Under contract (YokoRyo One shot)
Title: Under contract
Pairing: Main:Nishikido Ryo/ Yokoyama You other characters: Maruyama Ryuhei as Ryo’s brother, Shibutani Subaru as pathologist Guests: Okura Tadayoshi, Murakami Shingo, Yasuda Shota,Cameo: Ueda Tatsuya, Akanishi Jin, Yamashita Tomohisa
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don’t own the boys, but the story is mine. :D
Summary: Nishikido Ryo is a contract killer. But he chooses his victims because of what they did. Just when he is sure about their guilt he starts hunting them. His new mission let him doubt on what he is and what he does. So he starts fighting for someone else’s life to rescue him from getting caught.
Note2: Written in the k8_exchange for go_chan2011
He was standing in the cemetery, like every Saturday evening. It was Ryo’s ritual, and no matter how busy he was, no matter how far away he was, he always came here. It was already November, and the cold wind was blowing. He pulled his coat tighter to get a bit more warmth from it. “The day will come when I get my revenge, I promised it, and I will keep it.” He brushed the cold stone and turned around to leave this place again.
He saw the shadows behind him, but he ignored it. This time was his, and he would never let anyone else step into his private sphere. “Bye.” He whispered, looking back one last time before he walked back to his car, driving away.
A day like every other started after he left this place. He opened the first envelope and smiled slightly. He didn’t know most of his clients, and he mostly didn’t know whom he was going to kill. At the beginning he tried to find out every fact he could get, but he soon learned that he didn’t want to know whom he was going to kill. There was nothing worse than knowing the person you are taking away life from. So he stopped asking, and somewhere along the way he stopped feeling sorry for the victims.
His most important rule was to act because it was right, not just because someone wanted to get rid of someone else. He always asked for the reasons, and when he was sure that it was okay to go that last step, he did it.
Dear Nishikido-san,
I got your address from a friend of mine. I need your help. My husband killed our child, but the evidence was not enough to arrest him. Now I am desperate, because I know that it was him. He threatens me. He wants me to be his puppet. He hid somewhere after he ran away. Please find him and do your job.
Please, I ask you for help.
Hoshio Kimiko
He read the letter again and again. He researched everything and he finally agreed with the wife’s letter. The things he found out showed that she was right. Ryo sighed. It would take a few weeks to prepare everything. In the end, he had to commit a perfect crime. No one should get suspicious. It had to be the perfect accident that his victims got into.
“Subaru-san?” Ryo waited till he heard a short grumble on the phone. “What?”
“I need your help again.” Ryo browsed in his file, waiting for an answer. He had to smile about it. For years he and the pathologist have been working together on various cases.
“I won’t let another corpse disappear for you, Ryo.” He heard the other one saying.
“Not that I want you to do this. I need a file. He is an ex-policeman and I need some facts about him.” Ryo said, writing down some notes for himself.
“Like always?” Subaru murmured.
“Yes, but nothing too private, just some facts about his life and situation. I need to find a way to get rid of him - inconspicuously - you know?”
“Got it. Next week, same place, same time.” Subaru answered.
“Thanks, his name is Yokoyama. Yokoyama You.” Ryo said before he hung up the phone. He needed these facts to find a way to create a perfect accident. What habits he had, what kind of food he liked, what sport he played/liked?. Anything could give him a possible way for an accident.
Ryo looked out of the window. It was still early, and there wasn’t any work right now. “Maruyama?” Ryo called out after a few moments.
“Yes?” Ryo saw a curled haired man looking into his room, smiling at him. “Bring me a coffee please, and the X-file.”
“Sure, I'll be back in a minute.” With that, Maru was gone again. Ryo sighed, leaning back in his chair.
The X-file - the only case he was working on. The sole case where he has been trying to find the culprit for years. “Here they are.” Ryo winced when Maru was suddenly standing next to him. “Damn, don’t surprise me like that.” Ryo breathed out.
“What? Are you going to kill me if I do it again?” Maru chuckled a bit.
“Don’t make fun of it, Maru. I won’t survive losing my last connection to my family.” Ryo’s voice got silent and husky. A shiver ran down Maru’s spine. “I am sorry, Aniki.” He just whispered.
“Close the door when you go, okay?” Ryo said, earning a silent nod from the other one.
Maru exactly knew how his brother was, and it often scared him. For years he was helping with his business. After it as just the two of them, their bond got much deeper. He knew Ryo would never give up until he found the ones who killed their parents and destroyed their whole life. But he wasn’t sure if it wasn’t just some vision or a dream Ryo was hunting after. Sometimes he was worried about his brother, and, surprisingly enough, not because he was killing others, but because he already lived in their parent’s case. There was nothing else he saw besides it. He never went out to have fun. He never met up with friends, because he always got caught up in the files and didn’t look up for hours.
Ryo read the letters again and again. He didn’t know how often he did this these past years, but he had the feeling that there was something off with them. He just couldn’t find it. He sipped on his coffee, reading through the pages again and again. He noted some facts, but in the end it was always the same he found out: he knew nothing at all. He was totally in the dark.
After a while, he pushed them away and started reading the stuff for the new work he had. He wanted to know if it really was Yokoyama who killed his daughter and threatened his wife. The evidences sounded logical, but when he looked at the picture of this young man he couldn’t believe that he was doing something like this. The picture he had was taken shortly after his child died. His eyes were tired and sad; Ryo couldn’t see that special sparkle someone had when they had done something wrong. He couldn’t describe it, because in the end it wasn’t something clearly visible, but they all showed something on tapes or in pictures, which let Ryo know immediately what they did.
