LP Beach

Setup.




Pressure.




No music.



“Hitomi, wait!”

As he ran along Koen-Dori after Miku, Minorikawa heard someone shout out a familiar name. Hitomi...? It was a pretty common name. Ordinarily, he wouldn’t have given it a second thought; but he remembered that one of the Miss Midoriyama winners was named Hitomi Osawa. That made him curious.

The World Doesn't Change so Easy.

A moment later he heard a cell phone ringtone. He immediately recognized it as an Aya Kamiki song.

No music.



His reporter’s instincts tingled. He stopped to take a look around, and one young woman caught his eye almost immediately.



He couldn’t assume that any pretty girl he saw was Miss Midoriyama. After all, it’d be a little too convenient if he just so happened to run into her now. Still, it didn’t cost him anything to ask, “Are you Hitomi Osawa?” He might as well at least check. But to his own surprise, he hesitated in embarrassment. He’d never been too embarrassed to ask a question before. He didn’t get a chance to contemplate that realization.



A massive fiery blast knocked him from his feet. A deafening roar set his head throbbing. What was that? What’s going on? He lay in a daze on the ground, trying to wrap his mind around what had just happened.



Behind him, there was a minivan, fiercely ablaze. A minivan...an explosion... The first thing to pop into his mind was the attempted bioterrorist attack on Kasumigaseki two years earlier. An unoccupied minivan had exploded outside an MPD station, and afterward, a device meant to scatter a dangerous biological agent had been discovered near the subway. In the end, no one had been harmed, but there were rumors that the government had paid a terrorist organization a hefty sum to keep it that way. Right now, Minorikawa was a stone’s throw from the Shibuya precinct. Could this be a repeat of the Kasumigaseki attack?



The entire area was in an uproar. People were running around in panic. Minorikawa could see several injured people lying on the ground, unmoving. And yet despite the gravity of the situation, numerous onlookers were casually taking photos with their cell phones. Minorikawa got to his feet, then went to try to get everyone away from the scene of the explosion.



“Hey, you guys! Get back! There could be another bomb!” Minorikawa looked around as he pushed back the crowd. He was getting the strong whiff of a scoop. He needed to write his copy ASAP, but he couldn’t just turn his back on this situation now. Two young men were strolling toward the burning vehicle. They had the look of juvenile delinquents.

“Whoa, what the heck? Is this for real?”

“Ain’t this dangerous? Like for serious?”



The pair tried to find an optimal vantage point.

“Hey!” Minorikawa snapped. “Don’t get any closer!” He spread his arms wide to hold them back. The young men came to a halt, but otherwise paid him no heed.

“Oh, this is bad. This is for-real bad.”

“Think this is a terrorist thing?”

“Yo, get out your phone. C’mon.”

“But like, you think this is a terrorist thing?”

“Dude, shut up. Just hurry up and call Susumu!” The taller of the two, dressed in red, was ordering around his blue-clad companion.



“Huh?” the boy in blue huffed. “Man, do it yourself.”



“Say what now?!”

“Bitch, this ain’t no time to get yourself all worked up.”

Minorikawa stood there, arms still held wide, getting more and more annoyed at their back-and-forth.



“Yo, just make the call, man.” The young fellow in red scowled; he wasn’t going to back down.



“Huh? Yo, what difference does it make if I do it or you do it?”

“It doesn’t make any difference-so it don’t matter if you do it.”



“Yeah, right, it don’t matter. So in that case, you do it.”

“Look, I’m tellin’ you to just make the damn call!”

“And I’m tellin’ you to just make it your damn self!”

Oh, enough of this already! Minorikawa opened his mouth to tell them off-but then the young man in red spoke again.



“Dude-the goods from over at Endo Electronics are gone. You gotta let Susumu know.”

The name ‘Endo Electronics’ caught Minorikawa’s attention.

“Huh? Yeah, but ain’t that all that Achi dude’s fault, for gettin’ all huffy at us? I mean it was Kiryu who told us to go find the Endo storehouse.”

“Yeah, but Susumu don’t like dealing in stolen goods. Says it dirties the S.O.S. name.”

Well, what a coincidence. Looked like these two were S.O.S. Members.



“Hey!” Minorikawa called out. “You two!” He finally succeeded in getting their attention.

Contemplation.

“Where’s this Susumu fellow? I’d like to talk to him.” He had no idea who Susumu was, having only heard the name just now. Still, from the way these two were talking, it seemed clear he held some position of leadership.



“You think I’d tell you if I knew?” the fellow in red snarled.

Minorikawa kept his composure. “Listen. You guys know the Tenryu-gumi?” The Tenryu-gumi was a yakuza syndicate that operated in Shibuya. These street kids were sure to be familiar with the name, if nothing else. “I may not look it, but I’m in pretty tight with the Tenryu-gumi. And maybe you two don’t know it, but Susumu’s been showing up at their office a lot lately.”

428 Tip – Tenryu-gumi wrote:An up-and-coming yakuza syndicate that turned up on the scene ten years ago. With the seemingly legitimate “Takarada Financing” as its business front, the group offers monetary solutions for people in financial trouble-but those who accept their offers soon find that their troubles only grow and grow. Embroiled in conflict with the Kanto-Shiramine-gumi, who have been long established in Shibuya.

“Susumu’s been...dealin’ with the yakuza?”

“Whoa, for real? Sweet!” The two punks bought it completely.

“What’s S.O.S. using as their hangout these days? I’ve got a little something to discuss with Susumu.”

“Hmm? Right now it’s this bar called ‘Inferno.’”

Minorikawa made a mental note of the name. “Right. And Inferno is where, exactly?”

The two young men suddenly looked distinctly uncomfortable.



“Um, uh-oh. Later!”

“Yeah, I got a thing I gotta do, too.” Backing away, they took off through the crowd.



“Hey, wait up! I need to know where Inferno is!” But the pair had already vanished.



Ambulances began arriving at the scene and paramedics rushed out to tend to the wounded.

“Excuse me. Would you mind answering a few questions?”



Minorikawa turned to see a man in a suit approach him, flashing his badge. So, a detective with questions for him, huh? “How about you answer a few questions for me? Was this an accident? Or an attack?”

“We still don’t know many details.”



“Let me rephrase that for you: This is a major incident!”’ Minorikawa exclaimed.

“Huh?” The detective looked pretty flummoxed.

“I’ve been around the block a few times, and I know all your police PR lingo. And when you start talking about ‘the details,’ that is one hundred percent indicative of a major incident!”

Brushing aside Minorikawa’s remark, the detective tried another question. “Did you happen to notice anything unusual prior to the explosion?”

“Unusual?” Minorikawa thought back to the moments before the minivan blew up.



“Now that you mention it, I think I heard a cell phone ringtone.”

The detective tilted his head. “A ringtone?”

“No, never mind. Forget that. There’s no way the ringtone on someone’s phone would be audible through all of that.” Minorikawa struck the thought from his own mind as he said it. In all likelihood, he’d associated the ringtone and the explosion simply because one had happened right before the other.



“Kano.” A large-statured Caucasian man had called out to the detective.

Evidently, the detective’s name was Kano. “Thank you for your cooperation,” he said with a bow. Then he ran over to the foreigner.

No music.

“Mr. Minorikawa!” Minorikawa turned at a female voice behind him.



He found Miku standing there. She looked like she’d been crying.

“Miku. About earlier...I, uh...” He trailed off, searching for an apology.

“It’s okay. That doesn’t matter right now.” Miku looked around the scene.

Minorikawa followed her gaze. “Something big went down here,” he said.

“I know!” she exclaimed. “The explosion...I saw it happen with my own eyes!”

“You what?”

Miku looked around nervously.

“Are you all right?” he asked her. “ You’re not hurt, are you?”

“I’m okay. My ears are still ringing a bit, is all.”

“Good! So, what did you see at the time of the explosion?”

Miku assumed a thoughtful expression. “There was this girl who was running toward the minivan. And then I think I saw this other Middle Eastern girl suddenly make a dive for her, and then the van just exploded...”

“Wait, hold on,” Minorikawa said. “So, if I’m getting this right, it sounds like this Middle Eastern girl saved the girl who was running up to the van?”

Miku nodded.

Just then, Minorikawa’s phone chimed; he’d received an email. It was from Chiaki.

Mr. Mino, are you still working on your copy?



He checked his watch. At this point, the four o’clock deadline was barely twenty minutes away. Nonetheless he decided to stay at the bomb scene. He could definitely smell a scoop here-he was sure of it. Even if he couldn’t get his six pages done by four, landing a major scoop should be enough to persuade the loan company.



Minorikawa jotted his phone number down and handed it to Miku. “I’ll make things up to you,” he said. “Give me a call later.”

Miku took the scrap of paper, puzzled.

“If you’re looking for an aiki-jujutsu dojo, I know a few.”

At that, her face lit up.



Minorikawa decided to process the scene for clues. As he wandered around, he caught sight of Detective Kano and his Caucasian colleague heading down an alley.

Unrest.

Hmm, what’s that I smell? Something pretty damn fishy. If they were slipping away for a private conversation, maybe there was some way he could listen in.



Minorikawa hurried into one of the buildings that bordered the alley. He looked around and found a public bathroom upstairs on the alley side of the building. Hoping beyond hope, he slipped up to the bathroom window.



Voices outside! He held his breath and listened.

“Those international criminals you mentioned?” Kano’s words were faint, but he could make them out.

Minorikawa did a little fist-pump.

“Correct. Roughly eight hours ago, they infected Maria Osawa with the Ua virus. Then, they let her loose somewhere in Shibuya.”

“Hold on. By Ua, you mean...” The discussion involved some terms Minorikawa wasn’t familiar with. He focused all of his mental energy on what the two were saying.

“This is a killer virus with a one hundred percent mortality rate once it takes hold...”

“One hundred percent?” Minorikawa muttered to himself.



The shock caused him to unclench the fist he didn’t realize he’d made. This wasn’t just an interesting conversation. It was monumental.

“It has an incubation period of twelve hours. In another four hours, Maria Osawa will go symptomatic. After that, she’ll begin spreading the virus through the city.”

“It’s capable of airborne transmission?”

“If we don’t administer Kenji Osawa’s antiviral before she develops symptoms...”

“Yes...?”

“Everyone in Shibuya is going to die.”

Minorikawa felt goosebumps rise all over his body. If they were talking about a virus and a Kenji Osawa, they could only mean that Kenji Osawa. He recalled what Osawa had said earlier, about the power balance of the world being at stake. There was no doubt about it. This was a tremendous scoop.

“Well then we need to find Maria Osawa and get the antiviral to her as soon as possible!”

“Just calm down. There’s more to the story th-”

No music.

“Aww, it’s startin’ to leak out!” The door swung open loudly, and someone came barging into the bathroom.



“Ah...” It was Yanagishita.

Why him again? And why here of all places?



“Oooh, I’m leakin’ here!” Yanagishita was on the verge of hysterics. His voice must have been audible outside. Kano and his companion went to take their discussion elsewhere.

And they’d just been getting to the good part.



“You son of a bitch! ” Enraged, Minorikawa grabbed Yanagishita and tossed him to the floor.

“I’m leakin’!”

“Shut your mouth!” He put all of his strength into an ankle hold and gave it a good twist.

“Aaah!” Yanagishita wailed. “Aaaaahhhhhhhhhh!”

General Tip – Ankle hold wrote:A professional wrestling technique that involves grabbing the opponent by the ankle. Being caught up like this can be extremely painful; it also puts a lot of pressure on the lower body-and if you’re already fighting the urge to urinate, well...

Decision.



Minorikawa left the idiot blubbering in the bathroom and hurried out of the building. He hadn’t heard the whole discussion, but he had a scoop on his hands anyway. This would be a tremendous score for Heaven Publishing-enough to let the company rebuild. He was certain of it. And if I’m the one saying it, it’s gotta be true. As he ran along, Minorikawa tried to plan his next steps.

First, he had to get back to the editing office. He’d explain the situation to the people from the loan company. Then he’d go find that paperwork for Osawa, and have Chiaki check his copy.

And then, after that... Okay, so he still had a lot of things he needed to do. He swatted himself on both cheeks to get himself psyched up. His phone range. It was Chiaki.



“M-Mr. Mino, something terrible has happened!” Chiaki’s voice was a broken yelp.

“Whoa, calm down!”

“Over on Koen-Dori, this minivan exploded!”

“Ah, yeah. I’m well aware. Thanks to that, I’ve got a big scoop that-”

Chiaki cut him off. “Just now, I got a call from Mr. Toyama’s daughter, Hana.”

This time Minorikawa waited for her to finish; he had a sinking feeling.



Doubt.

Minorikawa’s knees buckled. “Tell me you’re joking.”

“No! I mean, the van explosion is all over the news, and Hana was in tears on the phone, and-Mr. Mino? Mr. Mino, are you still there?”



Toyama had...killed himself?



Minorikawa felt the energy drain from his body.

• We have to go with Kano next time; even though we've since prevented Osawa's bad ending, he goes straight into a Keep Out that we currently can't unlock.

Setup.




Contemplation.




No music.

428 Tip – Girl wrote:Miku Morita. While walking along, upset at Minorikawa for not introducing her to an aiki-jujutsu dojo, she happened across the aftermath of the minivan explosion. Unable to stand idly by when faced with such a horrific scene, she pitched in as best she could to help the wounded.

Kano recognized her as the girl he’d talked to earlier, during the traffic jam. “Police!” he announced. “Get back. Let me handle this.”

The girl was visibly relieved. “Help her,” she said. She pointed to a figure lying on the sidewalk, a short distance from the burning minivan.



It was a Middle Eastern girl; she appeared to be unconscious.

“I think she got hurt rescuing another girl, about college-age,” the girl in the hoodie said.

A college-aged girl? That might be Hitomi.

“What happened to the girl she saved?” Kano asked.

The good Samaritan looked around. “Huh? Where’d she go?” The rescuee had disappeared. “This girl here-” the girl in the hoodie gestured toward the fallen girl-“I can’t believe how fast she was.” She spoke with a hint of awe. “The way she moved to get to that other girl-she was on a level way beyond mine.”

Kano took another look at the injured girl. Her figure looked rather delicate. It was hard to believe she was capable of great feats of athleticism. He started toward her, but Stanley stepped
ahead of him. “Leave this one to me,” he said.



His expression was unusually stern, even for him.

“Do you know her?” Kano asked.

The American didn’t answer as he checked the girl’s pulse and then her pupils.

“Hey, Stanley...”

“Don’t you have other things you should be doing?” Stanley snapped.

Fine, then. Kano decided to collect some eyewitness accounts.



Patrol cars and ambulances arrived at the scene in a steady stream. Once the vehicle fire was under control, things gradually began to calm down. Several officers worked to cover the area around the burned minivan with a blue tarp. Kano got his questioning underway, starting by flashing his badge at a man near the front of the crowd.

Shinya Kano



“Excuse me. Would you mind answering a few questions?”

The man puffed himself up. “How about you answer a few questions for me? Was this an accident? Or an attack?”

“We still don’t know many details,” Kano admitted. The man shoved his finger in Kano’s face.



“Let me rephrase that for you: ‘This is a major incident!’”

“Huh?”



“I’ve been around the block a few times, and I know all your police PR lingo. And when you start talking about ‘the details,’ that is one hundred percent indicative of a major incident!”

Well, I sure picked the wrong guy to try and talk to. Stifling his frustration, Kano continued his questioning.



“Did you happen to notice anything unusual prior to the explosion?”

“Unusual? Now that you mention it, I think I heard a cell phone ringtone.”

“A ringtone?”

“No, never mind. Forget that. There’s no way the ringtone on someone’s phone would be audible through all of that.”

The man was probably right, but somehow the idea nagged at Kano. He jotted down a note in his pad.



“Kano.” It was Stanley; perfect timing.

“Thank you for your cooperation,” Kano told the man. Then he hurried on his way.



Stanley stepped in close enough to whisper. “Who was that guy?”

“An eyewitness to the explosion, apparently.”

“Did he have any info?”

“He said he heard a cell phone ringtone at the time of the explosion. Not sure if that’s significant, though.”

Stanley stood silently for a moment, thinking.

“What about that girl?” Kano asked. “ Has she woken up?”

“No. I’m going to drive her to the hospital.”

“Huh? Why do that yourself?”

