Nobu walked first into the basement bar and Kyoko followed a few steps behind him. She heard a grunt come from behind the counter as soon as they entered and Kyoko looked at the big guy who manned the bar—must be Dayu, the guy Nobu told her about.
“What are you doin’ here?” asked Dayu.
“This is a bar, ain’t it?” asked Nobu, the Kansai dialect stronger than normal. “So you want customers or don’t you?”
Dayu crossed his arms and remained still, glaring at Nobu. Clearly, the two guys didn’t like each other. Like alpha dogs sizing each other up. Kyoko decided to be the one to intervene, so she slid onto one of the stools and stared at the bartender.
“Look, we’re not here for any trouble. We just want to talk to Jun.”
“What makes you think Jun wants to talk to you?” asked Dayu.
“He’s gonna have to,” said Nobu.
Dayu looked like he was about ready to clock Nobu. Kyoko’s hand slid into her jacket, her fingers rubbing up against the TITAN-2500K stun gun she kept in case of emergency. If Dayu was going to cause trouble here, she was going to be ready for it.
“Maybe I’m not makin’ myself clear.” Dayu stepped forward, resting his palms on the counter and leaning towards Nobu, glaring him in the eyes. “You’re not welcome in my bar. So take your little whore somewhere else.”
That tears it.
Kyoko took the weapon from her jacket and jammed it against Dayu’s arm. Electricity coursed through his body and he spasmed, jumping away from her and knocking some bottles over behind the bar.
When Dayu looked up at her, Kyoko held the stun gun pointed at the ceiling. She hit the trigger again so he could hear the clicking and see the sparks.
“The hell’s the matter with you?”
“The only thing I like less than assholes wasting my time is being called a whore,” said Kyoko. “Jun. Now. Or you’ll learn real fast why even Nobu’s afraid to piss me off.”
Dayu’s gaze went to Nobu for confirmation. Sure enough, he had a pretty broad grin on his face, bordering on laughter. Kyoko hit the trigger again and the clicking brought Dayu’s attention back to her.
“Don’t make me ask you again. I hate repeating myself.”
The bartender made himself scarce, quickly disappearing into the back area. Nobu finally allowed the chuckle he’d been holding in to escape his lips and he sat on the stool.
“Damn, boss. You are cold-blooded.”
“Don’t let anyone walk all over you, that’s a lesson I learned a long time ago,” she said.
A few moments later, a young man around Nobu’s age emerged. Shaggy hair, bad goatee, and clothes at least a size too big for him. He also didn’t look happy to see the two of them.
“Jun Yamazawa?” asked Kyoko.
“What’s she doin’ here, Tsuji?” asked Jun. “Told you I’d help you out. Not her.”
“Something’s up, felt it warranted a face-to-face meeting,” said Kyoko. “That man Nobu asked you about. Did you get any information about him as a buyer?”
“I don’t need any heat, okay?” said Jun. “I get home today, turn on the TV, an’ right there is the guy Tsuji here asked me about, bein’ carted off by the cops. Find out they’re sayin’ he bought drugs for Akane Suzuki, then one day, he kills her. This is makin’ business hard on me. I told my guys they gotta lay low for the time being. Vice is starting to pay a lot more attention to Shinsekai tonight.”
“So why the hell are you pissed at us?” asked Nobu.
“What, you think I’m an idiot?”
“Do you really want me to answer that?” asked Kyoko.
Jun scoffed. “I figure since you guys are the ones came around askin’ about him in the first place, you must be the ones who tipped off the cops.”
“You figured wrong,” said Kyoko. “In fact, I think that kid is being set up.”
Jun grunted. “Yeah, no shit.”
“Why do you say that?” asked Nobu.
“’Cuz I did what you asked, I looked into him. If he killed Akane, that’s one thing. But he wasn’t buyin’ any drugs. Not from anyone I’ve ever met.”
“You’re sure about that?” asked Kyoko.
Jun held his hands out to the side. “Did I fuckin’ stutter or something?”
Kyoko placed the Titan back in her jacket and produced a pack of Seven Stars. She took one and offered the pack to the two men. Nobu refused, but Jun accepted one. Setting the pack on the counter, Kyoko pushed the switch on her lighter and held it out to Jun. He placed the tip into the open flame and took a few puffs. Once his cigarette was taken care of, Kyoko lit her own and put the lighter on top of the pack.
“There was a guy I saw the other day. At Ichikawa’s. Thin beard, hair cut so short to the scalp that he was almost bald.”