“Maru?” He called for his brother after a while. Often he asked him about his opinion, because he wasn’t thinking too much at all, and he never knew any details of the work Ryo had. It was too dangerous, and should it happen that Ryo got caught;, he didn’t want his younger brother to be involved in it.
“Yes?” Maru walked into the room, scanning his brother properly. He really wished Ryo would take some time off from his work and from his obsession to get their parents' killer. He looked pale and thin, and the dark rings under his eyes let Maru knew that he didn’t sleep well during the night.
“What do you think when you see this picture?” Ryo put Yokoyama’s picture on the table. Maru took it, tilting his head from left to right, staring at it properly before he gave Ryo an answer.
“Who is it?”
“My next victim. Everything seems to be clear, but I have some doubts, and you know that I don’t do anything when I am unsure.” Ryo leaned back, his hands over his head to stretch his tired limbs.
“If you ask me, I’d say that this guy is caring, honest and I think a bit insecure.” Maru nodded at his own words, giving Ryo the picture back.
Ryo nodded at his brother. It was exactly what he already thought. “And that’s why I am insecure about my next steps. I have some evidence, and the wife’s words sound coherent, but there is a voice in me which speaks against killing him.”
“Don’t do it if you aren’t sure about it.” Maru sat down on the little couch Ryo had in his room, placing his legs on the table in front of him.
“It’s not that easy. We need the money. You know there are fewer cases right now, and I have to take what I get, especially when I am almost sure about what he did. I can’t wait for work where I have 100 percent clear evidence, because the police are much quicker than I am.” Ryo was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
“But that’s not the best way Ryo. I can search for some work; maybe Okura has something for me. I can earn money on my own, then your life won’t be troublesome anymore.”
“Stop talking nonsense, Maru. I am your brother, after all. I promised to take care of you, and I will.” Ryo slammed his hand on the table, making the other one wince in surprise.
“I already asked him if I can help there.” Maru insisted, biting his lips nervously.
“But you are working here.” Ryo replied angrily.
“I know, and I love it, but I need some other things I can do. Okura’s family has this little ramen store, and I will work there twice a week. If you want me to or not.”
“It’s okay of course. I can’t tell you what you should do or not do, but please be careful. You know that various people are after me, and they know who you are. I am afraid that something will happen to you because of what I am.” Maru could hear Ryo’s worried undertone. Of course he knew in what position he was, but being a bird in a gilded cage?
“I will be careful, I promise.” He smiled before he left his brother alone to let him work on some things.
***
He started running through the streets. Again they were after him, hunting him for something he didn’t do. For months he has had to hide from police, former friends, and from his family. And the worst part was that he couldn’t even visit his daughter’s grave, because he was sure that they were waiting there for him. They would catch him and judge him, and in the end no one would believe in his story.
He looked around before he walked in the little street where hardly anyone was going. He slipped into a small hole in the wall, which was right behind a garbage can. It was the entrance to an old hall, which wasn’t used anymore. It was the only place where he could hide at nights. The street was way too dangerous to be outside at this time, because they still searched for him. Even though it maybe wasn’t the police, but it was his wife’s henchmen. He knew she sent them; they wanted to destroy him no matter how much it would cost.
He took the small package he had with him and placed it on some boxes in the corner of the room. He felt bad because of stealing the food, but he had to survive, so he had to do it. He bit into it and like usual it didn’t tasted good. He wanted something self-made, something warm. But he knew he wouldn’t get it anymore.
***
“Hey Subaru.” Ryo walked around the table till he was standing right next to the other one.
“I have what you searched for.” The other one only answered without looking at Ryo.
“That’s good.”
“Ryo?”
“Hm?”
“Why are you researching about him?” Subaru looked up, scanning Ryo properly. Even though they hardly met outside their “work meetings”, Subaru knew the other one by now. Ryo often needed something and called him, and in return he helped him when Subaru needed it.
“His wife wrote me. He killed their child.” Ryo answered, staring at the file on Subaru’s table. There was another picture of Yokoyama, and again he had the feeling that something was off.
“You know, he was a nice guy. I always got along very well with him. We often went out for a beer, and there was a time we had something else going on. But fact is, I can’t imagine that he did something like this.” Subaru sighed deeply.
Ryo didn’t know what he should answer. Thoughts were running through his brain and he needed some time to sort out things. “Wait a moment, you were together?”
“Before he got married, yes.” Ryo couldn’t believe it. “But it was long ago, and we were both young, so that doesn’t have to mean something. It’s just that I wanted to tell you that I can’t imagine that he did something wrong.”
Ryo nodded shortly. Something in him felt relieved. His doubts got bigger and he was sure that there was something else behind this case. “I already unsure about his guilt, but I have no evidence for it. There are some letters I got from the wife. They are clear, but in my opinion too clear. I have never seen a culprit who sold himself like this. That’s strange.”
“Yes it is. You know he disappeared from one day to the other. He didn’t come back to work and everyone was wondering. When we heard what he should have done, we all couldn’t believe it.” Subaru shook his head.
“I think he didn’t do it.” Ryo and Subaru turned around, staring at a young man, who leaned against the doorframe.
