Chapter 3 3

Agnieska's point of view

"Please! Don't kill me! It was just once, I promise I won't do it again. Please! I have a family, please! I'll do anything you want, just don't kill me, please!"

The man kept begging and pleading for his life. His speech was weak, his face all battered from the numerous blows he had gotten before he confessed his crime of stealing from Ryūji, my father.

"You know better than to steal from me." My father spoke in his usual terrifying voice.

"I'm sorry, I had to help my daughter. She's sick."

My father handed the gun to me saying, "you have to do this son, we need to teach others not to steal from us."

I took the gun but my grip on it was weak, not inclined to go with my father's demand

"We can forgive him this once, can't we? He said it was for his family. You've always said family is important."

My father gave me a sore look, he had always doubted my ruthlessness. I once overheard him speak about it with his friend, Asahi.

"That boy cares too much for people and things. I know from my knowledge of this world that this goodness doesn't get people too far, people like this get hurt if they don't grow to realize that the world isn't a fair place."

"People like him should exist for the world to have balance."

"I'm not sure I want to die and leave all of these to a weakling."

"I have watched him grow too my friend, I tell you that boy is not a weakling. He just has a different approach to things"

"His approach is unacceptable, it labels him a coward."

"Some cowards have been known to do great things, we just have to let him be his own person not train him the way we were trained. Their world is quite different from ours."

My father hates insubordination and for me to question his decision in front of his subordinate and in front of a dying man must have shown me not just weak but intractable because he hit my face and this brought me back to reality, showing me who was in charge.

"There's no choosing not to do this, you either kill him or I'll keep hitting you till when you decide to pull the trigger."

I was already bleeding and I knew my father wasn't just threatening, that going through with what he said wouldn't be a feat for him. I once saw him beat a man to death, so I was convinced he'd only survive if the man in front of him was dead.

I aimed the gun directly at his head, precision mattered so much to my father. I knew this from the countless times we had shooting lessons and it wouldn't be considered much of a victory if I had to shoot a man more than once to kill him.

"I'm sorry, it won't happen again."

"What are you waiting for? I didn't raise you to be a coward."

"I swear, it won't happen again, please–"

My hands shook with indecision, I knew what it meant to kill someone: it wasn't absence like a trip, it was literal oblivion, to take a life meant the person wasn't existing anymore. I hesitated hoping that somehow the man's pleas would convince my father that he truly was truly sorry and deserved to live.

The second blow came quite harder than the first and it made him stagger.

The shot was fired and the man died immediately.

I woke up and realized the nightmare was back. It has been around for years now since I was twelve. I hadn't been able to shake the experience off.

I looked at the time and it read 7am, I got up from bed showered and prepared for work. I took with me an envelope marked "important" and other documents for the meeting with the hotel management while leaving the house.

"Good morning, Sir"

"Morning, Louis"

"We're heading straight to the office?"

"I'll just get breakfast from the usual spot and then we're good to go."

I got to the office on time, we had the routine check with other department heads prior to the meeting.

The meeting was swift, barely lasting for two hours, I went back to my office and decided to go ahead with the main task for the day. I sincerely hoped this plan would work out perfectly and save some bloodshed.

I opened the file containing information about the journalist, taking out the picture I could not help but stare at her longer. She had jet black hair tied loosely behind, with some curls escaping through. Her eyes were warm but had a dullness to them, she had physical features that highlighted her beauty, she had a childish smile on her face with this innocence that made her much more appealing.

I picked up the paper from the envelope containing her details, took up the phone and dialed her office line

"Hello, Am I speaking with Miss Eyre Cheshire?"

"Yes, you are. May I know who is calling?"

Her subtle voice asked. She sounded soothing and I was a bit tempted to make the conversation longer than I originally planned but then I remembered that she's a journalist, and they are trained to be this receptive.

"Not yet. I'm calling to set up a meeting with you at the café next to your office by 4pm. It's about the Victor Itsuki's case."

I ended the call, taking out the battery from the burner phone I used to make the call. I'm sure she was left wondering if it was a call she should heed or just not turn up for the meeting. But I figured it was best to leave her curious, that way she'd want to find out the answers for herself.

Eyre's point of view

I sat in the office wondering who just called and how to identify the caller. I dialed the number again hoping it would connect but it still did not. I just got assigned to the case this morning and have not discussed the details with anyone, so how did the caller know I was the one working on the case? I checked the time and it was 3pm, so I convinced myself to just wait for the next hour to satisfy my curiosity.

The time slowly striked 3:50 and I couldn't wait any longer so I went out of the office to meet the unknown caller, I was very much at ease since the meeting place was not far from my office and I was well known there, this knowledge cleared my mind of every fear and doubt that would have risen.

I walked into the café and looked around hoping to easily identify him and praying that this would not turn out to be a total waste of my time. I was still looking round when a nicely dressed gentleman waves at me from the corner seat.

"Miss Eyre Cheshire?"

"Yeah."

"I'm Agnieska Asakura"

"It seems you know who you're meeting with beforehand, Mr. Asakura."

"You're quite a hard person to miss."

"I'm guessing that's a compliment?"

"Yeah, it was meant as one."

"You said you have information for me regarding the case I'm working on?" I ask impatiently to confirm if that was still the main purpose of the meeting.

"An impatient one, I see. I do have the information and it's right here". He said half smiling, he brought out an envelope marked "Important" and handed it to me and I literally stopped myself from tearing it open and looking at the content.

"I hope the content is what I can use?"

"If you're that eager ma'am and if you think it's safe to open it here, you can satisfy your curiosity."

I restrained myself but asked "why are you doing this and who are you?"

"I am a businessman and I think that explains why too."

"So you consider this a business meeting too?"

"Yes, I do," he says nodding.

"What do you want from this, then? My protection?"

"Nah," he says with a scoffing look.

"I do this as an advocate of the idea that drugs should be off the street and as a businessman getting my rival out of the way helps my business too. Call it whatever you want but it's for the greater good."

"I see, how then did you know that I'm the one in charge of the case?"

"That secret, I cannot reveal just yet. Not until we've gone on several dates," he said confidently.

"I love your imaginative sense and confidence."

"I do too, besides as your informant and because I know the worth of what I've given you, I think it's worth a date with you."

"It might just be pieces of useless information."

"How about I let you get to checking it out." He said as he got up from his seat and buttoned his suit.

"If the information helps you solve this case then I'll assume we have a date. I'll call you." He added. "Have a good evening, Miss Cheshire!" He said walking out of

the café.

I sat in the café for a little while, confused and amazed at the same time at his attitude. I finally realized myself and hurried back to the office. I closed the door, locking it from inside and proceeded to take a look at the content of the envelope and was in total shock when I saw pictures, letters, forms, drives and other evidence concluding that the popular businessman had other entanglements and sources of income.

I gently sat in awe, wondering how he was able to get this information. I thought to call him and assure him that this was more than enough to close the case but discover that I had not gotten his phone number but just his name. I took out my phone and tried to make findings about who my informant truly was.