“Just look around,” Stanley said.

He cast his eyes out over the scene. There were still many injured people lying on the roadside. It seemed the authorities hadn’t sent enough ambulances.

“But isn’t your car back in Maruyamacho?” Kano asked.

“Under the circumstances, I think it makes sense for me to go back for it,” Stanley replied coolly. “Besides, I have a few things I’d like to ask her.”

Kano was curious. “You do?” he asked.

Stanley’s cell rang.



“Yes?” Stanley answered the phone in English. As he listened, his demeanor changed. The blood drained from his face, and his hand began to tremble slightly as it gripped the phone.

Kano had never seen him this shaken up.

“You got it,” Stanley said at last. He hung up the phone and let out a sigh.

“What is it?” Kano asked.



Stanley headed into an alley without responding. Kano hurried after him. Once they were out of earshot of the crowd, Stanley finally spoke.

No music.



“That call right now was from Gordon, my superior.” He broke off there, and for a long while was silent. He appeared to be struggling with some strong emotion.

Kano was getting impatient. “What is it? If you’re going to tell me something, then tell me.”

“All right,” Stanley said at last. “I can trust you with this.”

“Wow. Never thought I’d hear you say you trust me,” Kano teased.

But Stanley’s expression remained dead serious.

Doubt.



“We were contacted on our end by the mastermind of this plot.”

“Those international criminals you mentioned?”

“Correct. Roughly eight hours ago, they infected Maria Osawa with the Ua virus. Then, they let her loose somewhere in Shibuya.”

“Hold on. By Ua, you mean...” Kano thought back to his earlier conversation with Stanley. These criminals were trying to get their hands on a new drug-an antiviral drug developed by Kenji Osawa that had been shown to be effective against the Ua virus.

Stanley hesitated before continuing. “This is a killer virus with a one hundred percent mortality rate once it takes hold. Kenji Osawa’s antiviral is our only means of combatting it.”

“A mortality rate of one hundred percent?”

“It has an incubation period of twelve hours. In another four hours, Maria Osawa will go symptomatic. After that, she’ll begin spreading the virus through the city.”



“It’s capable of airborne transmission?”

Stanley nodded. “If we don’t administer Kenji Osawa’s antiviral before she develops symptoms...”

“Yes...?” Kano’s voice was trembling, now.

428 Tip – Airborne transmission wrote:Following the onset of symptoms, individuals infected with the Ua virus bleed from the lungs, and the virus is readily released into the air via coughing. The Ua virus is highly resilient in the open air, and can survive even after saliva or other fluids have evaporated; simply getting within two meters of a symptomatic patient is said to carry a high risk of infection. Bodily fluids from deceased patients carry an especially high concentration of the virus, and anything contaminated with such fluids must be thoroughly sterilized before it is safe.

Stanley spoke with complete certainty. “Everyone in Shibuya is going to die.”

“Well then we need to find Maria Osawa and get the antiviral to her as soon as possible!” Kano said, panicking.

Stanley remained cool. “Just calm down. There’s more to the story th-”

No music.



Stanley was interrupted by a strange sound from the upper floors of a nearby building. Unsure of what it was, the two men hurriedly relocated.



They paused when they came to a vacant lot. The place was deserted-no need to worry about being overheard here.

“You said there was more to the story?” Kano prompted.

“The antiviral in question is stored in Kenji Osawa’s laboratory. The lab is protected by a sophisticated security system, and apparently the storage area where the drug is kept requires fingerprint authentication from both Osawa and Tanaka.”

Tension.

“What? But Tanaka’s...” Kano couldn’t help but gasp. Tanaka was currently a fugitive, the prime suspect in the kidnapping case. There was no chance of getting any fingerprint authorization from him at this stage. “Is there any other way to get in?” Kano asked.

“The door can also be unlocked via password in place of the fingerprint scanner, but we’d still need to know what Tanaka chose for his password.”



“No...”

“In any event,” Stanley said, “it’s essential that we track down and secure Maria. But...” He went on, his voice grave. “Even if we get Maria to safety, the mastermind is now in possession of the Ua virus. If they want to, they can unleash a bioterrorist attack on Shibuya at any time. To put it bluntly, the lives of every man, woman and child in the city are in their hands.”

Kano felt a pulse of fear deep enough to give him vertigo.



He slowly tilted his back his head and gazed at the sky, vast and blue as always. There had to be tens of thousands of people in Shibuya right now. Rumi and Shizuo were among them. And they might all be dead within a day. It felt so unreal, Kano’s mind almost couldn’t process it.

With an effort of will he shook himself out of his daze. Now was no time to waver. “We have to try,” he said. “In the next four hours, we need to find Maria Osawa, and figure out a way to stop this mastermind and the Ua virus.” The words were as much for himself as they were for his companion. “Let’s do this, Stanley. We might not always see eye-to-eye, but together, I feel like you and I can find a way.”

But Stanley averted his gaze. “My job here is simply to apprehend the mastermind.”

Kano felt a resurgence of his earlier anger at Stanley-once again, he was putting his duties above human life.



“I’m sorry.” Stanley’s voice was a quiet mutter. “ You should get away from Shibuya as soon as possible, Kano.”

Kano hadn’t imagined that the American would ever be worried for him. “I appreciate the warning,” he said. “But I’m seeing this through to the end.”



“This isn’t the sort of thing you can solve with just an effort of willpower.”

“Even so, giving up isn’t the Japanese detective way.”

Stanley let out a nasal chuckle. “Back to that again, are we?”

“Same to you.” Kano managed a tiny chuckle of his own.

“Listen,” Stanley went on after a moment. “This is just between you and me. The mastermind behind this kidnapping case is an arms dealer who goes by the name Alphard.”

“Alphard?”

“The attempted bioterrorist attack on Kasumigaseki, a hotel bombing in Chicago-Alphard had a hand in all of them.”

General Tip – Arms dealer wrote:Beyond simply selling weapons, illegal arms dealers are also frequently involved in smuggling weapons unlawfully obtained through deals with government or military contacts. In recent years, such enterprises have become increasingly globalized; some dealers form smuggling networks that also deal in money laundering, drug trafficking, and more.

“What do you know about this criminal?” Kano asked.

Stanley’s expression grew even darker.



“Alphard’s signature is extremely meticulous planning. But I don’t mean ‘meticulous’ in the same way you or I might normally think of it. Their plans are...perfectly imperfect. Do you get what I mean?”

Kano shook his head.

“Alphard deliberately engineers accidents to make things complicated and unpredictable. It’s difficult to get a good grasp of what’s going on when the situation seems to be falling apart. People tend not to consider that coincidental mishaps might be anything but. In the end, they don’t even realize they were playing right into the mastermind’s hands all along.”

Kano could hear the intensity in Stanley’s voice.

No music.



“I’m afraid that’s all I can say.” Stanley held out his right hand. “See you around, Kano. If we’re still alive.”

If we’re still alive... Kano let that sink in for a moment. “Nah. I’ll shake your hand after we finish this case.”

With a slight smile, Stanley withdrew his hand.



Then the two bumped fists instead.

“All right. We’ll meet again, Kano. I’m sure of it.”

“Yeah. See you then.”

No sooner had Stanley departed than Kuze’s voice came in over the wireless.

Unrest.

“Attention all units. As of now, further investigation on the kidnapping case is suspended.” The director’s voice sounded strangely cold. “I repeat: as of now, further investigation on the kidnapping case is suspended.”



“Wait, hold on! Sir?!” Kano shouted.

“What is it, Kano?”

“Could you let us know why?”

“We’ve received information that Maria Osawa has been infected with an unknown virus, and has been released somewhere in Shibuya.”

That matched up with what Stanley had said earlier.

“An anti-bioterrorism security force will probably be deployed in Shibuya. This is no longer a simple kidnapping case. Our part in this is finished.”

“No it’s not! We haven’t managed to resolve anything!”

“Kano, I assure you everyone else feels the same as you do.” Kuze’s voice had a cautionary tone.

General Tip – Bioterroism wrote:Terrorism involving biological agents such as bacteria or viruses. Biological weapons are easier to acquire and transport than nuclear weapons, and because the rely on an organism’s natural ability to proliferate or infect, they can yield powerful results for low effort. For these reasons, recent years have seen widespread apprehension about the possibility that such weapons might be used by terrorists. In the event that a bioterrorist attack occurred in Japan, temporary quarantine and decontamination facilities would be set up in the area affected.

“They’re still performing the autopsy on the body found in the blue minivan that exploded. I’ll let you know once we have a positive I.D. Kuze out.”

“Director!” But the line had already gone dead.



Left at a loss, Kano gazed out at the cityscape. The site of the bombed vehicle had calmed down briefly, but now that the news networks had begun reporting, the herd of onlookers was growing. There was also a sizeable crowd gathered outside of a large home electronics store. The large LCD televisions on display were showing a press conference being held by the governor of Tokyo.

Unrest.



Kano might learn something new about the case. He decided to watch the broadcast.



“-rking closely with the administration, we are keeping a careful eye on the situation as it develops.” The governor’s expression was solemn as he spoke. The moment he finished his statement, the reporters bombarded him with questions.

“This seems similar to the bioterrorist attack on Kasumigaseki two years ago. Is there any possible connection?”

“What countermeasures do we have in the event that Shibuya is the target of bioterrorism?”

The governor was visibly disconcerted.



“If this does turn out to be a bioterrorist attack, we will establish emergency shelters, with a large-scale quarantine station at Yoyogi Park. However, there are still many details that remain unknown.” The politician was clearly struggling to maintain his composure.

“Can you comment on the rumors we’re hearing that Shibuya might be blockaded off?”

“Don’t be ridiculous!” the governor barked. “What outlet are you with? Are you trying to start a panic when we don’t even know all the details? Besides, it wouldn’t even be possible to blockade the whole of Shibuya!” The press conference continued, the governor and the reporters locked in a belligerent back-and-forth.

Kano left the electronics store and headed for the café where Rumi and Shizuo were waiting. He had to tell them both to get far away from Shibuya.

Yum Cha.



The café Lautrec seemed quiet when Kano arrived. Shizuo was sitting alone. Kano scanned the establishment, but didn’t see Rumi anywhere.

One of the staff greeted him. “Welcome! Just one, sir?”

“No, I’m meeting someone, actually.”

“Of course, sir.” The hostess smiled, and then went on her way.



Shizuo was glaring at him.

Kano walked over to him and bowed deeply. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir. I’m Shinya Kano.”

“You look like even more of a knuckle-dragger than I thought.” Shizuo maintained his appraising stare. “Rumi had something she needed to do, so she’s stepped away for a while,” he said after a long moment.

Kano sat down across from him.



There was a laptop computer open on the table.

The waitress came by to take Kano’s order, so he asked for an iced coffee.

428 Tip – Laptop computer wrote:Right now, the laptop is in sleep mode, and there’s nothing on the monitor; but just before Kano came in, Shizuo was browsing an Internet forum. He takes his user handle from a nickname for the apples he grows on his own farm, which are pretty little things, and nearly as sweet as honey.

• Osawa and Shizuo are forum friends.

“What are you using the computer for?” Kano asked.

“I’m on the Internet.” Shizuo’s voice was low and gruff.

“This cafe has an Internet connection?”

May as well start with a little small-talk.



“So what?” Again Shizuo glared at Kano.

“Ah, I just...” The words wouldn’t come. No. Actually, this is no time to be making idle chit-chat. If they got infected with the virus, Rumi and Shizuo might die. “Um, look... Please, you need to leave Shibuya right away.”

Shizuo’s face contorted with confusion. “What are you talking about? Why?”



Kano wasn’t sure if he should tell the truth or not. He was strictly prohibited from discussing a case with anyone outside the department. As a former policeman himself, Shizuo ought to understand full well the secrecy an investigation required. But it wasn’t like he’d just up and leave town without a good reason.

Yum Cha.



“It’s very important that you go, though I...I’m not at liberty to tell you why.” Even if this was Rumi’s father, Kano couldn’t bring himself to leak secret information. His mind spun with regret.

“Hmph. Well, I don’t need your say-so,” Shizuo huffed. “I’m sick of this town, anyway.”

Kano was a bit relieved to hear that.

“Does this have something to do with the case you’re working?”

“Huh?”

“You telling me to leave Shibuya. Does that have something to do with your case?”

“Yes,” Kano admitted.



“So why don’t you run off with Rumi, then?” Shizuo’s tone was frank.

“Well, I mean...”

When Kano didn’t have an answer handy, Shizuo let out a single, heavy sigh. “Is your work important to you?” he asked.

Kano hesitated.

“Is it more important than Rumi?”

“Well...”

Again, Shizuo cut Kano off as he waffled over how to answer. “Me, I used to put my work before my family. There was no question in my mind that combatting society’s ills and solving cases was worth any price. And because of that, I did some pretty reckless things. Almost wound up dead more than once.” Shizuo paused, a forlorn look in his eyes. “My wife did nothing but worry about me. So much that I didn’t even realize when she’d worried herself sick.”

Devotion.



“I was so caught up in my work that I wasn’t even there for her when she finally passed away. It was all so very absurd of me.”

The waitress came by and set Kano’s iced coffee on the table. It sat there, untouched, until Shizuo looked at it pointedly. With a tiny nod, Kano brought the cup to his lips. The bittersweet liquid was a balm to his parched throat.

“I told Rumi the same story,” Shizuo continued. “But I didn’t tell her how absurd it was. I told her that her father only did what he had to do.” He took a sip from his glass of water. “Rumi, she’s very much like her mother used to be. Their personalities are almost identical. And I don’t want her to suffer the same way my wife did.” Shizuo’s fist clenched in his lap. “What was it that made you become a detective in the first place?” he asked.

“Well, at first, I got the job because I thought it would make Rumi happy. And then I guess also because I thought it’d make you like me, sir.”

It was the truth, but Shizuo simply chuckled. “If your goal is to get me to like you, you may as well give up now.”



“I’m sorry, sir,” Kano said. “I can’t do that.”

“Hmph. Are you this stubborn around Rumi?” Shizuo grumbled.

“I love your daughter, sir. I want to keep her safe, to make her happy.”

“And why is that?”

“Whenever I think about her, I just feel so amazing. I’m sure that you or anyone can empathize with that. Everyone has someone they want to protect, who makes them feel that good.”

“It’s an admirable thing, wanting to be a detective and protect the happiness of the people. But that doesn’t mean you need to ignore your own happiness in the process.”

“What you say may be true, sir. Earlier today, my partner was stabbed. And today’s his wife’s birthday.”

Shizuo arched his brow. “Is he going to make it?”

“We’re not sure yet. Last I knew he was in critical condition.”

“This is why I keep saying that the life of a detective is...is...” Shizuo’s words trailed off into a lamenting murmur.

Even so, Kano was unmoved.



“Dick Dictum No. 1: Never lose sight of what you’re supposed to protect. Ever.”



“What’s that?”

“Something that a senior detective I admire very much said. It’s the fundamental guiding principle I’ve stuck to as a detective. But I was wrong about the real meaning behind it. My partner was stabbed, there are people I want to rescue-so much has happened, and now I finally understand what those words mean. When you see someone in trouble, you help them. That’s not something a good detective does-that’s something a good person does.” Kano took a good, long look at Shizuo’s face. He had surprised himself, finding the words to speak his feelings so clearly, and he wondered what affect it had had on the older man.



“I’m sure that, from your perspective as my future father-in-law, my being a detective means that I’m putting my life on the line. But that’s not entirely true. I can only be myself. This is the kind of person I am; I care about helping people. Even if I were a baker, or a brewer, or a bookseller-I’d still act the same way.”

“You’re being ridiculous. A baker and a detective don’t assume anywhere near the same risks.”

“I suppose that’s true.” Kano fussed with his hair sheepishly.

“Hmph,” Shizuo grumbled. “I think I see what kind of man you are, now.” He sounded oddly defeated.



“Which is why now is no time to just futz around.”

Kano sat up straighter at Shizuo’s weighty tone.

“A detective needs more than just passion. A detective can’t solve all his problems with sheer determination alone. But at the same time, he needs more than just the ability to coldly assess a situation. He needs the conviction to stick to a case when it might otherwise seem prudent to give up.” There was something new in Shizuo’s expression now, and a gleam in his eyes that hadn’t been there before.

Kano almost felt like he was being sermonized to by a senior officer.