“Nishikido-san, that’s Shota-kun. I told you about him. He is my new co-worker. He worked on this case. He did the child’s autopsy.” Subaru pointed at the man, smiling slightly.
“Why didn’t you tell this to the officer? “ Ryo asked, looking from one to the other. “I mean if there are doubts that Yokoyama-san is the culprit.”
“Do you know who his wife is?” Subaru almost whispered at him. Ryo just shook his head at that. “She is the prime minister’s daughter. It’s not so easy to say that she is involved in any kind of crime. So some evidences disappeared all of a sudden.”
“And suddenly there were some other facts on the sheets of the autopsy.” Shota added.
“I can’t believe it. And he is missing since the day this happened?” Ryo saw both of them nodding at him. A silence appeared in the room. Ryo was thinking about the next steps he could make.
“What are you planning now, Nishikido-san?” Ryo was still staring into nothing when he heard Subaru talking to him. He looked at his friend, shaking his head to signal that he had no idea. “I mean, it’s actually none of your business, because you aren’t the one who helps others out like this.” Subaru added.
“I know, normally my job contains the contrary, but something pulls me into it. I am interested in helping this man.” Ryo walked up and down a bit, still lost in his thoughts until he suddenly stopped. “Wait. The prime minister?”
Subaru blinked at that. “Yes. Why?”
Ryo bit his lips nervously. “Now I am much more interested.” He just answered.
“Can I ask why?” Shota asked.
“Private interest.” Ryo only answered, a small smile curling around his lips. “Can you give me the file? I will copy it and bring it back to you as soon as possible.”
“No problem. I already made a copy for you. You don’t have to bring it back.” Subaru smiled when he gave Ryo the brown envelope.
“Thanks for your help. Let’s see what we can do for this Yokoyama guy.” With that Ryo disappeared, leaving the others behind, who only stared at each other.
“Do you think he can do something?” Shota sat next to the other one. “He is the best for this work.” Subaru just answered before he concentrated on his work again. Something was twitching and pulling in him, and he just hoped that everything would turn out alright.
***
“She isn’t yours. She is a bastard. I neither wanted her nor you. That’s how it is.”
Yokoyama woke up, some sweat pouring down his face. The words were echoing in his mind every time he closed his eyes. This evening was hunting him. He never would get rid of it.
“Yuriko.” He whispered to himself. He accepted the girl as his daughter, and she was never something else for him, even though he wasn’t her real father. He remembered about the days before he got married and the days afterwards.
He never imagined having a family, especially because he was still so young, but his father wanted him to be together with the prime minister’s daughter. He never felt something for her, but he finally had to agree to the plan. There was no other choice for him.
Soon later she got pregnant - that’s what he thought. He didn’t know that she was already pregnant when they were meant to marry. Her father wanted her to marry after he got to know about the baby. There was no way for a girl like she was to raise a child alone, not knowing the father at all.
First Yokoyama thought he was the father, but soon he recognized that there was something off. One year after Yuriko was born she told him that he wasn’t. She only used him, because she needed a man at her side.
It was a cold and gray evening when he came home, finding his daughter on the ground - lifeless. Her mother next to her, the eyes closed, like she was sleeping. He had to flee, because it looked like he did it, and he knew the influence of her father. They’d judge him, not matter what.
Soon after he hid somewhere, he already heard the news. They were searching for him, everywhere. He was lost in his thoughts, not even recognizing that there was something missing in the news.
He changed his outlook and started hiding in this hall, only going out early in the morning to steal some food. He hated his life, and he hated what had happened.
He hated himself because he hardly felt sorry for the woman. She hated him, he knew it, and the words she used killed something in him, which never awoke again.
“She isn’t yours. She is a bastard. I neither wanted her nor you. That’s how it is.”
He knew how much pressure she had from home, but he never understood why she acted like she did in the end. Yokoyama suffered because of his daughter. Even though she wasn’t his blood, he loved her to death.
He felt some tears running down his face when he thought of her smile, of her full and energetically laughter echoing in the house. He was able to manage living with a woman he never loved, because of Yuriko.
He looked out of the small window next to the place where he was sleeping. It was full moon, and suddenly he felt the need to walk around a bit. He needed to visit the cemetery. He wanted to visit his daughter’s grave, no matter if they’d catch him there or not. He didn’t care about it anymore.
***
Ryo stood on the cemetery, his head tilted a bit. “Why the hell is Hoshi Kimiko dead? She wrote me this letter?” Ryo whispered to himself. He started wondering about this case. A woman who was dead wrote him a letter to kill her husband who disappeared after killing their child. What was the meaning from all this?
He knew that he never asked a lot when it was about work, because he didn’t want to know private things, and his clients knew this as well. Maybe it was bad luck that exactly now he researched on his own. “Subaru-san?” He knew it was late, but the other one wasn’t asleep, Ryo was sure about it.
“What do you want at this time?” he heard the grumbling on the other side.
“Do you know what happened with Hoshio Kimiko, the prime minister’s daughter?” Ryo waited.
“As far as I know she is in hospital. That’s what the prime says. She is psychologically damaged after her child died.” Subaru yawned loudly.
“She is dead. I am at the cemetery right now. There is her name written in the stone. Same date of death, like the child’s.” Ryo answered. He pulled out his notepad, writing down some facts.
