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Title: From Hell To Redemption
Author: mrs_Koki (me)
Pairing: KoKame
Disclaimer: owning people is called slavery, common though historically
Rating: R-NC17-ish
Genre: au/drama/crime/mentions of the occult /sex /romance
Length: Multi-chapter
Summary: Is there a way for one broken and defeated detective to navigate the road to redemption alone...or does he need help?
Not knowing the fate that has befallen Kame, Koki heads into the kitchen to make breakfast. While he’s waiting for his coffee to brew, he goes to collect his morning paper not bothering to read the front page Koki just puts it under his arm and turns to head inside, as he does so his foot kicks something across the floor.
“ What the...?” he bends down and picks up the envelope, turning it over to see who its addressed too...he almost falls over after seeing Kame’s spidery writing across the front. He just snorts and tosses the letter in trash and goes about his morning routine.
After his shower he gets dressed and goes into his living room, as he passes the genken he sees the letter laying on his dinning room table - “I thought I threw that away.”- he thinks as he throws the letter back into the trash can. He goes to sit and watch tv, enjoying a rare day off when he gets a call from the chief.
“ Hello. Oh hey Chief, what’s...” he doesn’t get very far before his boss cuts him off.
“ Have you talked to Kamenashi-san since yesterday?”
“ No, why?” he asks annoyed.
“ Because, I tried to call his phone but there’s no answer. I was going to ask him to give Massu a tour of the evidence locker since Akira had a family emergency to attend too. I called his home phone but there’s no answer on that line either.” the chief explains.
“ I’m sure he’s fine, Chief. But if I hear from him I’ll let you know.”
“ Okay and thanks.”
The chief hangs up and goes back to his work. Koki turned his attention back to his movie when he feels a sharp pain in the back of his head, rubbing the sore spot he turns around but he sees nothing there. Thinking its just his mind playing tricks on him he decides to ignore it. Annoyed at Koki’s behavior...Yuichi takes Kame’s letter from the trash and sends it flying across the room, where it bounces off the side of his ex-partner’s head.
“ What the hell?!” Koki shouts.
Looking down he sees his letter sitting next to him, he picks it up and goes to rip it up. But he doesn’t get very far when he hears the voice of someone familiar, the voice of a man who hasn’t been alive for the better part of a year. Turning around he sees, there in his living room, stands his deceased lover and partner Yuichi Nakamaru...who looked angry for some reason.
“ Koki...stop!”
“ Yu-Yuichi...but you’re...how...can you...?” Koki’s really confused now.
“ Yes, Koki, its me. You promised me, Koki. What has happened to you? This isn’t the Koki that I know and love.”
“ How can I keep my promise when its my fault you were killed? The person I was died with you in that hospital room, Maru. Why did you have to leave me alone?”
“ I left because it was my time, Koki. I had more important things to do up there, I didn’t want to go in the beginning but I knew leaving you was the right thing to do. I love you Koki and I always will....that will never change. But you have to understand that what happened to me was not your fault, its like Kame’s been trying to tell you...I’m not staying here out of anger or resentment. I’m staying because you need to need move on and heal, you need to trust in yourself the way he does. You couldn’t have prevented those guys from killing me no more than you can stop the sun from rising.”
“ Kame? What’s he got to do with this?” Koki asks perplexed.
“ Everything, Koki. He was transferred for a reason, I sent him to you to help you move on. I know you don’t want to but you have to. I know you don’t want to admit it but you’re changing, even you have realized that longer he’s around the more and more like you’re old self you’re becoming. I know you feel guilty but don’t, Koki...I want you to be happy again. Kame, if given the chance, can make you happy. Read the letter Koki.”
“ I think you have been dead to long Maru. I don’t want anyone but you and I don’t need you sending someone to replace you.”
“ He’s not trying too. If you didn’t want him..then why did you sleep with him?”
“ Because I was drunk that’s why.”
“ Drunks don’t lie Koki. You already told him that you have a hard time controlling yourself around him when you haven’t been drinking. Koki stop being stubborn and just admit to what we all already know. But right now, read that letter and then go find him, he’s in trouble and he’s waiting for you to find him.” Yuichi said with urgency.
“ But if he’s in trouble..how can I save him when I failed at protecting you?”