“You got that? You need a cool mind but a fiery spirit. A detective without both of those is worth nothing.”



“Do you mind if I write that down in my notebook here?”

“Look,” Shizuo said, sounding suddenly embarrassed. “Aren’t you in a hurry? Don’t you have to get back to your case?”

“Ah-yes! And sir, please, I need you and your daughter to leave Shibuya right away.”

“Yeah, I hear ya, I hear ya.”

Kano conjured up Rumi’s face in his mind. There was a chance he might never see her again. He forced the thought away as best he could.



“By the way, if I may ask...” Shizuo said, “What was it about Rumi that made you fall in love with her?”

“What?” Where’s this coming from all of a sudden?

“Was it her looks?”

“No, it wasn’t just that...” Kano found himself tongue-tied again.



“I mean, she is pretty cute. Even if this is my own daughter I’m talking about.” Shizuo shocked him by grinning from ear to ear.



“Well, yes, she sure is!” Kano replied. “But it’s more than just that. She’s also very sweet and kindhearted.”

“Ah, she is, isn’t she?”

“Yeah, she really is.”

For the first time, Kano and Shizuo smiled at one another.



“You’re a man who lets his emotions show on his face,” Shizuo said. “And for a detective, that’s... Actually, that’s not so bad.”

“Thank you, sir,” Kano said. He bowed to Shizuo as he stood up from his seat.

“Never lose sight of what you’re supposed to protect, huh? I like that. Wise words, indeed.”

Kano turned to look back, and then bowed deeply to Shizuo one last time.

• 

No music.



The ability to coldly assess a situation... Kano knew what he needed to do. There was one thing that was nagging him; no matter how hard he thought about it, it still didn’t add up. Why would Tateno let al-Karawan go free? He needed to get back to the precinct and get the truth from al-Karawan firsthand. As he walked along, he considered what he did know about the facts of the case.



Just what sort of plan had Alphard put into motion, here? It seemed that Tanaka and Osawa held the keys to understanding it. There had been relay handoffs of the phony attaché case-a relay that Tanaka had been complicit in. Then there was Hitomi missing, carrying the antiviral. Osawa had confirmed that himself.

Kano was starting to form a vague picture of what Alphard was up to. If the mastermind’s goal was to acquire the antiviral, then obtaining the cooperation of Osawa and Tanaka was vital to that plan. After all, their fingerprint verification was required to physically access the drug. In order to overcome that hurdle, Alphard had presumably managed to win over Tanaka somehow, and had then kidnapped Maria Osawa to provide leverage against her father. No doubt that was how they’d gotten Hitomi to take the antiviral with her to Hachiko. While the police were distracted by following the attaché case, Alphard would then take the antiviral from Hitomi. That was the general plan, as far as Kano could surmise.



Just then, a call from Kuze came in over the wireless.



“We’ve identified the body found inside the blown-up minivan.”

Kano’s hand tingled as it gripped the wireless.

“Mamoru Tanaka, male, forty years old. An employee of Okoshi Pharmaceutical. Positive I.D. was obtained from the subject’s personal belongings...”

Shibuya Scramble.

“What?!” Kano gasped. If Tanaka was dead, it would now be almost impossible to access the antiviral drug in the laboratory. At this point, the only antiviral they had any chance of obtaining was whatever Hitomi was carrying. Kano thought back to what Stanley had said earlier.



“Even if we get Maria to safety, the mastermind is in possession of the Ua virus. If they want to, they can unleash a bioterrorist attack on Shibuya at any time. To put it bluntly, the lives of every man, woman and child in the city are in their hands.”



“No...” A chill ran down Kano’s spine. If someone did release the Ua Virus, there would be no way to stop it from spreading. If Alphard really was planning a bioterror attack, Shibuya would well and truly become a city of the dead. He couldn’t help but feel that the whole department was playing right into Alphard’s hands. Kano staggered, physically stricken by the realization of just how terrifying a foe they were up against.

• We're really close to finishing the hour.

Setup.




No music.






“Mr. Osawa, ma’am...” Kajiwara shuffled his way over to them at last. “We’ve just gotten word from headquarters.” He hesitated ominously.

Maneuvers.
.
Osawa braced himself. “Please, let’s hear it.”

428 Tip – Headquarters wrote:Right now, the task force is in an uproar after a change in direction from the higher-ups. The detectives who were on the scene have been ordered to discontinue the kidnapping investigation.

“It would seem that your daughter Maria is safe.”

“What?” Osawa felt an unexpected surge of relief. “You mean it?!”

“The case has been solved?!” added Ai.

For a moment, they almost sounded like a happily married couple. It was only the stern look on Kajiwara’s face that gave them pause.

“However, as of yet, we do not have her in custody.”

“I’m...not sure I understand,” Osawa said. “You know she’s alive, but you don’t have her? How?”

Deep furrows appeared in Kajiwara’s forehead. “I’m sorry, sir. The information we’ve received from up top is...complicated. We’ve confirmed that she was able to escape confinement. It’s just...” The detective gave every appearance of holding something back.

“If there’s something you need to tell us, then just say it,” Osawa told him.

“It would seem that Maria has been infected with a virus.”

“Infected?” Osawa felt as if a taloned claw had just clutched his heart.

“It’s not one I’ve ever heard of before, but... apparently it’s called the Ua virus.””





Osawa’s vision went dark. He felt as if he’d plunged into a black void of despair.

“Darling...?” Ai asked raspily. She didn’t need to put her fears into words; Osawa felt them just as plainly in his own gut.



“You’re an expert on virology, aren’t you, Mr. Osawa?” Kajiwara said. “Are you familiar with this Ua virus?”

Osawa held up a hand to forestall further questions. There was no time for that. “How many hours ago was she infected?” he demanded.

“I wasn’t told that much. Is that important to know, sir?”

“Depending on when Maria was infected, we may or may not still be...”



Osawa trailed off abruptly as the reality of the situation struck home. This wasn’t the same as when Hitomi had been infected. Right now, there was no way of getting Tanaka’s cooperation, which meant there was no way of accessing the antiviral storage. In other words, getting the cure to Maria would be impossible.



Osawa’s head swam. “Detective Kajiwara, I beg of you. Your people need to catch Tanaka as soon as possible. I...can’t share the details, but if you don’t, something terrible is going to happen.”

No music.

Just then Kajiwara’s cell phone rang. He picked up quickly. “Wh-What did you say?!” The detective’s shout shattered the anxious silence that had fallen.

Ai shuddered visibly at the outburst.

Kajiwara nodded sharply, still listening; more creases formed in his forehead. “Understood. I’ll let them know.”



He hung up. All eyes were on him. “That was headquarters.”

Osawa swallowed the lump in his throat. He could feel himself quaking all over.

“A minivan we believe belonged to the syndicate exploded near Jinnan in Shibuya. A body was found amongst the burning wreckage of the vehicle...”



“Who was it?” Osawa interjected. “Tell me!” Please, don’t let it be Maria. Please, don’t let it be Hitomi.



Kajiwara took a breath before speaking. “We’ve conclusively identified the remains as Mr. Tanaka’s.”

Frenzy.




“Noooooo!”

The cry was visceral, almost birdlike. Osawa looked around in surprise.

It was Ai. “It’s not true! You’re lying!” Her shrill screams reverberated through the room.



Osawa felt like he wanted to scream, too. With Tanaka dead, there was no way to get to the antiviral. Which meant that Maria was going to die.

Aww, Kano bonded with his future father-in-law

Sorry, forgot to mention, please vote for our next character. Everyone is available.

Setup.





No music.



Minorikawa needed to get back to the editing office right away. But despite the urgency, he barely stumbled along.



He was swaying on his feet, only half aware of where he was even going. “No...no, this is all some sick joke.” He just couldn’t accept that Toyarna was dead. He let out a lifeless sigh; a cynical smile crept onto his face. “The man always did insist on having his own way. But killing himself...”

Cigarette Smoke.



Back when he was still a novice reporter, Minorikawa had written a piece about a middle-school girl who’d committed suicide. The school had made a statement denying that bullying had been a factor, and so most of the media had reported that she had suffered a nervous breakdown over entrance exams.

But something about the case had kept nagging at him.

General Tip – Nervous breakdown wrote:A period of mental illness manifesting as panic disorder, stress-induced anxiety, or the like. The term is commonly used to refer to serious health issues such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder (manic depression), as well as the buildup of more minor stresses as part of everyday life. Because it is so broadly and vaguely defined, it is generally avoided in psychiatric contexts.

Had her death really been a suicide? The more people he interviewed about the incident, the more his doubts grew. The city news editor, however, would not allow him to conduct a follow-up investigation.

And the reason why was simple:



This was the sort of thing that happened every day. They couldn’t waste time on a case that was already on the books. It was more important for a reporter to find new stories than to squander time engrossed in a case that was old news.



Minorikawa understood the editor’s decision well enough. But that didn’t mean he had to like it.

He’d been sulking up on the roof, slowly nursing a cigarette, when the paper’s local news copy editor, Toyama, happened to drop by.

“Did they say no to the follow-up interviews?” Toyama asked. “About that girl’s suicide?”

“Yeah.” Minorikawa expelled a plume of his smoke along with his sigh. Nothing tasted quite as bad as a cigarette when he was down in the dumps.

General Tip – Copy editor wrote:At a newspaper, an employee who evaluates the quality and suitability of reporters’ copy and coverage. Effectively the boss of a group of reporters; however, the copy editor typically works under a section editor who has the final say about what makes the page. A middle management position, caught between upstart reporters and an angry section chief.

428 Tip – That girl wrote:The name of the girl who killed herself was Chiharu Fuyutsuki. After reading her diary, Minorikawa became convinced it wasn’t an ordinary suicide. Six years from now, Minorikawa will run into a certain teacher, and the investigation into the student’s death will be reopened, but that’s another story, for another time.

“So what are you going to do?”

“I’m not going to do anything,” Minorikawa said. “Editor told me no.”



“Oh, ‘Editor said not to’? You sound like a child.”

The rebuff made Minorikawa’s temper flare. “There are other interviews to do! I want to follow up on this but there isn’t any time!”



“You dumbass!” Toyama hauled off and hit him right across the face.



“What happened to ‘I write what I feel in my heart! That’s the one thing I refuse to back down on!’? What happened to the guy who used to bitch at me like that?!” Toyama’s words hit their mark with painful precision. “The interviews aren’t over until you have what you need! No, you refuse to let them be over! You go after the truth no matter what anyone tells you. Isn’t that what being a journalist is all about?!”

Minorikawa scowled in chagrin. The man was exactly right.



Until you have what you need...T hose words had stuck with Minorikawa ever since. In fact, he’d quit the paper to become a freelancer because he couldn’t do his job the way he wanted while trapped in that hierarchy.



Now he wondered: What if Toyama hadn’t killed himself, but had instead been the victim of a terrorist attack? But after considering the idea for a moment, he thought bitterly: So what? The reasons and the details hardly mattered at this point. What mattered was that Toyama was dead.

Minorikawa sat down listlessly and stared up at the sky. The blank swath of blue made him feel all the more worn out. Just what had all of the day’s running-around been for? He felt so empty, so hollowed out by loss. All his motivation had drained away. He had no idea what he should do next.



Hey. Minoru Minorikawa. What should you do? He tried to listen to his inner voice.

Stand. Now face north.

Cigarette Smoke.



You’ve forgotten your passion! You need to get that back!



Yeah. That was his only option, really. He needed to turn back the clock, to reclaim the fire that used to burn inside him. And he knew just how to do that.

No music.



Before he could, however, a young man stumbled across his path, taking a nasty fall on the pavement.

“Owwww! Oh damn that hurts!” The youngster scrambled back to his feet and turned to Minorikawa with a snarl.



“What’re you lookin’ at, pal?” The young man clutched a piece of timber like a club; there was a nasty gleam in his eyes.

“I’m not ‘lookin’ at’ anything,” Minorikawa sighed. “I just happen to be looking in your direction.”

“Shut your yap! Apologize, bitch! Now!” The punk raised his cudgel.

“What for?”

“You tripped me, man. Ain’t you gonna apologize for that?”

The kid had stumbled all on his own, but was probably too embarrassed to admit it. Guess he’s got to vent his anger at someone.



“Listen, kid,” Minorikawa said, “It’s not my fault you’re such a klutz.”

“The hell you just say to me?! You got a death wish, pal?” With a murderous glare, the punk advanced on him, brandishing his weapon.

General Tip – Klutz wrote:“You know, like the pedal in a car that’s got a manual transmission Oh, that’s a clutch. Okay, so then like lumps of earth or clay. Those are clods, you say? Right, so then we’re talking about a sort of social get-together for coffee and conversation? Huh? Ah, right, that’s a klatsch. Is it when you try to fix something using stuff that isn’t really meant for that purpose? That’s a kludge? Okay.

“Is it fun, hitting people with that thing?”

The corner of the punk’s mouth curled up. “Aw yeah. Real fun. Only a dumbass beats people with their bare hands. You just wind up hurtin’ your fists. If you’re gonna enjoy some violence, you gotta have yourself a weapon.”

“Aha. I see. In that case, maybe give it a rest with that stick, yeah?”

“Huh? What for?” The punk scowled in irritation.

“Don’t get me wrong,” Minorikawa said. “I’m just saying there have to be better weapons than that. Something that could take a man down in a single blow.”

The kid stopped to consider Minorikawa’s words for a moment. “I get ya. Yeah, you might be right about that. And I think I have just the thing. May as well go with my usual.”



He tossed away the piece of wood on the side of the road. “Don’t you go anywhere till I get back. Got it?”

“...yeah. Sure thing.” Minorikawa watched as the punk headed back the way he’d come. “Man,” he murmured. “What a dumbass.” Looking around, he spotted a taxi parked close by.

Cigarette Smoke.



It was Kimizuka.

“Do you need a ride, sir?” Kimizuka asked, all politeness as he opened the back door.



“If you’re heading to that publishing office again, I can get you there in ten minutes.” Kimizuka’s driving was as smooth as always; he wove his way skillfully through a series of back streets. “There was some big explosion earlier,” he explained. “The main roads are all gridlocked.”

“Yeah,” Minorikawa muttered. “I was there when it happened.”

“Oh, wow. Really? I’m glad to see you’re not hurt, then. Still-what a terrible thing. That minivan-I hear someone was inside when it exploded. I’m not sure if you were aware.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m aware.”

“Oho. Nothing gets past a reporter like you, I see.” Kimizuka flashed Minorikawa an approving smile through the rear-view mirror.



“How much have you heard, then? Rumor has it that the person who died was a middle-aged man.”

• The very first update of this LP gives you a good hint as to who was really killed in the explosion.

“Oh. Huh.”

“Heheh. We taxi drivers tend to hear quite a bit, ourselves.” Kimizuka chuckled, but Minorikawa just cast his eyes down forlornly.

“You look tired, sir.”

“Mmm. Yeah. I guess so.” His reply was barely audible.

Suddenly, someone rushed out into the street right in front of the cab.

No music.



“Look out!”



There was a heavy thunk as the taxi crashed into the pedestrian.



Screeching to a halt, Kimizuka and Minorikawa jumped out of the vehicle to find a young man splayed out on the street.

“Hey!” the driver called. “You all right?!”

Doubt.



The fallen pedestrian was practically still a kid-and he wasn’t moving.

Kimizuka hunkered down and jostled his shoulder; then his expression stiffened in alarm. Minorikawa checked the young man’s pulse, but couldn’t detect any heartbeat.

“Oh, no,” Kimizuka said. “This is...” Tears began to well up in his eyes.

Minorikawa turned to him in surprise. “You knew him?”

“I did.” Kimizuka cradled the young man in his arms. “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to find yourself another taxi,” he said.



“I’m going to turn myself in to the police.”

Looking down at the boy’s unmoving form, Minorikawa felt a pang of guilt. “No,” he said, “I’m the one who’s been asking you to drive around so recklessly all day. This is on me, too.”

“But-”

“I’ll go with you to the cops.”



The two men decided to head to the station together to surrender themselves. There probably wouldn’t be time to work on writing articles while they were being interrogated. But that was just how it’d have to be.

This was the right thing to do. Minorikawa just had to keep telling himself that, knowing that it was the truth.

• Everyone except Minorikawa is available.

Well let’s check on Achi then.

Setup.