“You are at the cemetery? Gosh, how?” Ryo had to smile at that. Subaru was suddenly totally awake on the other side, interested in how he managed to get into the prime minister’s mausoleum. “I have connections, Subaru-san. I can go anywhere.” Ryo smiled again.
“The security man out there is one of my old friends. I asked him for help.” He added.
He heard Subaru snorting on the other side. “You have your connections to everywhere, right?”
“Hey, in my job connections are the most important thing on Earth. Speaking of connections, I need someone from the securing of evidence that I can trust, you know.” Ryo smiled a bit when he heard Subaru snorting again. “I will take a look what I can get for you.”
“Thanks.” With that Ryo hung up, leaving the mausoleum again. “Thanks Jin for letting me in.” Ryo bowed slightly in front of the security man.
“No problem at all, Ryo. It was nice to see you after such a long time. How are you doing?” The man leaned against the building, his arms crossed in front of his body.
“I am okay. A lot to do, but that’s nothing new, right?” Ryo answered. “And you?”
“Everything okay. You know Tomo and I have our own little security company, which is running quite good, we even work for the government as you can see. So we have a nice life right now.”
“Ah, you’re still together? That’s nice to hear.”
“Yes, with some little breaks and fights we managed, and it’s going great now.” Jin nodded at the other one.
“Tell him hi for me, okay? I have to go now, see ya.” Ryo bowed again in front of the other one. “I will. Hope to see you again soon.” Jin moved from his place to make his walk around the building.
***
Yokoyama walked down the cemetery. His heart was beating faster than ever before. He saw the mausoleum, but he also saw two men talking with each other in front of it. He knew it would be almost impossible to walk in there, but he had to try it.
He saw the security man walking around the building while the other guy disappeared somewhere on the other side of the road. It was his chance. He started running until he reached the door and slipped in. His heart was hammering against his chest when he leaned against the now closed door.
He really managed to get in there without being seen. He breathed in deeply before he walked up to the small stone where Yuriko’s name was written. For the first time in weeks he felt the pain in him again. He pushed everything away, because he had to fear for his life, that’s why the actual pain never crossed his heart. But now he had a moment of silence, a moment just for him and his daughter.
Yokoyama knelt down in front of the stone, brushing over it softly. Some tears came up in his eyes when he thought about her. He didn’t even realize when the door got open and someone slipped into the room.
“I found you earlier than expected.” Yokoyama winced. He slowly turned around, facing a man he never saw before.
“You came to get me?” He asked, his voice husky and deep. Somehow he was expecting it. He already knew they’d get him sooner or later.
“Nishikido Ryo’s my name. I came back here because I saw the door open, and from the pictures I saw, I knew it must have been you.” Ryo put his hands in his pockets and walked up to the other one. He could see that he was broken and looked horrible.
“I didn’t do anything. I swear.” Yokoyama was still kneeling on the ground, his gaze lowered.
“I know.” Ryo smiled when he saw the other one looking up at him. He knelt down towards him, facing him directly now. Ryo blinked when he saw Yokoyama’s sad and honest eyes resting on him.
“You know?” Yokoyama started wondering about this strange guy. He didn’t seem to have something bad in mind.
“I am here to help you. I believe you.” Ryo didn’t know if he was able to show the other one that he really meant what he said, till a sudden thought hit him. He took out his mobile and called the first number in his contacts. “Hey there. I found him, but maybe you can tell him that I won't do anything bad.” Yokoyama was staring at him in utter surprise. What was this man up to do? He thought shortly before he took the phone from the other one. “Yes?”
“Yoko? Subaru here.” He waited till the other one would answer. He could hear Yokoyama breathing deeply before he said something.
“Subaru, I am sorry for disappearing, I really…” He started, visibly relieved to hear a well-known voice.
“Stop it. I know your situation. Listen Yoko, go with Nishikido-san. He will take care of you, he will do everything to hide you from the guys who are searching for you. I know him, so don’t worry, okay?” Subaru knew the other one long enough, and he knew Yokoyama believed in what he told him. “I will.” Subaru heard him saying, before he hung up the phone.
Yokoyama looked at Ryo towards him, nodding. “Okay, let’s go.” Ryo smiled at him. He didn’t believe that it would be that easy. “Okay. The security man out there is a friend of mine, so don’t worry. I organize a taxi for us. I know that driver, so he will bring us to my home. It’s too dangerous to drive with my car. I have several shadows right behind me, so who knows who is observing me right now.”
Ryo pulled on the other one’s arm. He knew it was important to be quick now, because he didn’t know how much time they had. Maybe there were already some of the prime minister’s men on the way. “Okay.” Ryo heard the other one saying before they left the mausoleum. Ryo turned his head left and right and started walking when no one was around. “Thanks Jin.” He said again, nodding at the security man, before they started running down the cemetery.
They reached the taxi breathless. “Home, Ueda-kun.” Ryo ordered. The driver just nodded at him without saying a word.
“Thanks, like always.” Ryo answered, giving the man some extra money for his help. “This way.” He said to Yokoyama, guiding him to his apartment. “I tell my brother to prepare the guest room for you.”
“Why are you helping me?” Yokoyama stopped walking, staring at Ryo.
“I got the message to kill you, but I now know that you can’t be the culprit, so I am going to help you. I only deal with bad people, so I handle this case.” Ryo’s eyes got smaller and smaller.
