, she doesn't remember his face."

Malik deflated, disappointed by another dead end. Such a crucial witness that lead to nothing was nothing short of painful in his mind. He rested his chin on his folded hands, ignoring the regret that lingered. "Why wasn't this reported to the public?"

Ryou leaned back, eyes closing. "To put it shortly, we're afraid that if Jack the Ripper learned she survived, he might try to finish the job. For her own protection, all information regarding the attack was kept to a minimum."

Malik nodded slightly, understanding the trail of thought. Even if Serenity couldn't remember her attacker, maybe she could remember another detail? He didn't want to give up on this lead quiet yet – perhaps he could talk to Ryou about this later if he hadn't already considered it.

"Serenity's a sweet girl. She and her brother always made a point to come by and invite me out and spend time with me. To think of that bastard hurting her-" Mai cut herself off, a harsh glint shining her violet eyes. She let both of her hands fall to the table, briefly picking at a stain on the wooden table before caging her fingers together. "How can I help?"

Ryou nodded, pulling out his notebook from his coat pocket. He flipped through the pages, reading through undecipherable scribblings. "A little over a week ago, a young woman was attacked in an alley just around the corner from here. Did you notice anything unusual that night?"

Mai pursed her lips, tilting her head. She shook her head slowly. "Nothing jumps out at me. Usually on business nights, I'm working the front desk with our clients. I keep tabs on who goes out that night and who is working in-house, so to speak, so I didn't notice anything out of the blue."

"Not even a man forcibly dragging a woman down a back alley?" Ryou asked, a sharper tone to his voice.

Mai's eyes flicked open and she watched the detective out of the corner of her eyes. Several long seconds passed, Malik watching with astute fascination. The whistling of the kettle eventually forced Mai to stand up, walking over to get their cups of tea. She took her time, adding tea leaves and letting the drinks cool for a moment before serving.

"… How much attention do you pay to recent politics, Detective Ryou?" Mai asked lightly, a soft edge in her voice.

Ryou took the cup, bringing it close to his lips as he inhaled deeply. "Not much. Only if it affects myself personally or my work."

Mai nodded. "That's fair. I guess I could say the same applies to me. There was a recent piece of legislature that came into effect, oh, about three years ago. It's a law claiming to protect women and girls and all sorts of other things. Does this jog your memory at all?"

Malik narrowed his eyes at the smirk on Mai's face, as if she had a secret that she was begging to share. Ryou slowly nodded his head, a light scowl on his face. "I do recall that, yes. Some sort of criminal law, correct?"

Mai took a sip of her tea, her eyes flicking over to Malik. She chuckled, shaking her head pityingly while also enjoying Malik's confusion. She turned her focus onto Malik, speaking more for his benefit than for the detective's. "That's the one. Essentially, it raised the age of consent to stop men from exploiting such young girls. You have to be at least eighteen to be a sex worker and it's supposed to help protect younger girls from becoming prostitutes.."

Malik narrowed his eyes, not quite seeing what the problem is. "Do you have an issue with this law?"

Mai chuckled softly, shaking her head. "On the contrary. I think this was one of the smarter things they have passed in years. But there were some unexpected side effects. There's been a bit of a crackdown at brothels, preventing some women from working as they were under-aged. Which is problematic when they're poor, homeless and trying to escape an abusive situation."

Mai sighed, leaning back into her chair. "There's a lot of exceptions and oddballs cases like that that certainly don't speak for the majority. But there are situations with this law that people are ignoring. It's punishing women trying to provide for themselves. Prostitutes aren't exactly seen in a positive light. Also, this law extends buggery laws, further criminalizing the sex industry."

Mai turned her gaze back to Malik, the wheels starting to turn. "It's a double-edged sword. It's helped many girls and women, but it's placed the blame on others at the same time."

Mai nodded, cupping her hands around her mug. "While I think it's been overall helpful, the public perspective has been warped. People claim that prostitutes are luring girls out to sell their bodies. Even though it's really a demand we're meeting for the public. While I would say the public is finally reconsidering how they treat women and children, progress is not always linear. There's such a focus on protecting the young that older sex workers like myself are seen as the root of the issue."