No music.



Achi could hear ambulance and police sirens wailing on the main road. He looked down at Hitomi, slumped on a park bench beside him.

“You’re sure you’re not hurt?” he asked quietly, offering her a bottle of water.



“I’m okay.” Hitomi took a sip from the bottle. “Thanks. I think I’ve managed to calm down some.” Some of the color had finally returned to her face.

“So, um-” Achi began hesitantly. “Inside that minivan...”



“Maria wasn’t in there.” There was relief in her voice, but also a note of pathos. “I got a look in through the windshield. There was a man laid out in the back seat, but nobody else.”

The dark cloud lifted from Achi’s face.



“So it...it wasn’t your sister?”

“No. I didn’t see his face. Just that he was wearing a business suit.”

Achi felt the tension ebbing from his body. “That’s good, then. That it wasn’t her. I’d been worried.”

It was a shame about the poor devil who had been killed, though. Who was it, and why had he been there?

“So...I guess now we’re out of leads,” Hitomi murmured. She hung her head.

“We could try the surveillance center again for now,” Achi said. “It’ll probably give us better odds of finding your sister than just walking around.”

“I guess you’re right. Shall we, then?”

“Hmm. Hold on.” Achi had a sudden flash of inspiration. “My house is a lot closer from here. Maybe I should ask my dad if we can check the cameras from home.”

“You can do that?”

“We have the same system at our house. I’m sure my dad will let us use them.” The two got up and headed for Endo Electronics.



Achi decided to let his father know they were coming; he turned on his phone as they walked along. He’d had it off for a while, so first he checked his voicemail. There was one message. Wondering who might have called, he played it back.

“Is this Achi Endo’s personal cell phone? This is Dr. Saeki from Shibuya Central Hospital.” Achi’s expression stiffened. He pressed the phone closer to his ear.

428 Tip – Saeki wrote:Seiichi Saeki. Heart specialist and Suzune’s attending physician. A preeminent surgeon who has successfully performed the “Batista procedure,” wherein the left ventricle is reconstructed after a third of it has been removed.

Echo.

“There’s been a sudden change in Suzune’s condition. I tried calling your home as well, but got no answer.”

Achi felt the edges of his vision growing dim.

“As her brother, it would be good if you can come to the hospital as soon as possible. It’s...”



“Achi?” Hitomi’s voice was full of concern.

“Sorry. I just gotta make a call here...” Fingers trembling, Achi dialed his house. The phone rang several times before switching over to the answering machine. “Dammit. Where the hell are you, dad?”



“What’s wrong?” Hitomi asked.

“It’s Suzune. It sounds like things have gotten pretty bad.”

“Well then we need to get to the hospital right away!” Hitomi said. She sounded as anxious as Achi was.



“We can’t go yet.” Achi shook his head quietly. “First we have to save your sister.”

Hitomi bristled angrily at that.



“What are you talking about?” She grabbed Achi by the arm and shook him. “Right now you need to be thinking about your sister!”

“I can’t. I made a promise to Suzune. A promise to help people, and see things through to the end when something important is on the line.” He struggled to get the words out. “If I break that promise...then I really am no good to her.”

But Hitomi didn’t look like she was going to back down.

Confusion.



“Oi, get back here!” A threatening shout rung out from nearby.

Achi looked around, startled, and saw a boy about high-school age bolting out from behind a building on a side street.



Several slightly older young men were hot on his heels. Achi knew their faces all too well: they were all members of S.O.S.



They caught their quarry just before he could make it out onto the main road.

“Heheh. Gotcha, newbie!”

So the kid they were after must have been a member, too.

“Let me go!”

“Oh, we’ll letcha go all right. After you pay up!”



One of the young men snatched the boy by the collar and shoved him against the wall of a nearby building.

“Ow!” The boy’s face scrunched up. “What are you talking about?!”

“Playin’ dumb, huh?” interjected one of the onlookers. “We told ya that members all have to pay monthly dues, yeah? The privilege of gettin’ to call yourself S.O.S. don’t come free, after all.”

Achi felt his blood boil. S.O.S. was trying to pull a shakedown on this new kid under the guise of calling it ‘dues.’ It would have been unthinkable for them to do something like this back when Achi was running the show.

General Tip – Shakedown wrote:Slang for extortion. A full-fledged crime. Naturally, the direct shakedown (“Gimme all your money, punk!”) is quite unpleasant, but more roundabout ways of being shaken down can still leave a bad taste in one’s mouth. Someone who was surrounded on the street by eight people in pompadours who said “Begging your pardon, but could you please hand over your money?” might suffer no physical harm, but would still be the victim of a shakedown.

“Hey!” he barked. “Let the kid go!” He marched toward the group.

“Say what, now?” They turned to look, their faces immediately going pale. “Oh, uh, hey, Achi...”

“Let him go.” Achi focused his glare on the fellow holding the kid until he released his grip. “You guys always go around doing stuff like this?”

None of the gang members answered; they merely turned their gazes glumly to the ground.

“Hey.” Achi turned to the younger boy. “Since when have they been doing this?” But of course, he realized, there was no way the newbie would be able to tell him. “Never mind-you can go.” Achi gestured toward the main road. The boy was quick to run off.



Achi waited until the boy was gone before turning back to the others. “Does Susumu know you’re going around collecting dues like this?” he asked.

“Man, we don’t gotta tell you that,” one of them muttered. “Not since you deserted.”

“What’d you just say?”



Achi leaned in close, getting right in the guy’s face; he was met with a defiant sneer. “This ain’t the old S.O.S. anymore.”

Not the old S.O.S.?



Achi thought back to the other gang member he’d run into earlier, with the malicious gleam in his eyes.



That guy. Pretty sure he said his name was Kiryu?



Back when Achi had been with S.O.S., he’d never have let a guy like that get away with acting all high and mighty. Now, it seemed like all these young fellows were ready to follow suit-eager to take him down a peg.

“You’re old news, pal.”

“Ain’t your business to tell us how to do things.”

Achi felt a confusing flood of anger and sadness that he couldn’t quite control. “I’m not messing around here, you guys.” He grabbed the nearest punk by the collar and hefted him up in the air.

Then someone shouted from behind him. “Hey! What are you doing?!”



Achi put the guy down and turned around to see Susumu standing there.

“Mind telling me just what’s going on here, Achi?” Susumu flashed his underlings a sharp glare.

Confusion.



Just what the hell was going on with S.O.S.? Achi needed to talk to Susumu.



“I asked what was going on here.” There was a threatening note in Susumu’s voice.

“That’s what I want to know. What the hell’s happened to S.O.S., man?”

Susumu’s face twisted with displeasure. “You’re an outsider now; that’s none of your business.”



“I don’t give a damn if it’s my business or not. When I left you in charge of S.O.S, I-”

“You shut your damn mouth!” Susumu roared. “Yeah, that’s right. You left me in charge! So don’t you dare give me any lip now about how I run things!” His sudden ferocity left Achi at a loss for words.



“You’re not the one busting your ass out here! I am!” Susumu stalked toward Achi, his face red with emotion. “I’ve had to work so hard to keep things going with you gone! Do you have any idea what it’s been like?! Do you know what I’ve had to put myself through to keep S.O.S together?!”



There was nothing Achi could say to that. He just kept his mouth shut, and let Susumu talk.

“You were gone...I thought maybe I could do things like you did...”



All at once Susumu seemed to deflate a little; he hung his head, hiding his face. “And if...if I couldn’t be like you, then...”

“Hey, man. I get it. And I’m sorry.”

But Susumu kept his face averted. “Please,” he muttered. “Stay out of our business.”



Then he turned on his heel and headed off without looking back. Achi watched him leave, feeling a painful sting.

No music.



“Achi?” Hitomi asked after Susumu was gone. “Are you sure you’re okay leaving things like this?”

Achi shrugged heavily. “Susumu said he’s doing what he can. It’s not my place to butt in.” He turned his back on Hitomi; he still needed a moment.

“Achi, you’re being unreasonable.”

“About what?” He felt like he’d been wounded to his very core, and he wasn’t sure what to do about it.

“You want to help people who are in trouble, right?” Hitomi asked quietly.

“Yeah, I guess.” Achi’s voice was glum.

“Well, I’m in a whole lot of trouble right now.”

“Yeah, I know that.”

“No, Achi. You don’t.” Hitomi’s tone was clipped and firm. “Please, go to your sister.”

“What are you talking about? That doesn’t matter now-”

Hitomi Osawa.



“Yes it does!” Hitomi’s shout stopped him in his tracks. “Achi, right now, the thing I’m having the most trouble with is that you won’t go to the hospital. Don’t you get it? How can I possibly be happy with you helping me if you have to sacrifice your own sister to do it?”



Achi couldn’t answer that, and he knew it.

“Please. Go to the hospital. I’m asking you to, and I’m definitely someone in trouble-so it doesn’t count as breaking your promise, right?”

Hitomi Osawa.




“So yeah, how about we drop by the hospital for a bit?” The emotions Achi had been trying to hide now came welling to the surface. “We’ll-we’ll go see Suzune, and-and after that, we can go look for your sister. Would that be okay with you?”



“That would be more than okay with me.” And at long last, Hitomi smiled at him.

Back in sync with each other, Achi and Hitomi headed to the hospital.

No music.



Shibuya Central Hospital was one of the foremost general hospitals in Japan, outfitted with top-notch medical facilities and staffed by highly skilled personnel. Individuals like Suzune with rare blood types were sent to the hospital from far and wide because of its cutting edge hematology center.

General Tip – Hematology center wrote:The hospital division that deals with blood. Its goal is to provide high-end care to patients with blood disorders, including blood screening, treatments, transfusions, the management and supply of blood products, and other related services.

Achi asked Hitomi to stay in the waiting area while he headed on into the hospital proper. From the visitors’ entrance, he passed by the nurses’ station, then entered the cardiovascular medicine section and walked along a row of examination rooms.

General Tip – Cardiovascular Medicine wrote:The cardiovascular system includes the heart as well the various blood vessels that circulate blood throughout the body. Cardiovascular medicine deals with heart and blood issues such as angina, heart attacks, heart failure, irregular pulse, and the like.

He walked by the first room as quietly as possible, catching sight of a mother and daughter sitting together in chairs in the hallway.

The mother was crying softly. “Oh, Takuya...he’s only fifteen...” she murmured under her breath.

The name Takuya didn’t ring a bell. It was the “only fifteen” that got a reaction out of Achi.

Only fifteen... He couldn’t imagine anything good coming after that. To be cruelly taken away when one was still so young- Achi could feel the woman’s pain as deeply as if it were his own.



When he reached Suzune’s room, Dr. Saeki, the attending physician, explained her condition. The doctor did his best to keep his explanation simple, but Achi was too worked up to process much of what he said.

He did manage to wrap his head around a few things:

Lingering Heart.



At around 10 o’clock that morning, Suzune had had a seizure. For a while it had been touch and go, but finally her condition had stabilized. However, since she hadn’t regained consciousness yet, she wasn’t allowed any visitors. That was the gist, as far as Achi could tell.



“What’s your father doing today? He still hasn’t come by,” Dr. Saeki said.

Achi wasn’t sure what to tell him. It was certainly odd. There was no way his father wouldn’t have rushed right to the hospital if he’d heard Suzune had taken a turn for the worse.

“I’ll give you a call once she’s woken up; for now, you can head on home for the day.”

“All right. Please, keep a close eye on her, Doctor.” Somberly, Achi went to find Hitomi in the waiting area.

No music.



Outpatient reception had closed for the day, leaving the hospital quiet; his footsteps echoed softly in the corridors. Then as he walked along a peculiar sound drew his attention. It had come from over by the base of a nearby stairwell.

Achi took a peek around the corner.

Maneuvers.



The sight that greeted him nearly made him gasp aloud. In the dim light up ahead he saw Canaan-and she had some white guy pressed against the wall, a knife to his throat.

Achi quickly yanked his head back out of view. Could it be? Was this the man Canaan said she was after? Achi had to resist the urge to go charging out there. Some amateur heading in half-cocked might well be more of a liability to Canaan than any sort of help.

He heard her mutter something to the man in English.



“We know nothing about Alphard’s background-nationality, sex, age...”

Achi could just barely make out the words, but since it was all in English, he had no idea what they meant.

“But we do know that whoever they are, they have connections to Langley.”

Achi peeked out again, very cautiously, in time to see the man raise an eyebrow at Canaan’s words.

General Tip – Langley wrote:Slang for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), headquartered in Langley, Virginia. Similar to referring to the Japanese government as “Nagatacho.” The CIA has other nicknames, including “the Company,” “the Agency,” “the Second Government,” “the Invisible Government,” and “the Coupmakers.”

“Interesting. That doesn’t mean you need to threaten me at knifepoint, though.”

He flashed her a thin smile.

“It does, actually. Because I happen to know that you’re a CIA agent-”

General Tip – CIA Agent wrote:Technically known as “officers,” the CIA refers to its own spies as “agents.” Someone in charge of directing agents is called a “case officer.” Case officers are stationed at embassies across the world in the public guise of diplomats, soldiers, and the like.

No music.



No sooner were Canaan’s words out than the man grabbed her arm and tried to hurl her against the wall. Just before her head connected, though, she jackknifed her upper body forward, then planted both feet against the wall and kicked off with tremendous force.

Contemplation.



She used her momentum to launch herself forward, regaining her position with her knife against the man’s throat.



But during his brief opening, the man had managed to draw a gun from inside his jacket; now the barrel was pressed right against Canaan’s heart.



Achi swallowed the lump in his throat.

“How about we call a truce?” Canaan said softly. She withdrew her knife.

“Yeah. Sounds like you and me are both after the same thing.” The man likewise lowered his gun.

With a faint smile, Canaan turned her back on him and vanished down the adjacent stairwell.

Achi had no idea what had just happened. They’d stopped fighting, though, so this guy probably wasn’t Canaan’s ‘mastermind’ after all. If only Achi spoke a little English, he might have been able to follow their conversation. He found himself wishing he’d taken school more seriously.

When he looked again, he saw that the man too had disappeared.

No music.

Hitomi stood up from her chair as Achi hurried into the waiting area.



“How’s Suzune?” she asked.

“For now, she’s not in any immediate danger, they said.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“But more importantly, Canaan was here just now.”

“What?! Why?”

“I’m not sure. I’m not smart enough to figure that out.” Achi slumped his shoulders.

“Huh? What? I’m not quite sure what you mean.”

“Exactly. I couldn’t understand anything she was saying.” Hell, he couldn’t even figure out how to get through to Hitomi.

“May I have a moment?” A voice spoke unexpectedly from behind Achi.



His breath caught in his throat as he turned around. Standing there was the man Canaan had been struggling with. “Uh, what’s up?” Achi asked. He tried to sound as nonchalant as possible. But the man wasn’t looking at Achi.



“You’re...Hitomi Osawa, is that right?”

“Ah, yes.”

“Hey!” Achi snapped. “Keep your distance!” He stepped protectively in front of Hitomi. “This guy-he’s not what he looks like.” Achi clenched his fists and adopted a defensive posture.

“Huh?” Hitomi seemed panicked.

No music.



“I don’t know who he is, but he’s not our friend.”

The man calmly reached into his jacket pocket Fearing he might be about to draw his gun, Achi braced for action.



“My name is Jack Stanley. I’m a Security Assistance Officer with the U.S. Embassy.”

Achi held back his punch as the man held out his I.D. Card. “Embassy?”

General Tip – I.D. Card wrote:

“What does someone from the U.S. Embassy want with me?” Hitomi asked timidly.

“You’re being targeted by a dangerous criminal. I’m here to take you into protective custody.”

“Custody?” Achi’s temper flared. “Buzz off, pal. We’re busy here.”

“Busy searching for Maria Osawa?” Stanley asked. Achi and Hitomi exchanged glances.



“I know the full details of the...trouble you currently find yourselves in.”

“Well all right, then,” Achi said. “Then you should know we don’t have time to get taken into custody.”

“I’m afraid you don’t understand the situation we’re dealing with. We’re up against a dangerous international criminal here. Taking reckless action is only going to put her life in danger. Don’t be a fool; this is no time to play the knight in shining armor.”

“Hey!” Achi was infuriated, but he couldn’t think of a comeback. After all, it was true that Hitomi had run into danger time and again while she was with him.