“Aniki?” Ryo turned around, smiling at his brother.
“Ah, Maruyama, this is our, let’s call him guest, Yokoyama.”
“You found him?” Maru stared at the guest, scanning him properly.
“Yes, with a little bit of luck.” Ryo answered. He guided Yokoyama to the living room. “You can sleep in this room.” Ryo pointed at a door on the other side.
They sat down on the couch, not saying anything to each other till the guest started. “Thanks.” Yokoyama stared on his knees. No one seemed to know what to say, till Ryo stood up and started walking up and down in the room. “Do you know why all this happened to you?”
“I have no idea. I don’t even know what exactly happened. I came home and saw them, already dead.” Yokoyama started.
“You know that there is no word about your wife’s death in public?”
Yokoyama looked up. Ryo could see that he had no idea about what the other one was talking about. “No one knows it?” Yokoyama was more talking to himself than to someone else in this moment.
“I got a letter from your wife that you killed your child.” Ryo said softly. He didn’t know how the other would react to it, but he had to tell him about it.
“You did what? But that’s impossible. I knew that they were after me, because they think that it was me, but my wife? She is dead, she couldn’t do it.” Yokoyama’s words got louder and more and more enraged.
“I know, I know. I believe in your words, really. They wanted to trick me, because they thought I wouldn’t do any research, but I did. I am sorry about your loss.” Ryo tried to calm the situation down.
“Thank you, but the only real loss was my child. I never had deeper feelings for my wife. She hated me, I knew it, but I learned to live with it because of my family. They wanted it like this. So I have to admit that I am not really sad about her death, no matter how harsh that may sound now. She tried to make my life like hell on earth, and I will never forgive her for this.” Even though Ryo counted with something like this, it was strange to hear it from the other one. When he read all the letters and facts he had in his file he knew that there wasn’t love between Yokoyama and his wife, but he was sure that there was a deep love for his child. “But you loved Yuriko?”
“Yes, even though she wasn’t my daughter. I loved her like she was mine.” Yokoyama had his gaze lowered, nibbling nervously on his lips. Only the memory let his heart break into thousand pieces again.
“Can you imagine what really happened?” Ryo sat down on the chair next to where the other one was sitting. He needed more information. But there was already a guess he had.
“I can’t say it for sure, but I think her father is involved in it. Some days before this happened she told me what she thought about me, and she would go and tell him everything. That the child wasn’t mine, that she hated me and that she wanted something else for herself.” Yokoyama breathed out deeply. “You know, I hated her because she treated me like I did something wrong. She never thought of the fact that I was thrown in this situation like she was. We both should have pulled on one rope, and not worked against each other, but I think she was broken, because she wasn’t able to live her life. She was in a cage/bubble, like me. And now I am in a different kind of cage, and I don’t know how to get out there again without dying in the end.” He smiled sadly.
“Who could have an interest in pretending that she is alive?” Ryo rubbed his chin. “There is only one man. Her father. Someone else doesn’t make any sense.” He added, earning a nod from the other one. “But why?”
“First of all I think he got to know about the child. I can’t say what else happened, but I know him, and I know that everything has to go the way he wants it. Maybe she told him about everything and he got angry and killed them?” Yokoyama suggested.
Ryo blinked at that. “You were a police man, right?” He said. For some moments only the logical thought, without any feeling or emotion in it came up in him.
Yokoyama blushed. “Yes.” He nodded.
“But there is something else I have in my mind. I can’t tell you about it by now, because I have to research a bit. I will be back in a few hours.” Ryo said, turning around before he left the room. “And stay here, and don’t go out. But I think I don’t have to tell you that. Maruyama will bring you something if you need something special.” With that Ryo left.
________________
It's really long, jump to part 2 HERE
Pairing: Main:Nishikido Ryo/ Yokoyama You other characters: Maruyama Ryuhei as Ryo’s brother, Shibutani Subaru as pathologist Guests: Okura Tadayoshi, Murakami Shingo, Yasuda Shota,Cameo: Ueda Tatsuya, Akanishi Jin, Yamashita Tomohisa
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don’t own the boys, but the story is mine. :D
Summary: Nishikido Ryo is a contract killer. But he chooses his victims because of what they did. Just when he is sure about their guilt he starts hunting them. His new mission let him doubt on what he is and what he does. So he starts fighting for someone else’s life to rescue him from getting caught.
Note2: Written in the k8_exchange for go_chan2011
He was standing in the cemetery, like every Saturday evening. It was Ryo’s ritual, and no matter how busy he was, no matter how far away he was, he always came here. It was already November, and the cold wind was blowing. He pulled his coat tighter to get a bit more warmth from it. “The day will come when I get my revenge, I promised it, and I will keep it.” He brushed the cold stone and turned around to leave this place again.
He saw the shadows behind him, but he ignored it. This time was his, and he would never let anyone else step into his private sphere. “Bye.” He whispered, looking back one last time before he walked back to his car, driving away.
A day like every other started after he left this place. He opened the first envelope and smiled slightly. He didn’t know most of his clients, and he mostly didn’t know whom he was going to kill. At the beginning he tried to find out every fact he could get, but he soon learned that he didn’t want to know whom he was going to kill. There was nothing worse than knowing the person you are taking away life from. So he stopped asking, and somewhere along the way he stopped feeling sorry for the victims.