Mai flicked her eyes back to Malik. "To put it simply, they want to help some people, but the rest of us can go to hell. Sex workers, homosexuals, procurers – we're all the enemy. End of story."

Mai took a deep breath, setting her cup down with a harsh clatter. "If I were to die tomorrow, no one in this city would care. I'm not vying for sympathy – that's simply a fact. People are interested in the Jack the Ripper case not because they feel pity and compassion for us, but because the scandal is far more intriguing than the people he has killed. That's why people care more about the killer himself instead of his victims."

Malik sat still, considering Mai's dark words. Mai struck him as a woman who was frank and straightforward. She didn't kid herself or cling to naïve optimism. She ran a tight ship and her outlook was shaped by the reality of the world they lived in. She viewed the world as cut and dry, pragmatic for someone in her position with responsibility over a house of sex workers. The very same women who may be targeted by a serial killer.

Mai rested her hand against the tea cup, letting the hot drink warm her hand. "So, Detective Ryou, you'll have to forgive me if I don't notice every unfair act towards women around me. Sad to say, but you sort of have to be desensitized to these things at this time. I'm used to my girls coming back after being beaten by a lover. It's a tough world out there – you know that too, don't you?"

To Malik's surprise, Ryou let out a bitter laugh, a mocking smile on his face. "All too well, unfortunately. All too well."

Malik watched Ryou, raising an eyebrow. Would it be rude to ask about this later? Probably… But he was still going to ask.

Ryou turned back to his notebook, pulling out the Ishtar family picture. He held it out for Mai to take a look. "Do you recognize this woman?"

Malik sighed, already sensing the answer. If Mai didn't notice the scuffle a few nights before, then there's no way she would know of his sister. They traversed different walks of life, so to speak.

His head snapped up when Mai spoke; "Yeah, I've seen her around here a few times."

Malik locked his light violet eyes with a darker, matching set. "Are you serious?"

Mai smirked, a coy look on her face. "I'd never forget a beautiful catch like that if I tried."

Ryou chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. "Mai, I thought you weren't one for lovers?"

"I know how to separate work and pleasure. And it would be my pleasure to spend some quality time getting to know her," Mai winked, Malik uncertain if she was being serious. He wanted to say no, but he barely knew the woman before him. For all he knew, Mai was being serious.

Ryou leaned forward, a small smile on his face. "How often would you say you've seen her around?"

Mai thought, leaning back in her chair. "Let's see… I suppose I would see her every other week pass by. I just assumed she worked at another brothel, truth be told."

Ryou smirked, Malik frowning on the gesture. He had a bad feeling based on the hungry look on the detective's face. Ryou took out his pen, jotting something down. "You might not be entirely off."

Malik narrowed his eyes. "What the hell are you saying, Ryou? This is my sister we're talking about."

"I'm not saying anything. The evidence is before us and I'm putting the pieces together. That's my job," Ryou snapped back, focused more on writing than addressing Malik's concerns. "That's every two weeks. Did you ever see her with somebody?"

Mai shook her head, toying with her braid before tossing it back over her shoulder. "No. I did notice her making her way down towards the rentals, closer to the river, but I never ventured after her."

Malik frowned. The rentals didn't make sense. That wasn't the way home. Why would Isis go down there? Did she have her own business that she didn't tell her family about?

Before Malik could process this, Ryou started speaking out loud, quickly, to himself. "Then she was meeting someone there. So she's meeting a man in the middle of the night in the Whitechapel district by herself, her family completely unaware. It looks like a lover or potential client, depending on the circumstances."

Malik snapped his head back around to glare at Ryou. "That's bullshit!"