“ I already told you, it was my time to go. But Kame’s time, like your’s, will not come for many, many years. But if you don’t hurry up and read that letter...it will be too late. I must go now Koki, just remember Kame doesn’t want to take my place nor is he trying too. He just wants you to be happy again.” With that Maru was gone.
“ Maru...wait! Damn! He’s already gone.” Koki mutters as he turns his attention to the letter that Maru so kindly flung at his head.
He just tore open the envelope when his phone rings, annoyed he answers it...
“Hel...”
“Tanaka-san....get in here right away!!” his boss almost shouts cutting off Koki.
“ What’s up?” Koki asks.
“ Just get over here!” his boss says urgently before disconnecting the call.
Wondering what on earth has his boss so agitated, Koki grabs his keys and cell phone and makes his way to the station. He pulls into the parking lot and heads inside to his boss’s office passing Akira and his crew as he walks in and closes the door behind him.
“ Yes, chief?”
“ There was another kidnapping late last night, but since there aren’t any witnesses we have no clue who the victim is. I want you to track Kamenashi-san down and go over all the evidence from the prior crime scenes and see if there’s some sort of connection. “
“ Sure thing. I’ll head out right now.” Koki says and heads to Kame’s apartment.
Across the city somewhere:
“ Now, now, detective....you only brought this on yourself.” his capture says as he carves Kame’s sin into his chest.
“ Aaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!! W-why are you doing this?” Kame asks through gritted teeth while praying that Koki will finds him in time.
“ To achieve that which all men want but are too afraid to obtain...immortality.”
“ Then why did you kill so many people?”
“ I needed eight bodies to act as anchors and I need four bodies of people that were proven to be guilty of which they were killed for.” the killer says as he unlocks his prisoner from the table and wheels a very weak Kamenashi back to where he’s going to receive his “ punishment”.
“ I would’ve used “pride” but there was always someone in the way.” he says angrily as he straps Kame back into his chair, leaving the blind fold off and putting his button down shirt back to hide the nasty cuts for the time being.
Kame never answers as he finally passes out from the pain and the burning, while his blood pools on the floor between his legs.
Kame’s Apartment:
Koki heads up to Kame’s apartment and knocks on his door. He doesn’t get a response from inside, he knocks louder and that’s when the front door creaks open. -"that’s strange"- Koki thinks as he quietly steps over the threshold and creeps into the living room, being careful on the off chance that his partner is just sleeping or sick so he doesn’t wake him up. No sooner does he walk in does he see that Kame’s living room is torn to pieces, panicking slightly he immediately goes into Kame’s bedroom and what he finds makes him almost fall over. On the walls in red paint were the soul binding symbol and the words “Lust” and “Pride” written.There on the duvet cover Koki found a pentagram drawn in black marker, but there was no sign of Kame..only the signs from his struggle with his kidnapper. On the night stand next to the bed Koki sees a writing tablet and a pen, knowing that Kame had written him he doesn’t think too much about it. He pulls out his phone and calls his boss and an half hour later the forensics guys along with Akira and Massu show up.
“ What in the hell happened here?” Akira asks Koki as Massu goes to check out Kame’s bedroom.
“ How would I know, Akira, I just got here.” Koki answers.
“Akira!! You may want to come look at this!” Massu calls from Kame’s room.
Akira and Koki head into the room. Akira notices the writing on the wall and turns to koki for answers.
“ ‘Lust’, ‘Pride’...why would those be there?”
“ Not sure, but I think our killer wants use Kamenashi-san to finish his ritual. There’s a pentagram drawn on the duvet cover as well.” Koki says, realizing that Kame just may have been right all along.
“ Hey there was something written on this note pad not too long ago.” Massu says and hands it to Akira.
“ Let’s see.” Koki says and takes the pad from Akira. “ You’re right but it has nothing to do with his disappearance.”
“ Just how do you know that when we don’t what was written on it?”
“ One this is me you’re talking too and two, by the look of the living room and his bedroom..do you really think Kamenashi-san had any time to write a letter to anyone. Besides, he’s my partner and I know more about what he does off hours than you do.” Koki keeps quiet about the letter Kame wrote him from that very pad of paper.
“ I thought you wanted nothing to do with him?” Massu asks.