Jun removed the cigarette from his mouth and waved his hand as a gesture for her to continue, the smoke from the cigarette leaving circling trails in his wake.
“He left some pills there. I believe Nobu already told you about those.”
“Yeah, I remember,” said Jun.
“They were amphetamines?”
He nodded while sucking on the cigarette. With an exhale of smoke, he responded. “That they were.”
“Why would he leave those pills in Ichikawa’s apartment if Ichikawa wasn’t involved with drugs?” asked Nobu.
Jun shrugged. “Maybe he was placing an order for someone else.”
“Doesn’t seem likely,” said Kyoko. “Ichikawa had been staying with his mother ever since he heard about Akane. Why would he have the pills dropped off at his apartment like that when he knew he wouldn’t be there?”
“Whoever killed her,” said Nobu. “Tryin’ to implicate Ichikawa. Make the cops think he gave her the pills.”
“That’s right.” Kyoko looked at Jun. “Does that description ring any bells? You know of anyone like that?”
Jun leaned over the bar and tapped the cigarette against the rim of an ashtray. “I dunno, that’s not exactly a concrete description. There anything else you remember ’bout him?”
“It was in Shinsekai, middle of the day.” Kyoko paused, trying to recall other details. “I remember he had some rings on his right hand.”
“Rings…” Jun cringed. “Aw shit, it’s probably Masaki.”
“Masaki?” asked Nobu.
“Yohei Masaki, wears a bunch of rings on his hand,” said Jun.
“One of yours?” asked Kyoko.
“Nah, not one of mine. Mean bastard. Don’t wanna get on his bad side. That’s why he wears those rings, likes to beat the crap outta guys who cross him while wearin’ ’em.”
“Do you know where I can find him?” asked Kyoko.
“I dunno if you wanna know that,” said Jun. “Like I said, he’s a mean bastard.”
“Nobu said you were a fan of Akane’s. Do you want to see her killer brought to justice?”
Jun took another drag on the cigarette. Silence crept into the air. After a few more moments, he finally said, “Okay. I’ll tell you where to find him.”
“Great.”
Jun held up his hand, index and middle finger extended. “On two conditions. One, no cops. Two, he never learns I’m the one who told you about him. We got a deal?”
“Hell n—”
“Deal,” said Kyoko, cutting off Nobu’s rejection.
“Hey, hold up!”
Kyoko had been the first one out of Dayu’s basement bar, quickly returning to the streets. She’d already passed a few buildings and alleys by the time Nobu called out to her. Stopping and turning, she watched him jogging to catch up to her.
“What is it, Nobu? I want to get home.”
“Back there.” Nobu jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “What were you thinking?”
“I was thinking I need to find Masaki and figure out just what it is he knows. About Yuki, about Akane, about all of this.”
“What if the cops need Jun? How are you gonna tell ’em you found Masaki without revealing you broke into Ichikawa’s place?”
Kyoko scoffed. “Who are you kidding, Nobu? Even if we do crack this case, what makes you think the cops will give a shit? They’ve already arrested Ichikawa for the murder.”
“So what, you wanna give up?”
“No, I want to finish this case. I want to present my report to the Suzukis and after that, we’ll see what happens. Maybe the evidence will exonerate Ichikawa, maybe it won’t. But I doubt it’ll lead to any future arrests.”
Nobu’s eyes stayed fixed on her face. Kyoko knew that look in his eyes. He was worried. And perhaps, maybe even a little disappointed.
“If you’re going to go after Masaki, you’re taking a risk. You heard what Jun said about that guy, he’s a hothead.”
“I can handle a drug dealer.” Kyoko pivoted on her heel and started walking back down the street.
As she continued walking, she heard Nobu calling her name, but she ignored him. This case was bringing back memories of what had happened years ago. Once again, a victimized girl depended on her to bring the perpretrator to justice. But the police wouldn’t do anything before. Too little evidence to charge him.
It felt like Kyoko was looking at a similar situation. Even if Masaki did know something about what had happened to Akane, who would believe the word of a drug dealer? The prosecution would tear apart his credibility.
A theory had come to Kyoko during the talk with Yuki. But if it were true, she’d need something a lot stronger than Yohei Masaki. No one would believe someone like that over a man like Jo Miyashita, a man with serious connections in entertainment and politics. She’d be lucky if she could even get the police to question him, let alone bring forward a case.
No, something else was necessary. Although Kyoko had no idea what that something was.
A chill wind blew through the streets of Shinsekai, causing Kyoko to shiver beneath her leather jacket.