His most important rule was to act because it was right, not just because someone wanted to get rid of someone else. He always asked for the reasons, and when he was sure that it was okay to go that last step, he did it.
Dear Nishikido-san,
I got your address from a friend of mine. I need your help. My husband killed our child, but the evidence was not enough to arrest him. Now I am desperate, because I know that it was him. He threatens me. He wants me to be his puppet. He hid somewhere after he ran away. Please find him and do your job.
Please, I ask you for help.
Hoshio Kimiko
He read the letter again and again. He researched everything and he finally agreed with the wife’s letter. The things he found out showed that she was right. Ryo sighed. It would take a few weeks to prepare everything. In the end, he had to commit a perfect crime. No one should get suspicious. It had to be the perfect accident that his victims got into.
“Subaru-san?” Ryo waited till he heard a short grumble on the phone. “What?”
“I need your help again.” Ryo browsed in his file, waiting for an answer. He had to smile about it. For years he and the pathologist have been working together on various cases.
“I won’t let another corpse disappear for you, Ryo.” He heard the other one saying.
“Not that I want you to do this. I need a file. He is an ex-policeman and I need some facts about him.” Ryo said, writing down some notes for himself.
“Like always?” Subaru murmured.
“Yes, but nothing too private, just some facts about his life and situation. I need to find a way to get rid of him - inconspicuously - you know?”
“Got it. Next week, same place, same time.” Subaru answered.
“Thanks, his name is Yokoyama. Yokoyama You.” Ryo said before he hung up the phone. He needed these facts to find a way to create a perfect accident. What habits he had, what kind of food he liked, what sport he played/liked?. Anything could give him a possible way for an accident.
Ryo looked out of the window. It was still early, and there wasn’t any work right now. “Maruyama?” Ryo called out after a few moments.
“Yes?” Ryo saw a curled haired man looking into his room, smiling at him. “Bring me a coffee please, and the X-file.”
“Sure, I'll be back in a minute.” With that, Maru was gone again. Ryo sighed, leaning back in his chair.
The X-file - the only case he was working on. The sole case where he has been trying to find the culprit for years. “Here they are.” Ryo winced when Maru was suddenly standing next to him. “Damn, don’t surprise me like that.” Ryo breathed out.
“What? Are you going to kill me if I do it again?” Maru chuckled a bit.
“Don’t make fun of it, Maru. I won’t survive losing my last connection to my family.” Ryo’s voice got silent and husky. A shiver ran down Maru’s spine. “I am sorry, Aniki.” He just whispered.
“Close the door when you go, okay?” Ryo said, earning a silent nod from the other one.
Maru exactly knew how his brother was, and it often scared him. For years he was helping with his business. After it as just the two of them, their bond got much deeper. He knew Ryo would never give up until he found the ones who killed their parents and destroyed their whole life. But he wasn’t sure if it wasn’t just some vision or a dream Ryo was hunting after. Sometimes he was worried about his brother, and, surprisingly enough, not because he was killing others, but because he already lived in their parent’s case. There was nothing else he saw besides it. He never went out to have fun. He never met up with friends, because he always got caught up in the files and didn’t look up for hours.
Ryo read the letters again and again. He didn’t know how often he did this these past years, but he had the feeling that there was something off with them. He just couldn’t find it. He sipped on his coffee, reading through the pages again and again. He noted some facts, but in the end it was always the same he found out: he knew nothing at all. He was totally in the dark.
After a while, he pushed them away and started reading the stuff for the new work he had. He wanted to know if it really was Yokoyama who killed his daughter and threatened his wife. The evidences sounded logical, but when he looked at the picture of this young man he couldn’t believe that he was doing something like this. The picture he had was taken shortly after his child died. His eyes were tired and sad; Ryo couldn’t see that special sparkle someone had when they had done something wrong. He couldn’t describe it, because in the end it wasn’t something clearly visible, but they all showed something on tapes or in pictures, which let Ryo know immediately what they did.
“Maru?” He called for his brother after a while. Often he asked him about his opinion, because he wasn’t thinking too much at all, and he never knew any details of the work Ryo had. It was too dangerous, and should it happen that Ryo got caught;, he didn’t want his younger brother to be involved in it.
“Yes?” Maru walked into the room, scanning his brother properly. He really wished Ryo would take some time off from his work and from his obsession to get their parents' killer. He looked pale and thin, and the dark rings under his eyes let Maru knew that he didn’t sleep well during the night.
“What do you think when you see this picture?” Ryo put Yokoyama’s picture on the table. Maru took it, tilting his head from left to right, staring at it properly before he gave Ryo an answer.
“Who is it?”
“My next victim. Everything seems to be clear, but I have some doubts, and you know that I don’t do anything when I am unsure.” Ryo leaned back, his hands over his head to stretch his tired limbs.
“If you ask me, I’d say that this guy is caring, honest and I think a bit insecure.” Maru nodded at his own words, giving Ryo the picture back.
Ryo nodded at his brother. It was exactly what he already thought. “And that’s why I am insecure about my next steps. I have some evidence, and the wife’s words sound coherent, but there is a voice in me which speaks against killing him.”
“Don’t do it if you aren’t sure about it.” Maru sat down on the little couch Ryo had in his room, placing his legs on the table in front of him.