“ Just because I would rather not work with him doesn’t mean I can’t be nice and talk to the guy, now does it? Now look for more important clues and Akira, don’t miss anything..even if you think its not important. I’m going to return the Chief’s call, let me know if you find anything.” he says.
“ I thought you weren’t close to him?”
“ I’m not but he’s still my partner and a part this team, and we just can’t leave him to be ritualistic lab rat now can we?”
Koki leaves Akira and Massu to their work and heads to the station, taking the note pad with him.
“ Well Koki?” The chief asks as Koki walks into his office.
“ Its just as I thought..our killer took Kamenashi-san. He plans on using him to finish off his...Why didn’t I listen to him in the first place? He tried to tell me that every victim is a part of a ritual, but I refused to listen to him. But what I don’t get is why he needs Kamenashi..and what the words ‘Lust’ and ‘Pride’ have to do with him.” he says, running his hands through his short bleached blond hair, feeling dizzy at the same time.
“ I don’t know Koki, but if there is the smallest chance he’s still alive...we are going to need you on this case now more than ever. I know that you feel like you can’t save him, given what happened a year ago...but I’m going to need you start putting his trust in you and your skills, into yourself.
Koki just nods and heads home to try and clear his head, on the way he bumps into Massu who stops him and says...
“ Tanaka-san, we found this on one of the pillows.” he hands Koki a copy of the note the killer left behind, while the original gets tested for finger prints.
“ Thanks Massu, I’ll look at it later.” Koki says.
“ Akira said that you shouldn’t wait until later. We had to read it to make a copy of it and Akira thinks the letter is a message for you or something. I don’t know, he wouldn’t explain it properly but even he thinks that this time...it has something to do with you.”
“ Me? What would I have to do with it?” Koki asks confused.
“ Akira’s not sure, but based on the sins in the past murders the killer could’ve used any one guilty of the two sins painted on the walls of Kamenashi-san’s apartment. But the fact the killer chose him and that he’s your partner...just makes Akira think that its gotten personal for one reason or another. Is it true that they never found the persons responsible for...?” he starts but Koki cuts him off.
“ Yes, its true. We never did find who killed him or why. You’re just out of the Academy, don’t everything that Akira says as truth about what happened last year. He wasn’t inside with me and Nakamaru-san when all hell broke loose, he was outside with the chief waiting for us to come out. But what’s with attitude change all of a sudden?”
“ The Chief talked me about what I said and the rumors around here about you, after Kamenashi-san punched my lights out, while he refused to tell me what exactly happened. He told me that to cut you some slack and that having Akira-san on your back was enough to drive anyone up a tree. I’m sorry for calling you a murderer, Tanaka-san, it was wrong of me and no it wasn’t the Chief who convinced me to apologize...it was a strange dream I had last night.” Massu explains and then leaves.
Koki looks up to see Yuichi slightly nod his head as if he’s saying, “it was me that convinced him” before disappearing. Minutes later Koki sits on his couch in his living room going over all the evidence and pictures from their past crime scenes. He picks up the note that Massu gave him from the killer and reads “ Lust and Pride..its not very often that these two sins walk hand in hand with each other”
“ What does this have to do with us?” he mutters to himself before turning his attention to the pictures spread out before him on his dining room table.
He spends hours and hours pouring over everything at least thirty times, but he just can’t figure it out. He’s still not sure if he’ll be able to save Kame, should he still live, but at least he can give it his best shot. But without Kame around he can’t really concentrate, though he still won’t admit why. Its past two in the morning when he finally falls asleep only to wake up two hours later sweating and shaking over his nightmare involving Kame. Once he calms down enough he tries to go back to sleep hoping that the dream he just had of Kame being tortured and with the word ‘Lust’ carved into his body didn’t return, while Kame’s letter, though open, remains unread on his dresser next to Yuichi’s picture.
Its six in the morning when his alarm goes off and he still feels tired, but he has a job to do and he still has to help find Kame. After his shower, he gets dressed and as he leaves he pockets Kame’s letter...mainly so Maru can’t throw it at him again. He gets to the station where he’s immediately called into the Chief’s office where he sees Akira standing there smirking at him.
“Yes, you wanted to see me.”
“Yes, Tanaka-san. Akira-san said that there was a note pad that was handed to you at the crime scene, where there was evidence of it being written on. He says that it was never turned into the evidence locker and that you still have it, is this true?”