“But I’m already safe,” Hitomi insisted. “I’m only here right now because Achi has been protecting me.” She eyed Stanley sharply. “I’ve got Achi with me; I don’t need your protection.”

Achi felt a surge of pride that practically brought tears to his eyes. If Hitomi would have let him, he’d have given her an enormous hug.

Stanley grimaced in resignation. “All right. In that case, how about I join your search for Maria? I can help keep you safe that way instead.”

“I...I don’t know...” Hitomi grabbed hold of Achi’s sleeve.

This Stanley fellow didn’t have the most trustworthy face, Achi thought. But he realized that he might be biased after being chased around by foreigners all day.



After all, if this guy really were after Hitomi, he’d probably have already made a show of force. Not only did he have a gun on him, he was sufficiently skilled in martial arts to hold his own against Canaan. He’d have no trouble taking down a single unarmed opponent like Achi.

“Hitomi, I get the impression this Stanley guy’s not our enemy right now.”

Hitomi gave a slight nod. “All right. I trust your judgment on this, Achi.”



“Now then, what’s the plan from here?” Stanley asked. “Not wandering aimlessly around town, I hope?” There was a trace of snideness in his voice.

“You can just keep your mouth shut,” Achi replied. “We can wander around town all day if we feel like it.” Two can play the snarky game, he thought to himself.

Poor Hitomi looked distressed.

“Very well. If that’s what you want, I can stay quiet. But first, I need to inform the police that I have Miss Osawa in my custody.”



“Wait, hold on,” Hitomi blurted. “That...isn’t a good idea.”

Stanley inclined his head. “Why’s that?”

“Well-since you already seem to know most of the story-” Hitomi quickly explained the kidnapper’s threat and described the search for the minivan.

Stanley remained quiet, listening with obvious interest. “I see,” he said when she’d finished. “Still, when that minivan exploded, didn’t that make your promise to the kidnappers a moot point?”

Hitomi nodded. “I...suppose it did, didn’t it?”



“Let me ask just one more question. Do either of you know a detective by the name of Tateno?”

“No. We haven’t run into any detectives.”

“Yeah, exactly. The only folks we seem to run into are guys who’re after Hitomi.”

“I see.” A grim expression crossed Stanley’s face. “Right. I’m going to get in touch with the investigation task force. I’ll have them contact your parents for you. Would you mind speaking with them so they can confirm it’s really you?”

“Sure, all right,” Hitomi said.

Stanley got on his wireless and described their current circumstances to the police.



“Mr. Endo, hold on!” Suddenly Dr. Saeki appeared, running down the hallway.



“There’s something I forgot to tell you, regarding your father.”

“Oh?” Achi got a sinking feeling.

“I got a call from him yesterday afternoon. And he asked me something rather odd.”

Doubt.



“Hm? Preparations for a transplant? I’m sorry, I’m not entirely sure I understand what you’re asking.” Saeki clutched the receiver. Daisuke Endo’s brooding tone was more than a little disturbing.

“No, no, it’s all right,” Endo said. “This is all just difficult to talk about, Doctor. Please, forget I said anything. There’s just one important thing I wanted to let you know.”

“Yes?”



“There’s going to be a brain-dead woman coming your way at...probably around nine o’clock this evening, I expect? Her blood type is Bombay.”

Bombay was the extremely rare blood type that Endo’s daughter, Suzune, possessed. Any transplant donor for Suzune would also need to have the Bombay blood type.

“Since she has the same blood type as Suzune, the transplant itself isn’t an issue,” Endo continued. “The only thing I’m concerned about is whether the procedure can be done within the limited time window. And I hate to trouble you, but I just called because I think it would be best to prepare for the surgery as soon as possible.”



The more Saeki heard, the more disturbed he grew. It felt like he was listening this man go on about some strange delusion.

“Doctor, please, just take good care of Suzune.” With that, Endo hung up.



Achi kept quiet as he listened to Dr. Saeki tell his story.

“Of course, that was yesterday, and I still haven’t heard anything about a brain-dead girl turning up. After all, only God would know when someone would wind up in a state of brain death. But still, there was just something very strange about what your father said. It was as if he was certain that someone was going to wind up brain-dead, or-”

“Just stop right there!” Achi exclaimed.



Stanley and Hitomi turned in surprise; they were still in the middle of their wireless call to the police.

“Don’t get me wrong,” the doctor said hastily. “I’m not trying to imply that your father would hurt anyone. What I’m worried about is your father’s mental state in-”

“No!” Achi interrupted him again. “That’s not it!” His own words from earlier spun within his head.




The security cameras...



“I’m sure this is the place.”



The man with the cane...he’d been on the phone with someone... That didn’t mean anything. It was just a coincidence. It couldn’t be true. Achi searched desperately for some other explanation.

That was it! Anyone from the downtown committee could have used the camera monitoring room.



“Yeah. No one’s been by to check, today. Nothing wrong with a little nap, yeah?”



No dice. No one from downtown had been by the surveillance room today.

It couldn’t be. It couldn’t. Achi began to tremble.



“Is something the matter?” Hitomi asked. “Achi, you’re pale as a ghost.”

Achi gazed beseechingly back into her face. With just one simple question, he could clear this whole thing up. Please, tell me I’m overthinking this. He prayed inwardly before asking.

No music.



“Hitomi, would you mind telling me your blood type?”

“Hmm? Why do you ask?”

“Please, just...just tell me.”

“I...have a sort of weird blood type,” Hitomi said.



Despair.



The last piece of the puzzle fell into place. There was no longer any room for doubt. Achi found himself facing a sad and painful truth.



“Why...Why?!” With an anguished scream, Achi punched the wall as hard as he could. But his fist still didn’t hurt as much as his heart. “Dad...why...?”

• Please vote for our next character, everyone except Achi is available.

I think I’m not quite grasping the sad, painful truth.

Perhaps Kano can help us understand.

Setup.




No music.



I walk counter to the throng of people heading toward the scene of the explosion. There’s a gun pressed against my back, leaving me no choice but to continue marching forward.

428 Tip – Scene of the explosion wrote:The explosion happened in Shibuya-ku, Jinnan l-chome, near the intersection of Koen-Dori and Organ Hill.

I don’t have time for this right now. There’s something I need to do. My frantic sense of urgency grows and grows.

Canaan...

The only clue I have is that name; the other hazy snippets that have surfaced in my memory provide no answers.



“Please, just tell me,” I murmur. “Do you know who I am?” When the man with the cane doesn’t answer, I stop in my tracks. “I’m going to start shouting,” I warn him.

“If you want to find out who you are, then do as I say.” The barrel of the gun jabs more forcefully into my back. “Once we find Hitomi Osawa, you’ll remember, whether you like it or not.”

Guess I have no choice but to keep moving, then.



“Are your memories really that precious to you?” the man mutters as we start to move again.

I’m taken aback by the question. “Well, yes. I mean isn’t that pretty normal?”

There’s a bit of a pause before he replies, his voice sad and distant. “You’re not going to remember just the good times, you know.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that sad and painful memories are going to resurface, too.”



I guess I hadn’t really thought about that. But still, whatever kind of memories they are, they’re all a part of me. I’m the person I am now because of the sorrow and pain, too.

I want to remember. I want to remember who I am!

The gunman directs me dispassionately along a series of quiet side streets.

“Right here.”

I stop at his words.



In front of us is an old, multi-tenant office building. We ride the elevator to the eighth floor, then use the emergency exit to take the stairs up to the rooftop.



A cool breeze blows across my cheek.

“Sit down there.”

I do as he says, settling myself on the outdoor air conditioning unit.



The man lowers his gun, but keeps it in hand. “We’ll wait here for a bit.”

“For how long?”

He lets out a rueful chuckle. “Guess we’ll have to wait and see.”

I decide there’s no point in trying to fight with him. For now I have to hope he’s telling the truth, and whatever’s coming will help me get my memories back. If I don’t know my past, how can I know what to do about this Canaan stuff-or anything else?



I stare up at the sky as I wait for whatever this assassin is waiting for. The silence between us is suffocating. Finally, I can’t take it any longer. “Hey, so I think this is yours.”



I hold out the notebook I picked up earlier. The man’s surprise is plain on his face. “Where did you get that?”

“I saw the picture inside.”

He snatches the book out of my hand.



Then he flips through it, looking sad. I’m afraid that another agonizing silence is about to descend when he speaks at last.

Chance Meeting..

“This is a picture of me and my childhood friends.” His voice is low and quiet.



“We were inseparable back when we were kids. The boy here, he liked to fiddle with machines. Always doing things like taking apart radios and whatnot and putting them back together. He was a total bookworm, too, so he got picked on a lot. But I was always there to save him from the bullies.”

All of a sudden, the guy’s in a sharing mood, I guess. I can feel his aura of murderous rage starting to abate.

Chance Meeting..



“What was her name?” I ask, curious to know more.



“Kotone. We dated when we were in high school.”

“Oh, wow. But I get the impression from that picture that the other boy must have liked Kotone too, right?”

The gunman’s eyes widen. “You’re very astute.”

“Call it a woman’s intuition,” I say proudly. Then I ask the obvious follow-up. “So what happened to you two?”

“I dumped her.”



The man carefully slips the notebook into the pocket inside his jacket.

“How come?” I ask.

“I felt it was for the best.” He lets out a little chuckle, then stands up and brushes the dust off his pants. He looks strangely lonely.

• Kano, Minorikawa and Osawa are available.

Let's see how Minorikawa is doing, then.

Anyone want to break the tie between Kano and Minorikawa?

Kano please!

Setup.




No music.



Arriving back at the Shibuya precinct, Kano hurried to the interrogation room. With the investigation currently on hold, he knew that taking any official action would be tricky.

If he was going to break through this stalemate, he was going to need Tateno’s help. The abduction, the ransom, the attaché case relay, Maria’s release, and then, Tanaka’s death. Maybe Tateno would be able to figure out how all these elements were related.

But first, Kano needed to check something for himself. Tateno would never have let al-Karawan go free. Kano needed the prisoner to set the record straight.



Al-Karawan sat in the precinct interrogation room, looking brazen and cocksure.

One glance at his face and Kano was reminded of what had happened to Sasayama; fresh anger smoldered at the edges of his mind.

There were two detective already in the room. “It seems he wasn’t made privy to the details,” one of them told Kano.

“Sounds like they were following orders, carrying that attaché case around,” the other added.

Kano sat down across from al-Karawan.



“There’s something I’d like to ask you,” he said.

“We were just paid to do a job. I don’t know anything more than that.” His Japanese was imperfect, but he understood the language well enough.

“Tell me, how did you manage to escape from Detective Tateno?”

“Escape? I didn’t.” A faint smile came to al-Karawan’s lips.

Unrest.



“He let me go free.”

“Liar! Detective Tateno would never do that!” Kano slammed the desk with his fist.



“I didn’t have handcuffs on, did I? He took them off for me.”

This had to be a lie. It’s not like there weren’t other ways to remove a pair of handcuffs.

“After he took off the handcuffs,” al-Karawan continued, “he pointed his gun at me-”



“Cut the crap!” Kano grabbed the prisoner by the collar.

But al-Karawan went on, unperturbed. “He kept the gun pointed at me, but he didn’t pull the trigger. So that’s when I ran.”

“Why would Detective Tateno want to shoot you?!”

“Because I saw him.”

“Saw him? Saw him do what?”

“Let me tell you something interesting,” al-Karawan said sardonically. “There was that girl who was carrying the ransom, right?”

Kano pictured Hitomi, standing anxiously beside the statue of Hachiko.

No music.



Unrest.



In a fit of rage, Kano drove his fist into al-Karawan’s face.

His colleagues rushed to interpose themselves. “Kano, calm down!”

Knocked to the floor, al-Karawan gingerly fingered his split lip. “And after I gave you such good info, too,” he grumbled.



“Detective Tateno was assigned to protect Hitomi Osawa!” Kano shouted. “You can’t expect me to believe your rubbish!” He lunged around the table, ready to throw another punch, but his fellow detectives held him back.

Al-Karawan looked away indifferently. “It’s your Detective Tateno you should be arresting, not me. That girl’s going to get killed.”

“You need to step in line, pal!” Kano bellowed.

“Kano!” His colleagues shouted. “You’re the one who needs to step in line! Go and cool off for a bit!”

No music.



Expelled from the interrogation room, Kano immediately pulled out his cell phone and called Tateno’s number. “Please, pick up.” He clutched his phone tight, pleading under his breath.

But Tateno didn’t answer.



Kano sat down in a chair in the hallway in a bit of a daze. He found himself holding the present Sasayama had gotten for his wife. I have to do something. I just don’t know what I’m supposed to do. His restlessness gnawed at him like a rabid animal.

“Hey, Kano.”



He looked up to see Kuze standing beside him, his expression grave.

“I...have an update on Sasayama,” the director began.

Kano swallowed the lump in his throat.

“It seems the knife went in deep enough to do some organ damage. He’s in critical condition.”



“I see.” Kano bit his lip, hard. His handkerchief, red with Sasayama’s blood, clung to the wrapping paper of Sasayama’s present.



Kano peeled it away carefully so as not to tear the paper beneath.

“What’s that?” asked Kuze.

“Sasayama had me hold on to this for him. It’s a present for his wife.”

“Ah, I see.”

“I’m sorry, Director Kuze. For ignoring your orders.” Kano’s eyes remained fixed on the gift as he spoke. “When you get down to it, none of this would have happened if it weren’t for me.” Some kind of punishment was surely headed his way for acting alone as he had. He probably wasn’t getting out of this one with a simple written apology.

General Tip – Written apology wrote:When public servants are negligent in their duties or violate regulations, they can be punished with a warning (a formal reprimand), reduction in pay, suspension, or dismissal. In the case of a warning, in addition to the remonstration from a direct supervisor, the individual must also submit a formal letter explaining the relevant details and assuring that it won’t happen again.

But Kuze calmly shook his head. “What happened to Sasayama isn’t your fault. Don’t blame yourself,” he said.

“As far as this case goes, I’ve been given quite the runaround, myself.” There was a rare note of vulnerability in Kuze’s voice. “The higher-ups have barely let any information trickle my way, but they’re still ordering me around nonstop. It’s a real pain in the ass.” Kuze fell silent, ruminating. The quiet lingered between the two men for several moments before he abruptly spoke again.



“Oh, right-I’d like to get your opinion on something. So, Mamoru Tanaka, who we found in the minivan, y’know? Whatcha think? Should we oughta maybe release his name to the media?” Kuze had slipped into his childish register; he was clearly exhausted.

428 Tip – Exhausted wrote:After dealing with the kidnappers’ baffling actions and too much meddling from the higher-ups, even a veteran like Kuze is just beat. But that’s not the only reason for his exhaustion. Kuze has a brother, six years his senior, who despite being nominally mature refuses to get a real job and shows no inclination to settle down with a family. He walks around town day after day, dressed like a hippy and treating passersby to songs he’s written. Kuze has been worrying about his shiftless brother for years now; the guy’s become a chronic source of consternation.

Kano was thrown by the question. It was a rare thing for the director to seek an opinion from a mere junior detective.

“It feels like there’s something not too normal about one of Kenji Osawa’s subordinates dying,” Kuze went on.

Kano had had the same thought. This felt too intentional to be a coincidence.

“So here’s the question: should I get the media involved and try to rush for a resolution, or should I be more cautious? What would you do?”



“About releasing the name?” Kano asked. That wasn’t such a simple thing to answer; there were so many factors to consider.

A tired smile came to Kuze’s face. “Don’t think about it so hard. This is just so I have a point of reference. Tell me what your gut says.”

Let's hold back.

If we release the information, someone else is probably going to learn the name. Let's do so.

No music.



“I think releasing the name should be all right.” There was still a lot they didn’t know about Tanaka. The fact that the final stop for the ransom relay was Tanaka’s condo implied some sort of connection between him and the kidnappers. But they still had no idea what his role in the abduction might have been. They also didn’t have any motive for why Tanaka would be helping the kidnappers in the first place. By sharing some of what they did know with the public, they might be able to garner some new leads.

“You’d release the name? All right, then.” Without another word, Kuze headed back toward the conference room.

Powerless.



On the TV, the governor’s press conference was still going on.

“I’ve just requested that each of the railroad companies, starting with JR, stop running trains through Shibuya Station until further notice. As far as the roads go, Route 246 has already been closed to traffic.” The executive looked pale as he spoke to the crowd.