"That's evidence. How else do you explain why your sister is there at that time of night? Now consider the Ripper noticed this pattern and chose to target her knowing she was meeting to sleep with someone. Or rather, what if he was the lover?" Ryou shook his head, still ignoring the fuming Egyptian as he continued to mutter to himself. "No, that wouldn't make sense. We found her necklace several blocks away. Surely someone would have noticed a struggle before then. Still a kidnapping-"

Malik scooted his chair out, bristling at the detective' words. "My sister is not a whore!"

"The evidence suggests otherw-"

Mlike slapped the detective hard across the face, standing up abruptly. He glared down at Ryou, Malik's expression torn between anger and shock at his own reaction. Malik didn't have a chance to curb his reaction. Before he could even process that he was reacting, his hand acted on its own accord. He couldn't see Ryou's expression, his white hair curtaining his face as he remained frozen in his spot. Only Mai seemed unperturbed by the events unfolding in front of her.

Malik struggled to catch his breath, feeling as if he was suffocating. The dimly lit kitchen was too small and dark for his taste and he needed fresh air. He needed to be away from Ryou. Without explaining, Malik stormed out of the kitchen and past the front door, not stopping until he reached the end of the block, pacing in front of a seedy bar that reeked of alcohol and urine. He ignored other patrons as he continued to walk blindly forward, trying to clear his mind.

How dare he.

How dare Ryou even suggest that his sister would sell her body to the night.

Malik stopped in front of the window, ignoring the swarm of immigrants who spoke something resembling Italian while drinking out front. He leaned back into the stones, raising his hands to rub at his temples. The drunken mob (in the middle of the day no less) eyed him, muttering softly as they slowly wandered down the street, a sea of sin and destitution.

His sister would not consort with these sorts of people. Isis was better than this. Even if she had a secret lover, she would not think to meet him in private in such a place. Ryou may be a detective, but Isis was his sister. He knew his sister better than the detective did. And despite what the evidence may suggest, he knew Isis wouldn't go behind their family's back.

His eyes fluttered open and he took a deep breath. This whole case was stressing him out more than he thought. He knew Ryou wasn't trying to intentionally upset him. He felt as if time was being wasted accusing Isis of falsehoods when his sister's life hung in the balance. And all he could do was sit and wait and watch. He hadn't contributed to the case. He felt like he wasn't doing anything at all, let alone enough.

Malik let his hands drop to his side, spotting someone standing in his periphery. He didn't need to look to know it was the detective. Malik sighed, staring straight ahead, not yet ready to talk. Ryou stood quietly nearby, hands raised in front of him as he fiddled with his sleeve.

The nervous tic eventually grated on Malik's already frayed nerves. He rolled his eyes. "Do you always have to pick at something?"

Ryou blinked, realizing what he was doing as he pulled his hands apart. A light blush growing on his face. "… Sorry. Childhood habit."

Malik flicked his eyes over at Ryou, who seemed more flustered and embarrassed than he had ever seen him before. For someone with a dry sense of humor and an excellent poker face, this was a new side of him that Malik hadn't seen before.

Ryou sighed, glancing away. "I want to apologize for what I said back there. When I think, I get caught up in my head and so lost in thought that I lose sight of the heart of the matter. I'm so used to hypothesizing and theorizing on a case and I don't work with people because, as you might have guessed, I'm not the most socially adjusted-"

Ryou cut himself off, raising a hand to fiddle with his hair again before catching himself, snapping his wrist down. "I'm rambling, aren't I? Look – when I'm on the job, I focus so much on the few facts that I have that I forget the larger picture and don't consider other people's feelings… And I'm sorry for that. I shouldn't be making such lewd accusations of your sister."

Malik watched Ryou, the detective's hands twitching before he finally clasped them together to fight the urge to fidget. Malik released the breath he had been holding, trembling slightly at the weight. He glanced away, his own frustration still lingering. "You were doing your job. I know you weren't trying to piss me off."

Ryou took a step forward, slow and hesitant. "That still doesn't mean I should be making those sorts of assumptions about Isis."

"Hazard of the job. It's like you mentioned before-"

Ryou shook his head, lowering his face to hide beneath his bangs. "That's how I approach the job, but that doesn't mean everything I do is right. I'm so used to postulating off of so little evidence because I usually have nothing to work with. I have to theorize and research off that until I can a better sense of the picture. I'm always willing to accept new theories and dismiss them when the narrative no longer fits."