“ Its true. I still have it and no, I won’t turn it over. What was written on that note pad has nothing to do with Kamenashi-san’s disappearance. Its true he wrote a letter and as that letter’s owner, I have no reason to turn it over.”
“ Have you read this letter yet?” Akira asks.
“No, but I know what the base contents of the letter is about.”
“ How do you know that if you haven’t read it yet?”
“ Because it goes back to personal conversation we had the day before he was taken. That’s why I know it has nothing to do with what happened to him and why I won’t turn over the letter or the note pad. Its our business, its private and I intend to keep it that way.” Koki says with finality.
“ Tanaka-san, hand me the letter.” the chief says. “ I won’t show it to anyone.”
Reluctantly Koki hands over Kame’s letter, his boss reads it and after folding it back up, he puts it back in its envelope and hands it back to Koki.
“ Well Chief?” Akira asks.
“ Its as Tanaka-san says, the letter nor its contents have nothing to do with his kidnaping. Nor are the things that Kamenashi-san talks about is for anyone’s eyes but Tanaka-san’s.” he says to Akira before turning his attention back to Koki. “ Now that that’s settled, did you come up with any new clues yet?”
“ No I didn’t and I spent hours looking over that stuff. But I will keep checking anyway.” he assures his boss before going back to Kame’s apartment to see if he can pick up any hidden clues, which normally is Kame’s area but as the guy in question is not here, its up to Koki.
He walks through Kame’s front door and starts looking around, when he hears a crunching noise come from under his foot. Bending down he picks up what’s left of a picture frame and its a picture of Kame and a little girl.
“ Cute. His kid or a relative?” Koki asks himself before taking the picture from its frame and putting it in his pocket.
He spends the next three hours in Kame’s apartment, two of those hours he searched for anything that they might’ve missed. The third hour he spent on Kame’s couch brooding over the whole case and trying to figure out in what possible way him and Kame have anything to do with their killer’s sick games. Not realizing it, he fell asleep right there in Kame’s living room, he doesn’t wake up until nine the next morning by a phone call from his boss telling him that they have another letter from the killer.
Author: mrs_Koki (me)
Pairing: KoKame
Disclaimer: owning people is called slavery, common though historically
Rating: R-NC17-ish
Genre: au/drama/crime/mentions of the occult /sex /romance
Length: Multi-chapter
Summary: Is there a way for one broken and defeated detective to navigate the road to redemption alone...or does he need help?
Not knowing the fate that has befallen Kame, Koki heads into the kitchen to make breakfast. While he’s waiting for his coffee to brew, he goes to collect his morning paper not bothering to read the front page Koki just puts it under his arm and turns to head inside, as he does so his foot kicks something across the floor.
“ What the...?” he bends down and picks up the envelope, turning it over to see who its addressed too...he almost falls over after seeing Kame’s spidery writing across the front. He just snorts and tosses the letter in trash and goes about his morning routine.
After his shower he gets dressed and goes into his living room, as he passes the genken he sees the letter laying on his dinning room table - “I thought I threw that away.”- he thinks as he throws the letter back into the trash can. He goes to sit and watch tv, enjoying a rare day off when he gets a call from the chief.
“ Hello. Oh hey Chief, what’s...” he doesn’t get very far before his boss cuts him off.
“ Have you talked to Kamenashi-san since yesterday?”
“ No, why?” he asks annoyed.
“ Because, I tried to call his phone but there’s no answer. I was going to ask him to give Massu a tour of the evidence locker since Akira had a family emergency to attend too. I called his home phone but there’s no answer on that line either.” the chief explains.
“ I’m sure he’s fine, Chief. But if I hear from him I’ll let you know.”
“ Okay and thanks.”
The chief hangs up and goes back to his work. Koki turned his attention back to his movie when he feels a sharp pain in the back of his head, rubbing the sore spot he turns around but he sees nothing there. Thinking its just his mind playing tricks on him he decides to ignore it. Annoyed at Koki’s behavior...Yuichi takes Kame’s letter from the trash and sends it flying across the room, where it bounces off the side of his ex-partner’s head.
“ What the hell?!” Koki shouts.