“Is there any possibility of a bioterrorist attack?!”

“What about the people who are still in Shibuya?!” The reporters unleashed a barrage of questions.

The governor’s face scrunched up. “As I’ve already made clear, this is not a complete blockade. There’s nothing to stop anyone from leaving Shibuya on foot.”

“Isn’t what you’re describing de facto martial law?” spat one reporter.

“Of course not!” the governor snapped.

428 Tip – Complete blockade wrote:Because modern Japan does not have a system for enacting
martial law, there are few ways that the government could effectively quarantine Shibuya. In the case of a potential viral infection, the Infectious Disease Law allows for the city to be partitioned into areas of restricted movement. If the authorities do not want to acknowledge the existence of the top secret Ua virus, however, taking such an action would be rather tricky legally.

“You should be well aware that martial law is illegal! I couldn’t declare it even if I wanted to!”

“If you wanted to? So this is a bioterrorist issue, then!”

“I never said anything of the sort!”

The press conference was devolving into chaos. Kano was unsurprised, given the circumstances. Still, everyone was doing their best insofar as they knew how.

So why not me? Kano thought.



It doesn’t matter what I do. I just want to be doing something. Just letting time tick by without trying to take action was more than he could bear.

Any votes?

I'd like to go and see Sasayama's wife

Powerless.



Kano thought about Sasayama’s wife, and decided to get in touch with her.



He called Sasayama’s home phone, but nobody picked up. Perhaps she’d gone to the hospital? With that in mind, Kano called up Shibuya Central Hospital and asked them to transfer him to Mrs. Sasayama.

After a little while, a woman’s voice came through the receiver.

“Yes, this is Mrs. Sasayama.” Her voice was thin and reedy.



“My name’s Shinya Kano; I work with your husband on the force. What happened...” He didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t find the words. “I wish that I’d been there, when he’d gone to make that arrest,” he blurted out at last. “I should have tried to get there and back him up sooner. If I hadn’t been too late....” He trailed off, hoping he hadn’t said too much.

Sasayama’s wife answered in her gentle, quavering voice. “Thank you so much for your concern. I’m glad that my husband is lucky enough to have a colleague like you.”

“No. I couldn’t-”

“I married a detective, Mr. Kano. I’ve prepared myself for the possibility that something like this might happen.” But she certainly didn’t sound like she was prepared.

Kano felt a biting pain in his chest.



“Um, your husband gave me something to hold on to for you. I’d like to give it to you, if I can.”

“Oh? Well, certainly-but I’d like to stay here by his side today, if possible.”

“Of course. I’ll head on over to the hospital myself, then. I hope you don’t mind if I pay a visit?”

“Oh, of course not. Sorry to trouble you like this. Thank you so much.”

Kano hung up, then hurried out of the precinct.

No music.



As he was making his way toward the hospital, Kano spotted a girl sitting on the pedestrian overpass. She looked like she was on the verge of tears.

Concerned, he stopped beside her. “Are you waiting for someone?” he asked.

The girl simply hit her lip, and said nothing.

“Are you lost? Do you need a policeman?” Again, the girl gave no answer.

“Where did you come from?” Kano tried. Still nothing. He had just decided to go and call for a female officer when the girl hesitatingly spoke at last.

General Tip – Policeman wrote:The relatively low crime rate in Japan, combined with rather high police personnel numbers in Tokyo, mean that officers, particularly beat cops, often have plenty of bandwidth to deal with more minor issues.

“Heaven Publishing.”

After a little coaxing, she told him where that was. It turned out it was on the way to Shibuya Central Hospital, not too far from where they were now.

“Why don’t I take you there, then?” Kano said. “I’m already headed in that direction anyway.”

The girl seemed a bit reluctant at first, but eventually she agreed to go with Kano.



Kano parted ways with the girl outside the building where Heaven Publishing was located. He noticed that she hesitated to enter at first, but eventually vanished inside.

Kano’s phone rang as he was about to continue on his way. When he peered at the incoming call display his heart nearly stopped.

Maneuvers.

There was Tateno’s name. Kano quickly pressed the button to accept the call. “Detective Tateno? Detective Tateno, is that you?” There was a whole mountain of things Kano wanted to ask. Just what had he been doing this whole time? Why had he let al-Karawan go free? And what had happened to Hitomi? But while he was trying to decide what question to pose first, Tateno spoke.

“I’ve secured Maria Osawa.”

“What?!” The word came out as a startled gasp. “Detective Tateno, you have to bring her here ASAP! Right now, she’s-”

Tateno cut him off. “You need to bring Hitomi Osawa to my location at once.”



“Hitomi...Osawa?”

“Yes. I heard over the wireless that the man from the U.S. Embassy had her in custody.”

Kano hadn’t been listening to the most recent wireless traffic; apparently Stanley had managed to find Hitomi. But what was Tateno getting at, here? “Wait-hold on. What for? I mean, why do you need me to bring Hitomi Osawa to you?”

There was no reply.

“Detective Tateno, answer me. Please.”

Tateno replied as if he hadn’t heard Kano’s questions. “There’s an office building in Nanpeidai called South Hill. I’ll be waiting for you on the rooftop. If you don’t bring her...I’ll kill Maria.” With that grisly warning, he hung up.

Kano’s hand went limp; his phone slipped from his grasp and fell to the floor.

No music.

Kano went to South Hill in Nanpeidai alone. He hadn’t brought Hitomi as Tateno had demanded-nor had he reported the situation to Kuze. First, he wanted to meet with Tateno and find out what was going on.

He took the elevator to the eighth floor; after that, he had to take the stairs to the rooftop.

428 Tip – South Hill wrote:The building takes its name from a rough translation of ‘Nanpeidai,’ the name of the area where it is located. The official name is “South Hill Building,” but since this is awkward to say, it is frequently shortened.

As he made his way up the steps, he tried to imagine what Tateno might want with Hitomi. He hadn’t noticed anything suspicious about the senior detective in the lead-up to the stakeout at the scramble. Tateno had seemed like the same man Kano had always revered. So why was he doing this? Kano couldn’t think of a reason. Reaching the top of the staircase, he at last stepped out onto the open roof.



The time for half-baked conjecture was past. Kano would lay his doubts at Tateno’s feet. Then, soon enough, everything would become clear. Inwardly, Kano did his best to convince himself of that. A warm breeze blew against his cheek. He took a look around, but saw no sign of Tateno. “Detective Tateno, where are you?” Getting no response, he began to walk around the rooftop, calling out several more times. “It’s Kano! I’ve come as you asked!”

“Where’s Hitomi Osawa?”

Kano whirled around when he heard the voice behind him.

Conflict.



Tateno stepped into view from behind a water tank. He led with him a young woman, bound and blindfolded. “Why didn’t you bring her?” he growled.

Kano stared in shock. “Detective Tateno, why are you doing this? Is that really Maria?”

Tateno responded by removing the young woman’s blindfold.



There was no doubt about it. She looked very much like Hitomi Osawa. A surge of frustration rushed through Kano.



“Detective Tateno, what is the meaning of this?” Kano fought to remain calm; he felt like he was on the verge of falling to pieces.

“Bring me Hitomi Osawa, and I’ll let this girl go.”

“Why?! What do you need Hitomi for?”

But Tateno’s only answer was an icy stare.

“This isn’t like you! It’s so...weird! The Detective Tateno who I know-”

“Who you know?” Tateno cut him off. “What do you know about me?”

“I know what sort of detective you are, sir. Because I’ve modeled myself after you for my whole career.”

The older man’s expression remained stony.

“Don’t you remember?” Kano went on. “That time when you risked your life to talk down that man who’d barricaded himself inside that office? Ever since then, you’ve been my-”

Tateno interrupted him with a sudden burst of laughter. “You really are gullible, you know that? You can only see things the way you want to see them.”

“What do you mean by that?”



“The truth is, I didn’t even care if I died doing what I did. That’s why I doused myself in gasoline.” Tateno’s voice had gone low and quiet. “That was no display of heroics. It was more attempted suicide than anything else. I wasn’t thinking about the other people still inside the building. It’s just a coincidence things turned out the way they did.”

“So then, if you’d made a single misstep...”

“Then everyone in that building might well have burned to death.”



“You’re lying! That can’t be true!” Kano shook his head insistently.

“I don’t have time for this conversation.” Tateno pressed the barrel of his gun to Maria’s head.



“If you don’t bring Hitomi Osawa to me, believe me, I’ll blow her brains out.”

“Please, stop this!” Kano shouted.

But there was no hesitation in Tateno’s eyes. He looked like he really would shoot Maria if Kano didn’t do as he asked.

“Hurry up! Bring Hitomi to me!”

“Can’t you at least tell me what’s going on?!”

“Go now or so help me I’ll shoot!”



Kano drew his own gun from his jacket. “I know you, Detective Tateno. I know there’s some meaning behind all this.” Kano’s words came out as an imploring croak.

“You think you can shoot me?” Tateno spat.

“Letting al-Karawan go free...taking Maria hostage...this has to mean something.” Sweat made Kano’s hands slick where he clutched his gun.



“I asked if you think you can shoot me.”

“I’ve always looked up to you. You were the sort of detective I wanted to become.” Kano’s view of Tateno began to blur as tears welled in his eyes.

“Can you shoot me, Kano?!”

No music.



“I can!” Even as he cried, Kano stood resolutely, doing his best to stare down the older man. He set his finger squarely on the trigger and pointed his gun at Tateno’s forehead.



Suddenly, the piercing stare vanished from the other detective’s eyes. “I’ve got to give you full marks for that, Kano.” Tateno smiled thinly. “I’ll tell you, then. I’ll tell you why I’m doing this.”



It all happened seventeen years ago.

A meth addict had assaulted someone in Shibuya. Tateno was questioning people around Dogenzaka in search of the perp. He happened to pass by Endo Electronics.

“Oh hey, Tateno!”

Implications.



It was Kotone Endo, clad in pristine white. Clutched to her breast was her daughter Suzune, only a few months old.

“It’s been a long time,” Kotone said. She flashed a tiny smile.

“Yes, it has,” Tateno replied with a clumsy smile of his own.

“Are you on the job?”

“Yes, I am.”

Kotone recoiled slightly at the dour look on Tateno’s face. “Is something the matter?”

“There’s an armed criminal hiding out somewhere in the area.”

“What?!”

“I wouldn’t leave the shop for a while, if you can avoid it.”

“But, I have to go to the bank to deposit some money...”

“Surely you can have Daisuke go do it?”

“He’s away on a repair job and hasn’t come back yet.”

Tateno let out a one-note sigh. “I see Daisuke still does things his own way. All right. Let me escort you to the bank.”



“You mean it? I’d feel a lot safer having you with me.” Kotone flashed him a smile so wide that Tateno thought he might lose himself in it.



Tateno, Kotone, and Daisuke were childhood friends, and had gone to school together up through high school. Tateno and Daisuke were always clowning around together. And Kotone was always there alongside them, laughing.



It had been quite some time since he’d gotten to walk along Dogenzaka with Kotone.

“How have you been lately?”

“Well, with a newborn to look after, it’s been pretty hectic. But there’s never a dull moment. Things have been good.”

“I’m glad to hear it.”

Kotone was always as bright as a sunflower. Sometimes, Tateno managed to convince himself that just the sight of her was enough.



Outside the bank, Kotone held Suzune out to him. Tateno received the baby with an anxious frown.

“What’s with the face?”

“I’m not good with babies. I haven’t held one very often.”

“Oh, you’ll be fine. Don’t worry. Just hold on to her for a minute while I take care of things inside.”

“Uh, all right.” He held the baby gingerly, like it was a bomb that might explode at any moment. Kotone chuckled softly.



Suzune stirred and squirmed in Tateno’s arms. She kind of has Kotone’s eyes, he thought. It was strange, the sensation of holding a child. She was so soft and light, and yet such a real and responsive presence. The faint warmth of her body warmed Tateno inwardly in turn.



When Kotone returned after making her deposit, they strolled to a nearby park, Suzune back in her mother’s arms.

“Do you have any plans for marriage, Tateno?”

“I haven’t thought about it. Work has me plenty busy.”

“Oh, that’s just an excuse,” Kotone said. “If there really were some woman you wanted to marry, you wouldn’t let work stop you.”

“Then I suppose it’s because there hasn’t been anyone I’ve felt that way about.”

“Really? Nobody, this whole time?”

“Yeah. Really.”



“I see.”

“But still, seeing the two of you like this...it makes me realize how nice having a family could be.” Tateno peered deeply into Suzune’s face.

“Well, if it ain’t Tateno.” He looked up as a cheery voice cut into the conversation.



It was Daisuke.

“What are you doing here?” he asked his wife.

“I could ask you the same question.”

“C’mon, gimme a break. I’ve come to make the deposit for the client.”

“In that case, no need to worry-I just took care of it myself. I thought you’d forgotten about it.”

“Huh, really?”

Kotone smiled as Daisuke reached down and carefully lifted Suzune in his arms. Beaming happily at his daughter, he nuzzled up against her tiny cheek.



“Daisuke. Long time no see.”

“Yeah. Glad you’re doing well for yourself, Tateno.”

They walked side by side; Daisuke proudly showed off Suzune’s drowsing face. “What do you think? Adorable, isn’t she?”

“Yeah. Luckily she doesn’t have your looks.”

“Hey now. Badmouthing me the same as ever, huh?’ Some things hadn’t changed since high school. “Why not drop by our place for a bit?” Daisuke offered.

“Ah, sorry. I’m in the middle of a job, actually.” Tateno turned to glance at Kotone.

No music.



An instant later, Daisuke screamed. “Kotone!” A man had come up behind his wife and now held a kitchen knife to her throat.

Kotone stood stiffly, frozen in terror.

“Let her go!” Tateno took a step toward the man.



The slightly upturned eyes, the close-cropped hair, the thin moustache-all the details matched the description. This had to be the man Tateno was after.



The reports had said the suspect was a tweaker. Right now, his mind was probably a complete mess from meth withdrawal. Left unchecked, there was no telling what he might do.



Tateno shoved Daisuke behind him and drew his gun from his jacket.

“Wait, don’t shoot! You’ll hit Kotone!”

But Tateno ignored Daisuke’s shouts and trained his gun on the perp’s shoulder. He was confident in his marksmanship. He’d never miss at this range.



“Tateno, please, back down!” Daisuke pleaded, Suzune still clutched in his arms. “I beg you!”

“I can’t,” Tateno hissed under his breath. “This isn’t someone we can reason with!” The assailant began waving his knife about. He could stab it into Kotone at any moment.



Tateno had to take the shot now. He aimed for the shoulder of the arm the man held his knife in.

“Tateno, stop!” Daisuke shouted. “Don’t do this!”



For a brief moment, Tateno’s eyes met Kotone’s. He thought he saw her give a tiny nod.

“Don’t shoooot!”














Pride.



It was all over in an instant. By the time Tateno had the perp subdued, Kotone’s white shirt was soaked through with red.

With Kotone’s death, so too died Tateno’s heart.




Whatever feelings had lived inside him had been reduced to cinders, leaving only a never-ending need to atone. Countless times he’d thought of ending his life in order to make things up to Daisuke and his children. The only reason he didn’t go through with it was that he knew death would be the easy way out. And so, he’d stayed on as a detective.



He would carry the weight of his sins with him for as long as he lived. This was the sentence Tateno gave himself.



Fifteen years had passed since Kotone’s death. For the first time, Tateno had gone to visit her grave. He was standing by the grave marker with his hands clasped when someone called out to him from behind.

“Um, excuse me?”



A slender young girl stood there, flowers in hand. Tateno instantly recognized her: Suzune. She looked just like Kotone had back in her high school days.

“Did you know my mother?” she asked.

“Ah, yes...we were classmates, a long time ago.”

“Oh, really? Thank you so much for coming.” Suzune gave a slight bow, then gazed up at Tateno with her big, bright eyes.



“You...You look just like her.” Tateno struggled to hold back the tears. He felt as if Kotone stood before him, returned to life.

“My father tells me the same thing all the time.”



“I’m sure once you’re all grown up, you’ll be just as beautiful as she was.”