“It’s not that easy. We need the money. You know there are fewer cases right now, and I have to take what I get, especially when I am almost sure about what he did. I can’t wait for work where I have 100 percent clear evidence, because the police are much quicker than I am.” Ryo was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
“But that’s not the best way Ryo. I can search for some work; maybe Okura has something for me. I can earn money on my own, then your life won’t be troublesome anymore.”
“Stop talking nonsense, Maru. I am your brother, after all. I promised to take care of you, and I will.” Ryo slammed his hand on the table, making the other one wince in surprise.
“I already asked him if I can help there.” Maru insisted, biting his lips nervously.
“But you are working here.” Ryo replied angrily.
“I know, and I love it, but I need some other things I can do. Okura’s family has this little ramen store, and I will work there twice a week. If you want me to or not.”
“It’s okay of course. I can’t tell you what you should do or not do, but please be careful. You know that various people are after me, and they know who you are. I am afraid that something will happen to you because of what I am.” Maru could hear Ryo’s worried undertone. Of course he knew in what position he was, but being a bird in a gilded cage?
“I will be careful, I promise.” He smiled before he left his brother alone to let him work on some things.
***
He started running through the streets. Again they were after him, hunting him for something he didn’t do. For months he has had to hide from police, former friends, and from his family. And the worst part was that he couldn’t even visit his daughter’s grave, because he was sure that they were waiting there for him. They would catch him and judge him, and in the end no one would believe in his story.
He looked around before he walked in the little street where hardly anyone was going. He slipped into a small hole in the wall, which was right behind a garbage can. It was the entrance to an old hall, which wasn’t used anymore. It was the only place where he could hide at nights. The street was way too dangerous to be outside at this time, because they still searched for him. Even though it maybe wasn’t the police, but it was his wife’s henchmen. He knew she sent them; they wanted to destroy him no matter how much it would cost.
He took the small package he had with him and placed it on some boxes in the corner of the room. He felt bad because of stealing the food, but he had to survive, so he had to do it. He bit into it and like usual it didn’t tasted good. He wanted something self-made, something warm. But he knew he wouldn’t get it anymore.
***
“Hey Subaru.” Ryo walked around the table till he was standing right next to the other one.
“I have what you searched for.” The other one only answered without looking at Ryo.
“That’s good.”
“Ryo?”
“Hm?”
“Why are you researching about him?” Subaru looked up, scanning Ryo properly. Even though they hardly met outside their “work meetings”, Subaru knew the other one by now. Ryo often needed something and called him, and in return he helped him when Subaru needed it.
“His wife wrote me. He killed their child.” Ryo answered, staring at the file on Subaru’s table. There was another picture of Yokoyama, and again he had the feeling that something was off.
“You know, he was a nice guy. I always got along very well with him. We often went out for a beer, and there was a time we had something else going on. But fact is, I can’t imagine that he did something like this.” Subaru sighed deeply.
Ryo didn’t know what he should answer. Thoughts were running through his brain and he needed some time to sort out things. “Wait a moment, you were together?”
“Before he got married, yes.” Ryo couldn’t believe it. “But it was long ago, and we were both young, so that doesn’t have to mean something. It’s just that I wanted to tell you that I can’t imagine that he did something wrong.”
Ryo nodded shortly. Something in him felt relieved. His doubts got bigger and he was sure that there was something else behind this case. “I already unsure about his guilt, but I have no evidence for it. There are some letters I got from the wife. They are clear, but in my opinion too clear. I have never seen a culprit who sold himself like this. That’s strange.”
“Yes it is. You know he disappeared from one day to the other. He didn’t come back to work and everyone was wondering. When we heard what he should have done, we all couldn’t believe it.” Subaru shook his head.
“I think he didn’t do it.” Ryo and Subaru turned around, staring at a young man, who leaned against the doorframe.
“Nishikido-san, that’s Shota-kun. I told you about him. He is my new co-worker. He worked on this case. He did the child’s autopsy.” Subaru pointed at the man, smiling slightly.
“Why didn’t you tell this to the officer? “ Ryo asked, looking from one to the other. “I mean if there are doubts that Yokoyama-san is the culprit.”
“Do you know who his wife is?” Subaru almost whispered at him. Ryo just shook his head at that. “She is the prime minister’s daughter. It’s not so easy to say that she is involved in any kind of crime. So some evidences disappeared all of a sudden.”
“And suddenly there were some other facts on the sheets of the autopsy.” Shota added.
“I can’t believe it. And he is missing since the day this happened?” Ryo saw both of them nodding at him. A silence appeared in the room. Ryo was thinking about the next steps he could make.
“What are you planning now, Nishikido-san?” Ryo was still staring into nothing when he heard Subaru talking to him. He looked at his friend, shaking his head to signal that he had no idea. “I mean, it’s actually none of your business, because you aren’t the one who helps others out like this.” Subaru added.
“I know, normally my job contains the contrary, but something pulls me into it. I am interested in helping this man.” Ryo walked up and down a bit, still lost in his thoughts until he suddenly stopped. “Wait. The prime minister?”
Subaru blinked at that. “Yes. Why?”
Ryo bit his lips nervously. “Now I am much more interested.” He just answered.
“Can I ask why?” Shota asked.
“Private interest.” Ryo only answered, a small smile curling around his lips. “Can you give me the file? I will copy it and bring it back to you as soon as possible.”