Looking down he sees his letter sitting next to him, he picks it up and goes to rip it up. But he doesn’t get very far when he hears the voice of someone familiar, the voice of a man who hasn’t been alive for the better part of a year. Turning around he sees, there in his living room, stands his deceased lover and partner Yuichi Nakamaru...who looked angry for some reason.
“ Koki...stop!”
“ Yu-Yuichi...but you’re...how...can you...?” Koki’s really confused now.
“ Yes, Koki, its me. You promised me, Koki. What has happened to you? This isn’t the Koki that I know and love.”
“ How can I keep my promise when its my fault you were killed? The person I was died with you in that hospital room, Maru. Why did you have to leave me alone?”
“ I left because it was my time, Koki. I had more important things to do up there, I didn’t want to go in the beginning but I knew leaving you was the right thing to do. I love you Koki and I always will....that will never change. But you have to understand that what happened to me was not your fault, its like Kame’s been trying to tell you...I’m not staying here out of anger or resentment. I’m staying because you need to need move on and heal, you need to trust in yourself the way he does. You couldn’t have prevented those guys from killing me no more than you can stop the sun from rising.”
“ Kame? What’s he got to do with this?” Koki asks perplexed.
“ Everything, Koki. He was transferred for a reason, I sent him to you to help you move on. I know you don’t want to but you have to. I know you don’t want to admit it but you’re changing, even you have realized that longer he’s around the more and more like you’re old self you’re becoming. I know you feel guilty but don’t, Koki...I want you to be happy again. Kame, if given the chance, can make you happy. Read the letter Koki.”
“ I think you have been dead to long Maru. I don’t want anyone but you and I don’t need you sending someone to replace you.”
“ He’s not trying too. If you didn’t want him..then why did you sleep with him?”
“ Because I was drunk that’s why.”
“ Drunks don’t lie Koki. You already told him that you have a hard time controlling yourself around him when you haven’t been drinking. Koki stop being stubborn and just admit to what we all already know. But right now, read that letter and then go find him, he’s in trouble and he’s waiting for you to find him.” Yuichi said with urgency.
“ But if he’s in trouble..how can I save him when I failed at protecting you?”
“ I already told you, it was my time to go. But Kame’s time, like your’s, will not come for many, many years. But if you don’t hurry up and read that letter...it will be too late. I must go now Koki, just remember Kame doesn’t want to take my place nor is he trying too. He just wants you to be happy again.” With that Maru was gone.
“ Maru...wait! Damn! He’s already gone.” Koki mutters as he turns his attention to the letter that Maru so kindly flung at his head.
He just tore open the envelope when his phone rings, annoyed he answers it...
“Hel...”
“Tanaka-san....get in here right away!!” his boss almost shouts cutting off Koki.
“ What’s up?” Koki asks.
“ Just get over here!” his boss says urgently before disconnecting the call.
Wondering what on earth has his boss so agitated, Koki grabs his keys and cell phone and makes his way to the station. He pulls into the parking lot and heads inside to his boss’s office passing Akira and his crew as he walks in and closes the door behind him.
“ Yes, chief?”
“ There was another kidnapping late last night, but since there aren’t any witnesses we have no clue who the victim is. I want you to track Kamenashi-san down and go over all the evidence from the prior crime scenes and see if there’s some sort of connection. “
“ Sure thing. I’ll head out right now.” Koki says and heads to Kame’s apartment.
Across the city somewhere:
“ Now, now, detective....you only brought this on yourself.” his capture says as he carves Kame’s sin into his chest.
“ Aaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!! W-why are you doing this?” Kame asks through gritted teeth while praying that Koki will finds him in time.
“ To achieve that which all men want but are too afraid to obtain...immortality.”
“ Then why did you kill so many people?”
“ I needed eight bodies to act as anchors and I need four bodies of people that were proven to be guilty of which they were killed for.” the killer says as he unlocks his prisoner from the table and wheels a very weak Kamenashi back to where he’s going to receive his “ punishment”.
“ I would’ve used “pride” but there was always someone in the way.” he says angrily as he straps Kame back into his chair, leaving the blind fold off and putting his button down shirt back to hide the nasty cuts for the time being.
Kame never answers as he finally passes out from the pain and the burning, while his blood pools on the floor between his legs.