A forlorn smile came to Suzune’s face. “Once I’m grown up? Well-I don’t think that’s going to happen. I guess I really do have a lot in common with my mother, including the part where I’m going to die young.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Tateno exclaimed. “Why would you say such a horrible thing?”

Suzune took a step backward, looking shocked to be rebuked by a stranger.

“My apologies,” he said hurriedly. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”



“No, it’s all right,” Suzune murmured, clutching the flowers close. “Honestly, it’s not something I like to talk about, myself. But I’m sick, so there’s not really anything I can do to change it.”

“Sick?”

“I have a heart condition. A transplant is the only thing that can help me, but my blood type is a little bit weird, and it doesn’t look like they’ll be able to find me a compatible donor” Then, bowing her head, Suzune stepped in front of the gravestone and clasped her hands in silence.

General Tip – Heart condition wrote:A generic expression for illnesses pertaining to the heart; also referred to as heart disease. Includes things like heart failure, valvular heart disease, and so forth.

General Tip – Compatible wrote:The immune system exists to get rid of foreign substances in the body. Often a patient’s immune system will attack a transplanted organ, which can result in the organ failing or functioning poorly. To mitigate the risk of rejection, it is preferable for the donor and the recipient to have matching body tissue. In the case of a heart transplant, characteristics such as blood type and pre-sensitized antibodies (human leukocyte antigens) must be screened ahead of time.

Tateno felt a wrenching pain inside him, as if Kotone were being taken from him all over again. If there really was a God, why would he do such dreadful things? Is there nothing I can do? He nearly lamented aloud.



I’ll do anything. Suzune, I’II do whatever I have to in order to save you. Tateno clenched his fists as he stared at the grave. Tell me, Kotone. What can I possibly do for your daughter? Please, tell me. Please...



And so the months rolled on...

Everything changed just after 10 o’clock that morning. Tateno was on the stakeout when his cell phone rang. He glanced at the call display and saw Daisuke Endo’s name. He hadn’t heard from Daisuke in years now. Fearing that something had happened to Suzune, Tateno answered the call despite his current tense circumstances.

At once, he heard Daisuke wailing.



“Suzune had a seizure! She might not come back from this one!”

Tateno’s terrible suspicions had been right on the mark; he felt himself growing weak.

“Please!” Daisuke exclaimed. “You need to shoot that girl you’re with-that Hitomi Osawa! You need to shoot her in the head! If we have her heart, we can save Suzune!”

At first, Tateno couldn’t make sense of what Daisuke was saying.



“Hurry up and shoot! Shoot her, please! Hitomi Osawa has the Bombay blood type!”

“Wait, hold on,” Tateno said, keeping his voice low. “You want me to kill Hitomi Osawa? Why?” He quickly scanned the area. “Daisuke, are you nearby? Wait, where are you?”

“Don’t worry about that. If you can just render her brain-dead, we’ll be able to transplant her heart into Suzune!”

General Tip – Brain-dead wrote:The term “brain dead” refers to a state where the entire brain, including the brain stem, is beyond any recovery. In Japan, brain death is defined by Article 6 of the Act on Organ Transplantation, which states that brain death can only be declared with the goal of authorizing a transplant, and is subject to the judgment of at least two doctors inspecting the patient according to a pre-set process at least six hours apart.

Shooting someone in the head didn’t necessarily guarantee they’d wind up brain-dead. And even assuming it did, if Tateno shot the Osawa girl here in the middle of the scramble, it would cause a giant incident. By the time the autopsy was completed, the window for a heart transplant would surely have passed.

“Tateno! Shoot her, please!”

“Daisuke, I can’t. You know I can’t do that.”

“Hurry!” It was like his old friend wasn’t even listening to him.

“Look-even if she did wind up brain-dead, they wouldn’t be able to perform a transplant.”

But Daisuke kept on shouting. “It’s fine! It’ll be fine! I’ll make the transplant work somehow!”

“You’ll make it work?” Even knowing how ridiculous that was, part of Tateno wanted to know what he had in mind-if anything.



“I finally found it! I found something we can do for Suzune! Please, help me help her!”

Tateno understood Daisuke’s feelings painfully well. To be helpless to stop the suffering of someone you loved—nothing in the world hurt as much as that.

“I want to save Suzune. Tateno, this is the one thing I will ever ask of you.”

Tateno could hear choked weeping from the other end of the line. And at that sound, something inside him shifted.



Yes.

Yes, Daisuke was right. The likelihood of a transplant happening wasn’t the issue. What mattered was that right now, he could take action - he could do something for Suzune. He mustered up his resolve, feeling the doubt lift from his heart.

For Suzune. For the daughter of the woman he’d loved.



Tateno checked the gun tucked inside his jacket, then slowly began making his way through the crowd toward Hitomi.

No music.

“Now you know why we’re here.” Tateno gestured subtly with his gun, its barrel still pressed against Maria’s temple.



Kano’s own gun wavered in his hands; he was crying inside. There was nothing else he wanted to hear from Tateno now. And now, he was sure of one thing.

Words were never going to stop this man.

“Kano,” Tateno said, “at my age, I’ve seen all sorts of young detectives come and go.” He fixed his lonesome gaze on Kano. “And you’re about the worst of the lot. Whenever it’s time to take action, you immediately do something reckless. Do you know how many formal apologies I’ve had to write because of you?”



Tateno let out a heavy sigh. “But you know, Kano...because of the way you’ve looked up to me, you’ve saved me. And that’s the truth.” He sounded like a man speaking his last words. “Now come on. See if you can stop me.” He pressed the gun harder against Maria’s temple.



Kano took aim at his former hero’s head. “Detective Tateno...” His finger wavered on the trigger. Shoot him. You have to shoot him. If you don’t shoot him, Maria is going to die. He tried desperately to convince himself.



“I am going to stop you.”

Tateno looked him coldly in the eye. “Do it, then! Shoot me!”

Kano stared right back. He tightened his finger on the trigger. “Rrrraaaaagh!”

Maria, Minorikawa and Osawa are available.

Well let’s see how Maria gets here.

Well, that took a turn. Maria I guess

Conflict.





No music.



I hear a faint voice, and realize that the man is listening to a wireless radio.

“I’ve managed to secure Hitomi Osawa at Shibuya Central Hospital,” the voice says.

A gleam comes to the gunman’s eyes. He pulls his cell phone from his jacket and hurriedly makes a call. “I’ve secured Maria Osawa,” he says to whoever’s on the other end.



Huh? Maria...Osawa? Is my name Maria Osawa?

“You need to bring Hitomi Osawa to my location at once.”

Hitomi...Hitomi Osawa. If I’m Maria Osawa, what sort of relationship do I have to Hitomi?

“If you don’t bring her...I’ll kill Maria.” Then my captor hangs up.



“Were you...were you serious just now?” My voice wavers uncontrollably. “What do you mean, you’ll kill me?”

“Don’t look at me like that.”



He steps in closer to me, his expression dangerous. That killer’s edge that he’d lost during our little talk is back in full force. “Just bear with me a little longer.” He blindfolds my eyes with some sort of towel.

I can’t see through it at all.

Just then, I hear Canaan’s voice inside my head. My memories are like shards of broken glass, tumbling through my mind all out of sequence.



“How are you able to do that when the string is so tangled up?”

“Oh, once you know the trick to it, you can do it with your eyes closed.” I’m showing Canaan how to do a cat’s cradle.

She reaches out for the string.



“Huh?” She doesn’t get hold of it quite right. “What gives?” Despite her efforts, the string gets all jumbled up.

“No, not like that,” I say. “Hook your index fingers through the front part of the string-”

“No, I get that.” Canaan’s getting irritated.



But after giving it a few more tries, she finally manages to pull it off. “There we go,” she says. “Look at that.”

Seeing her innocent little smile bolsters my own spirits.

“That’s neat! Thanks for teaching me.”

“Oh, it’s nothing special.”

“Here. As a thanks, let me teach you some skills to help protect yourself...”

Abruptly, my memory jumps forward a bit.



Canaan has been training me in some form of self-defense.

“Don’t overthink it,” she says. “People will either try to punch you, kick you, or grab you. If you can stay ready for those three things, you’ll be able to take it from there.”

General Tip – Self-defense wrote:Techniques for protecting oneself when attacked. Rather than defeating the opponent, self-defense training generally prioritizes simply getting oneself away from danger. Some people consider behavioral tenets such as “run away when you’re attacked” or “don’t go near dangerous places” to be forms of self-defense as well.

She demonstrates some defensive movements as I watch. I follow suit, doing my best to mimic her.

“Okay. Let’s do this.”



Canaan throws a punch at me; I dodge, grab her by the wrist, and give her arm a hard twist. Incredibly, she goes whirling through the air.



She lands nimbly on her feet, a little grin coming to her face. “Nicely done,” she says.

I stare down at my own hand. “Did I...really just do that?”

“Once you repeat the movements enough, your body will treat them like second nature.”

I do as she says, trying to repeat the movements over and over. At first it feels like a silly gimmick, but eventually I can feel the motions growing smoother.

“There you go. People like those thugs we met before won’t get the drop on you again.”

Thugs? Now my memories zip further back into the past.



I was wandering the streets, trying to get back to my hotel, but I’d gotten lost. By the time I realized I’d wandered into some dodgy backstreets, I was already surrounded by people giving me threatening looks. They must have been thugs looking for tourists to rob. If they had caught me, I’m not sure I would have made it out alive. But they hadn’t-Canaan had seen to that.



“Thank you so much for what you did for me.”

“I didn’t want there to be a scene here,” Canaan says bluntly as she surveys the aftermath of the thugs’ attack. “That’s all.”

I’d happened to be right underneath her apartment window when I was nearly abducted.



Bit by bit, my memories of Canaan are starting to resurface. Just a little more... Just a little more and I’ll have myself back-I’m sure of it.

“Detective Tateno, where are you?” A man’s voice suddenly snaps me back into the moment. “It’s Kano! I’ve come as you asked!”

The gunman grabs me by the arm and yanks me to my feet. “Where’s Hitomi Osawa?” he snarls. “Why didn’t you bring her?”

“Detective Tateno, why are you doing this? Is that really Maria?”

My captor removes my blindfold.



The first thing I see is a huge blimp drifting slowly by overhead.

Huh. I’m sure I’ve seen it before. And pretty recently, at that.

There’s a flash of revelation inside my head. Like a dam bursting, my memories come flooding back to me.











Last night... I was at a party-a sort of mixer with the exchange students.



Someone was plotting to use this party as an opportunity to abduct my sister - Hitomi. And so I told Hitomi that the party started one hour later than it really did.



I had a plan: to let myself get abducted in Hitomi’s place. Of course, the idea wasn’t just to let myself get kidnapped.



The necklace I wore was outfitted with a tiny GPS. Wherever I happened to be taken, Canaan would be able to track my location. What we hadn’t counted on, though, was my necklace getting torn off when I was attacked.



I’d managed to grab hold of it, but I hit my head when I was being shoved into the car, and it slipped from my grasp. I’m not sure how far we drove after that. In my fuzzy memories, I recall gazing blearily out the car window.



That was when I saw the blimp-right after we parked.



“Yes, it went fine.”



There was a man talking to someone on a cell phone. “All right. I’ll shut her up inside the storeroom. I’ll be waiting in the room upstairs.”



The man dragged me out of the car and shoved me into some dark storeroom. Then, I guess for good measure, he hit me on the head again.

That’s right. There’s more of it coming back to me now.



“You’ve spent your life living in a country at peace-in Japan. You couldn’t possibly understand me.” Canaan again. So it’s not like she and I became fast friends right away or anything. The two of us were too different in a lot of ways.

“Where do you draw the line?”
“What would you protect with your life?”
“What does ‘justice’ mean to you?”

A forlorn look came to her face whenever Canaan asked me a new question.

And I never had a good answer for any of them. My flimsy grasp on my own personal identity made it hard for us to get along-yet I kept visiting Canaan’s place for the duration of my trip.

I recall doing the cat’s cradle there at the table one time when we didn’t have anything in particular to talk about.

Implications.



Her eyes had gone wide when she saw me deftly manipulating the string with my fingers. “Who taught you how to do that?” she asked.

“My mother. My real mother, that is.”

Canaan furrowed her brow. “What do you mean, real?”

“As opposed to my stepmother, I mean. My birth mother died after getting really sick. I was only five years old, so I don’t remember her that well.”

“I see,” Canaan said. Her expression remained unchanged.

“What about your parents, Canaan?”

“I don’t have any. They died during the war.” The bluntness of her response made my hands stop, the string still stretched between them.

Sensing that we were treading on some serious ground, I hurried to change the subject. “Do you, ah-do you have any friends?”

“No. Well, I used to have one.” Her use of the past tense made me fear the worst-and I was right. “He was killed, too. By an arms dealer named Alphard.” Her tone was dry, matter-of-fact. “Taking revenge for his death is my sole purpose in life.” Despite the gravity of her words, her face was an unreadable mask. She seemed almost incapable of human emotion.

“So, um, what sort of person is this Alphard?”

“A destructionist who masquerades as a terrorist.”

Destructionist...? That sure wasn’t a term that came up a lot back in Japan.

“Alphard doesn’t believe in god, and holds no political ideology. The chaos and destruction is just to earn money in order to carry out more terrorist acts.”

“So you’re saying this Alphard commits terrorism because it’s fun?”

Canaan nodded. “That’s why every now and then, Alphard changes loyalties. Just when you think you’ve found ties to some Middle Eastern terrorist organization, it turns out the job was for the American CIA.”

“What the heck? So Alphard stands for nothing, then?”

Canaan smiled dismissively at my little childish outburst.

I couldn’t help but feel a bit patronized.



I twiddled my fingers, turning my cat’s cradle into a bridge.

Canaan’s eyes fixed right back on the string.

A tiny surge of pride replaced my annoyance. She went quiet, watching closely as I worked my fingers. The tension in the room faded as the silence between us lengthened.

“My stepmother’s the sort of person who couldn’t do this sort of thing,” I said at last. For some reason, I had a sudden urge to talk about my personal life. “I guess she cares about herself more than looking after her children. She’s not a bad person, though. She gives me weird bits of advice, like telling me to find someone to date, or that a woman’s life is defined by a man. But it’s not like I hate her or anything.”

“Would you mind teaching me?” Canaan asked softly.

“What? How to find a guy to date?”

“No.” She shook her head. Then she pointed to the cat’s cradle strung between my fingers.

“Oh, you mean this.”



So I took her by the hand and started to teach her the cat’s cradle.

“Hey, do you mind if I ask you something?” I said after a while.

“What’s that?”

“That friend you mentioned earlier...what was he like?”



Canaan’s fingers went still. “It’s better if you don’t ask. If I tell you, you won’t want to come here anymore.”

“That’s not true,” I insisted.

“Even though I’m a terrorist?” she replied curtly.

I swallowed a sudden lump in my throat, unable to find words.

“We fight for righteousness, but you people call us terrorists. Am I wrong?” She cast a quick look at my face.

General Tip – Terrorist wrote:One who uses fear and violence to attain political objectives. The term has its origins in the “Reign of Terror” in 18th Century France, known in French as “la Terreur.”

General Tip – Righteousness wrote:In the religious sense, the state of being virtuous, free of sin, and observant of the proper rules of moral conduct. Not the same as being “in the right,” though many people equate the two.

“But, I mean...you protected me.” My voice wavered as I replied.

“All I did was take down some thugs. I just didn’t want them around.”

What could I say to that? I just stammered.

“Nah, I’m just messing with you.”

“Huh?”

Canaan flashed me another slight, condescending grin. “I was just joking. Don’t worry about it.”

But I didn’t get the sense that everything she’d said was a joke. Even if calling herself a terrorist was an exaggeration, the world Canaan lived in was unquestionably a dangerous one. I could tell that from the cold look in her eyes-a look you’d never expect from an ordinary teenage girl. Just what sort of hardships had she endured to acquire that deadly stare? Having lived all my life in peaceful Japan, I could scarcely imagine.



Canaan tried and failed several times to get the cat’s cradle right, but she didn’t give up. She worked fastidiously by herself, fingers continuing to shift awkwardly about. “Okay, here we go.” She hooked the string around her fingers and spread her palms. But the string-shape just collapsed into a jumbled mess. “Confound it...okay, one more time.”

“You can make this into a game with two people, you know.” I plucked the string from Canaan’s hands.