Ryou finally caved, raising a hand to twist at the loose strand hanging by his cheek. "But I didn't consider the narrative you have of your sister. Your perspective on your sister's character is far more important anyone else's. I'm sorry. If you're certain that she would not act in that manner, then that's good enough for me."

Malik blinked, surprised by the apology. He had expected Ryou to excuse his language and behavior from before, but… this was more than he bargained for. What he said was rational, but his words felt anything but. From his body language to the odd tremor that entered his voice, Ryou seemed genuinely upset about hurting Malik's feelings.

Malik relaxed, surprised by the sincerity. Ryou had a rather sharp wit when it came to investigation, but his social skills with people could use some work. All interactions with other people seemed to indicate that Ryou was difficult to work with or just plain weird. And while that was certainly true, Malik sensed that Ryou was reaching to meet Malik in the middle. That he was trying.

Besides, it wasn't like Malik was completely innocent in their fight.

"It's okay. I appreciate you coming out to say sorry. And I'm also sorry about slapping you." Malik glanced away, his turn to feel the light burn on his cheeks. "No matter how upset I was, that's no excuse to hit you."

Ryou turned his head up, chuckling lightly as a small smile grew on his face, relief seeping through. He raised his hand to the cheek that Malik had struck. "It's fine. I was being a dick and upset you. Shit happens."

Malik sighed, raising his hand to trace along Ryou's cheek. The light pink had already faded away, indicating that it wouldn't even leave a bruise. "Still shouldn't have done it."

Ryou shrugged. "We both did stuff we shouldn't have today. We're both idiots."

"Idiots chasing after a crazy serial killer."

"That's life in a nutshell, really."

Malik laughed at that, a grin popping onto his face. His hand wandered to twirl around the piece of hair that Ryou had been fidgeting with. He supposed the nap helped, but the sunlight really accentuated the pure white tones to the detective's hair. The cloudy city didn't really do justice to his beautiful, snow-like hair, which felt like silk threads between Malik's fingers.

Ryou's eyes flicked rapidly between Malik's hand and face, suddenly breaking the spell. Malik stepped back, his face burning with heat. He could only pray that his tanner visage would hide the blush on his face. He had no idea what came over him, but he didn't want to try explaining it to the detective.

"Did you have any other questions for Mai?" Malik forced out the question, in a desperate change of topic.

Ryou raised an eyebrow, his lips twitching as if he was debating frowning or smirking (probably smirking). He instead settled for glancing back towards the brothel. "I got what I needed for now. I was going to check to see if Namu had finished those reports for me."

Malik nodded, pushing off with his core muscles to step away from the building. "We'll probably want to try and grab a cab. Or else it'll be very late by the time we get back."

Ryou nodded, his eyes narrowing for a moment. Malik waited for Ryou's question that inevitably followed. "Are you blushing?"

Malik hailed a cab, rolling his eyes to distract the detective. "Hardly. Nothing flusters me."

"Our first encounter has me suspecting otherwise."

"Your feminine features threw me off the first time we spoke," Malik explained, already anticipating the backlash.

As if on cue, Ryou's head snapped around, scowling at Malik as a cab pulled in front of them. "Fuck you. I don't look like a girl."

Malik smirked, winking at the detective. "I think most people will side with me, based on how angry those comments make you. Perhaps a haircut will help clear up any confusion."

Ryou rolled his eyes, fuming to himself as he stepped into the buggy. "You're a real git, Malik Ishtar."

"Always a pleasure to keep you company."

Malik bit back a chuckle, deciding he needed to stop teasing Ryou before he started to implement the lessons he had learned from past murderers. Lord forbid he become the reason the good detective was driven mad. He still needed Ryou's help to find his sister, after all. So Malik made himself content as he listened to Ryou explain more details on the case, trying not to fall asleep in the late afternoon sun.