Kame’s Apartment:
Koki heads up to Kame’s apartment and knocks on his door. He doesn’t get a response from inside, he knocks louder and that’s when the front door creaks open. -"that’s strange"- Koki thinks as he quietly steps over the threshold and creeps into the living room, being careful on the off chance that his partner is just sleeping or sick so he doesn’t wake him up. No sooner does he walk in does he see that Kame’s living room is torn to pieces, panicking slightly he immediately goes into Kame’s bedroom and what he finds makes him almost fall over. On the walls in red paint were the soul binding symbol and the words “Lust” and “Pride” written.There on the duvet cover Koki found a pentagram drawn in black marker, but there was no sign of Kame..only the signs from his struggle with his kidnapper. On the night stand next to the bed Koki sees a writing tablet and a pen, knowing that Kame had written him he doesn’t think too much about it. He pulls out his phone and calls his boss and an half hour later the forensics guys along with Akira and Massu show up.
“ What in the hell happened here?” Akira asks Koki as Massu goes to check out Kame’s bedroom.
“ How would I know, Akira, I just got here.” Koki answers.
“Akira!! You may want to come look at this!” Massu calls from Kame’s room.
Akira and Koki head into the room. Akira notices the writing on the wall and turns to koki for answers.
“ ‘Lust’, ‘Pride’...why would those be there?”
“ Not sure, but I think our killer wants use Kamenashi-san to finish his ritual. There’s a pentagram drawn on the duvet cover as well.” Koki says, realizing that Kame just may have been right all along.
“ Hey there was something written on this note pad not too long ago.” Massu says and hands it to Akira.
“ Let’s see.” Koki says and takes the pad from Akira. “ You’re right but it has nothing to do with his disappearance.”
“ Just how do you know that when we don’t what was written on it?”
“ One this is me you’re talking too and two, by the look of the living room and his bedroom..do you really think Kamenashi-san had any time to write a letter to anyone. Besides, he’s my partner and I know more about what he does off hours than you do.” Koki keeps quiet about the letter Kame wrote him from that very pad of paper.
“ I thought you wanted nothing to do with him?” Massu asks.
“ Just because I would rather not work with him doesn’t mean I can’t be nice and talk to the guy, now does it? Now look for more important clues and Akira, don’t miss anything..even if you think its not important. I’m going to return the Chief’s call, let me know if you find anything.” he says.
“ I thought you weren’t close to him?”
“ I’m not but he’s still my partner and a part this team, and we just can’t leave him to be ritualistic lab rat now can we?”
Koki leaves Akira and Massu to their work and heads to the station, taking the note pad with him.
“ Well Koki?” The chief asks as Koki walks into his office.
“ Its just as I thought..our killer took Kamenashi-san. He plans on using him to finish off his...Why didn’t I listen to him in the first place? He tried to tell me that every victim is a part of a ritual, but I refused to listen to him. But what I don’t get is why he needs Kamenashi..and what the words ‘Lust’ and ‘Pride’ have to do with him.” he says, running his hands through his short bleached blond hair, feeling dizzy at the same time.
“ I don’t know Koki, but if there is the smallest chance he’s still alive...we are going to need you on this case now more than ever. I know that you feel like you can’t save him, given what happened a year ago...but I’m going to need you start putting his trust in you and your skills, into yourself.
Koki just nods and heads home to try and clear his head, on the way he bumps into Massu who stops him and says...
“ Tanaka-san, we found this on one of the pillows.” he hands Koki a copy of the note the killer left behind, while the original gets tested for finger prints.
“ Thanks Massu, I’ll look at it later.” Koki says.
“ Akira said that you shouldn’t wait until later. We had to read it to make a copy of it and Akira thinks the letter is a message for you or something. I don’t know, he wouldn’t explain it properly but even he thinks that this time...it has something to do with you.”
“ Me? What would I have to do with it?” Koki asks confused.
“ Akira’s not sure, but based on the sins in the past murders the killer could’ve used any one guilty of the two sins painted on the walls of Kamenashi-san’s apartment. But the fact the killer chose him and that he’s your partner...just makes Akira think that its gotten personal for one reason or another. Is it true that they never found the persons responsible for...?” he starts but Koki cuts him off.
