Being ordered into the boss's office was rarely a good sign. Being ordered into the boss's office with extreme urgency was almost unheard of. Something disastrous must have happened.
Vodka glanced at Gin's impassive face. They hadn't talked since he had called him twenty minutes ago.
"Be ready in five. Anokata wants to see us." That was all Gin had said. At that moment Vodka was about to go to bed. It had been a long day and all he had wanted to do was sleep. The call had been like a thunderbolt, waking him up in an instant. He had quickly dressed in his usual attire and rushed downstairs, where his partner had picked him up.
Even though the suspense was beginning to overwhelm him, Vodka hadn't dared to ask any questions during the short car ride to the headquarters. Mainly because he didn't want to show his uncertainty, but also because he had the sneaking suspicion that Gin wouldn't be able to answer them.
This left Vodka to his own thoughts. With unease he remembered the last time he had been in that office. He had been a part of the failed execution of a politician which resulted in the death of two of his colleagues. The three hours he had spent in this office, blindfolded and handcuffed, had been the most memorable and painful of his life. He did not wish to relive that particular experience.
But there was no reason to be worried, right? Although their last mission didn't go off without a hitch, it had still been a success. They even managed to eliminate someone he could have become a problem in the future. There must be a different reason. Maybe Anokata had a special assignment for them, something too important to postpone. Vodka wasn't entirely convinced by his thoughts, but the hope calmed his racing heart.
They did not encounter anyone else on their way to the office. It was located on the top floor of the headquarters, at the end of a long corridor. As soon as they reached the end, the large ebony doors swung open.
The room was large, dimly lit and imposing. The walls were covered by ceiling-high bookshelves, filled to the brim with books. A large desk stood in the middle of the room, behind which they could see the silhouette of a person. Anokata. His face was hidden in the shadows.
Vodka stopped right next to Gin in the middle of the room and the door fell close behind them. Neither of them said a word. It was quiet, only the ticking of the clock was audible, until Anokata finally decided to speak.
"I had some spare time and happened to read the report from your latest mission and I must say – I am most certainly not impressed."
That statement immediately squashed Vodka's hope.
"You two are some of our most experienced members and for you to make that many mistakes during a routine mission is quite impressive. Let's see!"
He sounded unnervingly light-hearted as he reached for a folder on his desk, opened it and leaned back on his chair – his face still not visible.
"Being involved in that murder on the roller coaster is not your fault, of course, but from what I have been told you aroused suspicion with your demeanour. This lead to this teenage detective following you, Vodka."
Anokata leaned forward, his gaze focusing on the bulky man, who shuddered under the attention. Only now did Vodka notice the mask that covered Anokata's face. It was completely white with a wide, unsettling smile and two slits for the eyes that looked like tilted crescent moons. Vodka had the nagging feeling that he had already seen this mask somewhere, but he had no time to think about that.
"We dealt with him -" Gin said, but he was promptly interrupted.
"- by using an unauthorised poison that is yet to be tested on humans." The change in his voice was palpable. Vodka had heard this tone before. It brought back unwanted memories. "I know about your connection to Sherry. She might give in to your demands, but I am not as lenient."
It was surreal to listen to Gin being reprimanded. Vodka glanced at his partner. His jaw was clenched, but even he did not dare to talk back to the boss. Anokata skimmed over the rest of the report.
"Which one of you wrote this?" He asked and threw the folder back on the table.
"That … that was me, Sir." Vodka stammered out
"And why did you mark this detective as deceased?"
"Well, Gin gave him this new poison and -"
"But did you confirm his death?"
Vodka heard Gin's sharp intake of breath and his own heart skipped a beat. That's why they had been called. Anokata's question could only mean that…
"Which leads me to your third mistake of the night." Anokata leaned forward and placed his head on his intertwined hands. "I have it on very good authority that the boy survived. Which means that you not only failed to eliminate a witness, oh no, the witness in question is a famous High School Detective with ties to the police. Bravo!"
The mocking voice hit him to his core. Vodka had to fight his instincts, everything in him screamed to get out of this room and escape whatever punishment awaited them. Gin didn't share this sentiment.
"You did not summon us just to lecture us. If you know that he survived, you also know where he is. It is not too late to get rid of him." A familiar grin spread across Gin's face at the prospect of killing someone, especially someone who managed to escape him.
"As much as I admire your enthusiasm and abilities, you won't need them for your next mission."
Vodka hoped that his confusion was not visible on his face.
"Yes, I do know where he is. But I don't want you to kill him." With his right hand Anokata reached to the other side of his face, grabbed the tie of the mask and took it off. His dark hair and moustache created a stark contrast to his pale face. Even without the glasses, Vodka recognized that face. That's where he had seen the mask before. The Night Baron! He paused for a moment. Wouldn't that mean …
Before Vodka could finish this new, terrifying thought, he was interrupted by Yusaku Kudo's voice.
"I want you to help him. You can turn around!"
Vodka and Gin reacted simultaneously when they saw movement out the corners of their eyes. The armchair in the corner was turning around. But the chair was not occupied by Shinichi Kudo. Instead, a small boy, no older than seven, with unruly dark hair that was partly covered by a bandage, sat in it and glared at them.
"Nice to see you again."