“You pass the string back and forth. Why don’t we try that? It’s more fun than doing it by yourself.” I wrapped the string around my fingertips. “What do you say? Want to give it a go?”

Canaan looked dubious.

The intricately intertwined strings were like the world, in a way. What had started as a single thread was now something that couldn’t be undone just by pulling on it.

I held my hands out, twirling the string around my fingers. Canaan took the pattern from me, and spread her palms apart.



She made a perfect bridge between her hands. The shy grin that came to her face made her finally look like a normal girl. I followed suit, with a childish little laugh of my own.

Tama.



And, as if in a blaze of sunshine, the fog that’s been hanging over my mind finishes receding.

I remember everything. My name is Maria Osawa. My sister is Hitomi Osawa.

And Canaan... She’s a dear friend who I met in a far-off land. She helped me once-and now it’s my turn to help her.

I close my eyes as I reflect upon these precious memories, all the dearer for having been lost. Now when I try to picture Canaan, I can do so clearly.

It’s just as I’d thought before: my memories are what make me who I am, and I would never choose to forget them. I feel almost as if time had stopped for me while my history was gone, and now it’s started moving again.

I’m finally back to being me.



And - I have to go. I have to go back there, one more time.

Setup.

• As Minorikawa's been the runner-up for the past couple of votes, I thought we'd go with him for now.

Cigarette Smoke.



No music.



The taxi stopped outside of Heaven Publishing. Minorikawa left a thousand-yen bill on the seat and exited the cab. He was stumbling his way toward the building when someone called out to him.

“Mr. Minorikawa!”

“Hm?”



For a moment, Minorikawa didn’t recognize the man now idling his sedan at the curb; but when he took a closer look he realized it was Kenji Osawa. “Oh, Mr. Osawa. Sorry, but I haven’t been able to look into that thing you asked about yet.”

“I see. That’s quite all right.”



Osawa looked pale and haggard. Minorikawa’s reporter sense started tingling.

Contemplation.

This guy is the key to something. He recalled what he’d heard the detective and his buddy talking about back at the scene of the explosion.

“Roughly eight hours ago, they infected Maria Osawa with the Ua virus.”

“If we don’t administer Kenji Osawa’s antiviralbefore she develops symptoms...”

“You. You’re caught up in something big, aren’t you?”

“How-how do you know that?”

“Because,” the reporter said simply, “I’m Minoru Minorikawa.”

Osawa rolled his eyes. “Well, that’ll make this simpler, I guess. Get in. I’ll tell you everything.”



Minorikawa hesitated. This might be his big chance to land a beyond-incredible scoop. Yet it felt like it was too late to matter. Still, landing a major story, selling out an issue of Four-Star General Gossip, and putting Heaven Publishing on the road to solvency-all that was the least he could do in Toyama’s memory.

You don’t drop a story until you have what you need.

Maybe it was too late to save Toyama. But Minorikawa got in the car.



Osawa’s tale was beyond anything Minorikawa had imagined. “So-they send you threatening emails, devise a plan to kidnap your daughter in order to get the antiviral, and now that that’s failed, they’re turning to bioterrorism...”

Finally Minorikawa was able to flesh out the story behind the conversation he’d overheard earlier. And as he did, he could feel a growing sense of exhilaration. “So basically, they’re now effectively holding all the people in Shibuya hostage and demanding the antiviral, is that it?”

Before Osawa could answer a new idea occurred to Minorikawa. “Wait, hold on. Why didn’t they just start by holding the whole city hostage? Why did they need to go through all the trouble of kidnapping your daughter?”

“I don’t know,” Osawa said, shaking his head. “Perhaps they wanted the ransom money?”

“For a mere 50 million yen? I can’t imagine international terrorists bothering for that much.”

“You can’t know how terrorists think,” Osawa spat.



“Let’s just assume, though. Could there be some other reason they abducted your daughter?”

Osawa didn’t reply. He was probably too preoccupied with finding a way to save his infected daughter to think about anything else.

Still, something about the course of events didn’t quite add up to Minorikawa.



But whatever the case, if the criminals were after this antiviral, then sticking with Osawa ought to bring him closer to the truth. Minorikawa was still mulling that over when they arrived at the laboratory.

No music.



The two men hopped out of the car-and were immediately rushed by a pair of security guards, who subdued them in a matter of moments.

“Hey!” Minorikawa protested. “What the hell is this?!”

“Unhand me!” Osawa yelled. “I’m Kenji Osawa! This is my lab!” But evidently, that didn’t matter to the guards.



Another man emerged from the building. He and Osawa exchanged a few brief words. Judging from the tone of the conversation, this was someone who outranked Osawa at the company.

“Take him away.” As the newcomer looked on, the guards dragged Osawa into the building.



“Hey!” Minorikawa shouted at the man as he began to walk away. “Don’t you know what’s going to happen to Shibuya? Don’t you care?! If you just stand by and let the people of this city die, Okoshi Pharmaceutical is going to be held responsible!”

The man stopped in his tracks.



“And if that happens, you’ll be ruined personally, too!” Minorikawa added. “You know I’m right!”

“That will be up for the police to decide.”

“You’re going to regret this! Don’t be a fool!” Minorikawa’s resolve was unwavering. His pen would mete out justice. He might have come close to forgetting what he’d once stood for-but now the old fire was back.

“I see. It seems this isn’t something to leave unchecked.” The man gestured with his jaw.

Violation.

“Take him as well.” More security guards surrounded Minorikawa.



“Hey! Stop it! Let me go!” But though he struggled fiercely, there was no escape.

Once he was dragged through those laboratory doors, Minorikawa never wrote another article again.

Setup.




Hope.

I don’t want to know how people feel. All I want to know is what viruses feel. I prefer viruses because they make no move to encroach on me from the other side of my microscope. They leave me free to let my thoughts wander as I wish. And while it may be true to say I understand viruses, I have never been able to understand my fellow humans. I don’t know them. I don’t know a single fundamental thing about them.



With Tanaka dead, trying to use the backup passwords for the fingerprint scanner had become a hopeless endeavor. The only remaining means of gaining entry to the storage area was to issue an emergency unlock request to the electronic lock manufacturer. And in order to do that, they needed approval from the six members of the board of directors.



Returning to his study, Osawa called Makino’s personal cell phone.

“What is it?” Makino said gruffly as soon as he picked up.

Osawa informed him of the situation, including Tanaka’s death and the fact that Maria was infected. The news left Makino at a loss for words.

“Please,” Osawa begged, “you need to hold an emergency board meeting.”

Makino was silent for a few moments. “I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

“Why not?! Are you just going to sit by and let my daughter die?!” Osawa raged. “And not just her! If Maria goes symptomatic...” If Maria goes symptomatic... That was still only an ‘if,’ but Osawa was reluctant to put his fears into words. “If she goes symptomatic, the Ua virus willsweep through all of Tokyo!”

“I realize that,” Makino replied. “But one of the board members is overseas on business. Holding a meeting is impossible.” Despite the gravity of the situation, he sounded astoundingly nonchalant.

Osawa couldn’t back down now. “There must be some other option! Like a web conference, or something!”

“That doesn’t help us if we can’t get in touch with him,” Makino huffed. “He went missing a few days ago, in the middle of his business trip.”

428 Tip – Went missing wrote:The head of Okoshi Pharmaceutical’s New York branch has been missing since April 25th, 9p.m. local time. There have been no demands for a ransom, and so the New York Police Department is investigating the possibility of some other form of foul play.

Osawa was almost too appalled to be angry. “That’s the most ridiculous lie I’ve ever heard!”

“Would you like to speak to my on-site contact, if you don’t believe me?”

This was like arguing with a child.

If Makino was deliberately working against him, he’d never know if this disappearance was real or not.



“In that case, can you please appoint a representative in his stead?” Osawa pleaded.

“Selecting a representative is a complicated process. Even if we started right now, it would take until sometime tomorrow afternoon to complete.”

Tomorrow afternoon... By then, it would be too late for any of this to matter.

“Sir, can’t you see how absurd the things you’re saying are?!”

“What would you have me do?!” Makino barked. “These are the realities of corporate politics!”



“I understand, sir. You will do nothing for my daughter. That’s what you’re saying.”

“That’s not what I’m saying,” Makino replied. “Look-I’ll see what I can do to appoint a representative more quickly.” He hung up.



His tone had suggested that waiting for an appointee wouldn’t be a terribly hopeful prospect.

I have no more allies, Osawa thought. All I have left now are foes.

• Choosing A here leads to the bad ending with Osawa and Minorikawa being detained by Makino.

Still, he’d just have to take Makino at his word. Right now, that was his only course of action.

Osawa sat down in front of his computer and quietly closed his eyes. If only I could just go to sleep and wake up tomorrow morning and find all of this resolved. All I’m asking for is a miracle. But he knew reality would never be so kind. He could hold his eyes shut as long as he wanted and it wouldn’t make this hopeless situation go away. He felt the anxiety welling up inside him until it seemed like he was going to explode.

No music.

Needing a distraction from his helplessness, Osawa opened up AyaNET. He knew this was mere escapism, but he couldn’t just sit and do nothing while waiting for Makino to call back.

He posted a new topic with the title ‘Aya Fortune-Teller.’



I tried the Aya Fortune-Teller.

My results basically said I was a bad person who can’t connect to the people around me. And you know what? That’s exactly right. I’m only interested in my own little world. That’s probably why my wife and my assistant at work got so fed up with me.

It’s the same with my two daughters. What sort of things are they interested in? Do they have a lot of friends? What are their aspirations for the future?

I don’t know any of those things. It never even occurred to me to find out. I’m such a terrible father.

Lost in Thought.



Osawa’s fingers ceased their tapping on the keyboard as he thought back to when Maria and Hitomi were younger.

“Daddy!”

“Daddy!”

The two girls would follow him around like a pair of puppies. Their father was their everything-that much was clear just by looking at their faces. He’d felt a ticklish giddiness at having his girls cling to him so. He’d never felt anything like it in his life. But there were times where he also found it tiresome.



I am sick of being the person I am. There’s nothing I can do about that, though. I’m sure it’s far too late for me to change.



He poured out all his negative emotions into his post. It felt like stream-of-consciousness drivel, but he didn’t hesitate to write it down all the same. He wanted other people to know what a miserable excuse for a human being he was. At last, when he couldn’t think of anything else to add, he posted his bitter confession to the forum.

No music.

“You have got to be kidding me! It was Kajiwara-and Osawa had never heard him so angry.



Osawa headed into the living room, and found Kajiwara embroiled in a vehement argument with the other detectives.

“I don’t care what HQ’s policy is-I will not just quietly go along with this!” Kajiwara had already screamed himself red in the face.

“You’re out of line,” snapped one MPD detective. “Hold your tongue.”

“I don’t care if I’m out line!”

“You may have talent, I’ll give you that,” the other detective said. “But you’re a precinct detective, and this isn’t your jurisdiction. It’s not your place to question orders from higher up.”

Wait, Osawa thought. Kajiwara really is a real detective after all?

428 Tip – MPD detective wrote:Kiichi Sawatari, with the Metropolitan Police Department’s First Criminal Investigation Section. Having heard of Kajiwara’s past deeds from friends at the Shibuya precinct, he recommended to his boss that Kajiwara be assigned to the investigation at the Osawa residence. After seeing the detective’s interactions with Osawa, he is confident that his recommendation was in the right; however, given the circumstances, he can’t help but take a cold stance towards Kajiwara.

“Go on. Explain the situation to Mr. Osawa.”

Kajiwara bit his lip in frustration at the other detective’s order. “Very well,” he said.

But before he could say more, Osawa noticed that the police equipment had all been cleared off of the table.

Unrest.



“Hold on!”“Hold on!” Osawa said. “What’s going on? Has something happened?”

“Allow me to explain, sir,” Kajiwara said. His bitterness showed plainly on his face.



“We’ve been recalled, sir.”

Osawa narrowed his eyes, fighting to keep the confusion from his face. “I...What do you mean by that?” He was shaking, terrified to have his suspicions confirmed.

“I’m truly sorry, sir. For having been unable to help you.” Kajiwara gave a deep and solemn bow.

428 Tip – Recalled wrote:The MPD has established a security force, headed by members of its Public Security Bureau, to deal with the bioterrorist threat. Because the kidnapping task force has not yet found Maria, and she is infected with the virus, the task force personnel have instead been absorbed into the security force, and will continue their work under its direction.

“But...Maria...what’s going to happen to Maria?”

“Another unit has been tasked with bringing your daughter into custody, sir.”

That much, at least, Osawa could process. “You’re going to place her under quarantine, aren’t you?”



Kajiwara’s lips stiffened, but he nodded. “In order to minimize the spread of the virus. So I’m told.”



“No!” Osawa cried. “You can’t do that! If you do, there won’t be any way to save her!” His head spun. “Please, I beg of you! You need to get Maria to me! I might be able to save her!” When Kajiwara didn’t respond, he turned to the other detectives.



“Please! Don’t-you can't place Maria under quarantine!”

But the detectives’ only answer was to avert their eyes.



“Why are you all ignoring me?! Please, you have to listen! If you bring her to me, I can figure something out!



I know I can!” He plunked himself down on the floor, yelling and flailing his arms like a child throwing a tantrum.



The detectives exchanged sullen looks with one another, and then walked off and left him there.

He knew he must be a sorry sight, but nevertheless he kept shouting after them.

No music.




Only Kajiwara remained with him in the living room. “I’m sorry, sir. This was beyond my ability to stop.” He gave another apologetic bow.

Osawa felt suddenly deflated. “No. You’ve done a fine job, Detective Kajiwara. It’s me who should be sorry. I’ve made such a disgraceful display of myself.”

“That’s not true, sir. In fact I’m deeply moved. I can tell how much Maria must mean to you.”

Osawa shook his head. “If I’d really been thinking about Maria, I would have made an effort to work with you detectives more. That was all just-self-absorbed shouting. A moment of emotional selfishness.”

“And yet, as a result, you convinced me to stay here with you.”



Kajiwara proceeded to pull out his phone and put in a request with the task force headquarters to remain at the Osawa residence. He got into a heated spat with his commanding officer, but ultimately received permission to stay on as the police liaison with Osawa.

“Well,” the detective said when he’d hung up. “You see? There are some people who are legitimately moved by a parental display of emotion. Even if I’m not certain that I can do very much in staying here with you.”

...Uh... C?

No music.




“...you find things that have gone missing.”

“Ah, like that plane ticket, you mean?” Kajiwara gave a bashful smile.

“Yes. I’d never have found it if you hadn’t been here, Detective.”

“Haha. Well, like they say, you can never find something when you’re looking for it.” Then a hint of sadness came to Kajiwara’s eyes, and his voice grew quieter.

Chance Meeting.

“My daughter...she had this little toy ring that she loved, and she lost it in our house somewhere.”

“I didn’t realize you had a daughter, Detective.”

“She just started grade school this year.”



“Oh really? She must be adorable.”

“Well, I don’t get to see her as much as I’d like...” A lonely sort of smile crossed Kajiwara’s face.

“Why’s that?”

“Doing this job caused me to neglect my family...finally, about two years ago, my wife hit me with the divorce paperwork. I wanted to be able to keep our daughter with me, but...well, the law tends to favor the mother when it comes to custody issues...” The detective pulled two bars of chocolate from his pocket.



Osawa accepted one, but said nothing.

“The toy ring she lost-I’d bought it for her as a birthday present. She loved it so much-she cried and cried when it was gone. I looked all over for it.” The detective bit into his own chocolate bar with a soft snap. “So then, later, this toy ring-I found it after my wife took our daughter away. And do you know where it was?”

Osawa shook his head slightly.

“Under my daughter’s mattress. Fell out when the bed was being taken out of her room. Isn’t that funny? That it was somewhere I never would have found if she’d stayed?” Another sad smile came to Kajiwara’s face before he went on. “I guess there wasn’t much point, though, finding it after she was already gone.”

The man had lost his daughter-Osawa couldn’t help but sympathize.



Here was someone he could really talk to. He was sure of that much now. “Detective, I apologize. I’ve kept things from you, because I was worried that they involved classified corporate information.”

“Oh?” Kajiwara’s eyes glimmered with interest.

“Earlier today, I received some emails. They could be pertinent to the case.”

“Would you mind letting me see them?”

Osawa shook his head. “On the contrary.”