“ Yes, its true. We never did find who killed him or why. You’re just out of the Academy, don’t everything that Akira says as truth about what happened last year. He wasn’t inside with me and Nakamaru-san when all hell broke loose, he was outside with the chief waiting for us to come out. But what’s with attitude change all of a sudden?”
“ The Chief talked me about what I said and the rumors around here about you, after Kamenashi-san punched my lights out, while he refused to tell me what exactly happened. He told me that to cut you some slack and that having Akira-san on your back was enough to drive anyone up a tree. I’m sorry for calling you a murderer, Tanaka-san, it was wrong of me and no it wasn’t the Chief who convinced me to apologize...it was a strange dream I had last night.” Massu explains and then leaves.
Koki looks up to see Yuichi slightly nod his head as if he’s saying, “it was me that convinced him” before disappearing. Minutes later Koki sits on his couch in his living room going over all the evidence and pictures from their past crime scenes. He picks up the note that Massu gave him from the killer and reads “ Lust and Pride..its not very often that these two sins walk hand in hand with each other”
“ What does this have to do with us?” he mutters to himself before turning his attention to the pictures spread out before him on his dining room table.
He spends hours and hours pouring over everything at least thirty times, but he just can’t figure it out. He’s still not sure if he’ll be able to save Kame, should he still live, but at least he can give it his best shot. But without Kame around he can’t really concentrate, though he still won’t admit why. Its past two in the morning when he finally falls asleep only to wake up two hours later sweating and shaking over his nightmare involving Kame. Once he calms down enough he tries to go back to sleep hoping that the dream he just had of Kame being tortured and with the word ‘Lust’ carved into his body didn’t return, while Kame’s letter, though open, remains unread on his dresser next to Yuichi’s picture.
Its six in the morning when his alarm goes off and he still feels tired, but he has a job to do and he still has to help find Kame. After his shower, he gets dressed and as he leaves he pockets Kame’s letter...mainly so Maru can’t throw it at him again. He gets to the station where he’s immediately called into the Chief’s office where he sees Akira standing there smirking at him.
“Yes, you wanted to see me.”
“Yes, Tanaka-san. Akira-san said that there was a note pad that was handed to you at the crime scene, where there was evidence of it being written on. He says that it was never turned into the evidence locker and that you still have it, is this true?”
“ Its true. I still have it and no, I won’t turn it over. What was written on that note pad has nothing to do with Kamenashi-san’s disappearance. Its true he wrote a letter and as that letter’s owner, I have no reason to turn it over.”
“ Have you read this letter yet?” Akira asks.
“No, but I know what the base contents of the letter is about.”
“ How do you know that if you haven’t read it yet?”
“ Because it goes back to personal conversation we had the day before he was taken. That’s why I know it has nothing to do with what happened to him and why I won’t turn over the letter or the note pad. Its our business, its private and I intend to keep it that way.” Koki says with finality.
“ Tanaka-san, hand me the letter.” the chief says. “ I won’t show it to anyone.”
Reluctantly Koki hands over Kame’s letter, his boss reads it and after folding it back up, he puts it back in its envelope and hands it back to Koki.
“ Well Chief?” Akira asks.
“ Its as Tanaka-san says, the letter nor its contents have nothing to do with his kidnaping. Nor are the things that Kamenashi-san talks about is for anyone’s eyes but Tanaka-san’s.” he says to Akira before turning his attention back to Koki. “ Now that that’s settled, did you come up with any new clues yet?”
“ No I didn’t and I spent hours looking over that stuff. But I will keep checking anyway.” he assures his boss before going back to Kame’s apartment to see if he can pick up any hidden clues, which normally is Kame’s area but as the guy in question is not here, its up to Koki.
He walks through Kame’s front door and starts looking around, when he hears a crunching noise come from under his foot. Bending down he picks up what’s left of a picture frame and its a picture of Kame and a little girl.
“ Cute. His kid or a relative?” Koki asks himself before taking the picture from its frame and putting it in his pocket.
He spends the next three hours in Kame’s apartment, two of those hours he searched for anything that they might’ve missed. The third hour he spent on Kame’s couch brooding over the whole case and trying to figure out in what possible way him and Kame have anything to do with their killer’s sick games. Not realizing it, he fell asleep right there in Kame’s living room, he doesn’t wake up until nine the next morning by a phone call from his boss telling him that they have another letter from the killer.
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