“No problem. I already made a copy for you. You don’t have to bring it back.” Subaru smiled when he gave Ryo the brown envelope.
“Thanks for your help. Let’s see what we can do for this Yokoyama guy.” With that Ryo disappeared, leaving the others behind, who only stared at each other.
“Do you think he can do something?” Shota sat next to the other one. “He is the best for this work.” Subaru just answered before he concentrated on his work again. Something was twitching and pulling in him, and he just hoped that everything would turn out alright.
***
“She isn’t yours. She is a bastard. I neither wanted her nor you. That’s how it is.”
Yokoyama woke up, some sweat pouring down his face. The words were echoing in his mind every time he closed his eyes. This evening was hunting him. He never would get rid of it.
“Yuriko.” He whispered to himself. He accepted the girl as his daughter, and she was never something else for him, even though he wasn’t her real father. He remembered about the days before he got married and the days afterwards.
He never imagined having a family, especially because he was still so young, but his father wanted him to be together with the prime minister’s daughter. He never felt something for her, but he finally had to agree to the plan. There was no other choice for him.
Soon later she got pregnant - that’s what he thought. He didn’t know that she was already pregnant when they were meant to marry. Her father wanted her to marry after he got to know about the baby. There was no way for a girl like she was to raise a child alone, not knowing the father at all.
First Yokoyama thought he was the father, but soon he recognized that there was something off. One year after Yuriko was born she told him that he wasn’t. She only used him, because she needed a man at her side.
It was a cold and gray evening when he came home, finding his daughter on the ground - lifeless. Her mother next to her, the eyes closed, like she was sleeping. He had to flee, because it looked like he did it, and he knew the influence of her father. They’d judge him, not matter what.
Soon after he hid somewhere, he already heard the news. They were searching for him, everywhere. He was lost in his thoughts, not even recognizing that there was something missing in the news.
He changed his outlook and started hiding in this hall, only going out early in the morning to steal some food. He hated his life, and he hated what had happened.
He hated himself because he hardly felt sorry for the woman. She hated him, he knew it, and the words she used killed something in him, which never awoke again.
“She isn’t yours. She is a bastard. I neither wanted her nor you. That’s how it is.”
He knew how much pressure she had from home, but he never understood why she acted like she did in the end. Yokoyama suffered because of his daughter. Even though she wasn’t his blood, he loved her to death.
He felt some tears running down his face when he thought of her smile, of her full and energetically laughter echoing in the house. He was able to manage living with a woman he never loved, because of Yuriko.
He looked out of the small window next to the place where he was sleeping. It was full moon, and suddenly he felt the need to walk around a bit. He needed to visit the cemetery. He wanted to visit his daughter’s grave, no matter if they’d catch him there or not. He didn’t care about it anymore.
***
Ryo stood on the cemetery, his head tilted a bit. “Why the hell is Hoshi Kimiko dead? She wrote me this letter?” Ryo whispered to himself. He started wondering about this case. A woman who was dead wrote him a letter to kill her husband who disappeared after killing their child. What was the meaning from all this?
He knew that he never asked a lot when it was about work, because he didn’t want to know private things, and his clients knew this as well. Maybe it was bad luck that exactly now he researched on his own. “Subaru-san?” He knew it was late, but the other one wasn’t asleep, Ryo was sure about it.
“What do you want at this time?” he heard the grumbling on the other side.
“Do you know what happened with Hoshio Kimiko, the prime minister’s daughter?” Ryo waited.
“As far as I know she is in hospital. That’s what the prime says. She is psychologically damaged after her child died.” Subaru yawned loudly.
“She is dead. I am at the cemetery right now. There is her name written in the stone. Same date of death, like the child’s.” Ryo answered. He pulled out his notepad, writing down some facts.
“You are at the cemetery? Gosh, how?” Ryo had to smile at that. Subaru was suddenly totally awake on the other side, interested in how he managed to get into the prime minister’s mausoleum. “I have connections, Subaru-san. I can go anywhere.” Ryo smiled again.
“The security man out there is one of my old friends. I asked him for help.” He added.
He heard Subaru snorting on the other side. “You have your connections to everywhere, right?”
“Hey, in my job connections are the most important thing on Earth. Speaking of connections, I need someone from the securing of evidence that I can trust, you know.” Ryo smiled a bit when he heard Subaru snorting again. “I will take a look what I can get for you.”
“Thanks.” With that Ryo hung up, leaving the mausoleum again. “Thanks Jin for letting me in.” Ryo bowed slightly in front of the security man.
“No problem at all, Ryo. It was nice to see you after such a long time. How are you doing?” The man leaned against the building, his arms crossed in front of his body.
“I am okay. A lot to do, but that’s nothing new, right?” Ryo answered. “And you?”
“Everything okay. You know Tomo and I have our own little security company, which is running quite good, we even work for the government as you can see. So we have a nice life right now.”
“Ah, you’re still together? That’s nice to hear.”
“Yes, with some little breaks and fights we managed, and it’s going great now.” Jin nodded at the other one.
“Tell him hi for me, okay? I have to go now, see ya.” Ryo bowed again in front of the other one. “I will. Hope to see you again soon.” Jin moved from his place to make his walk around the building.
***
Yokoyama walked down the cemetery. His heart was beating faster than ever before. He saw the mausoleum, but he also saw two men talking with each other in front of it. He knew it would be almost impossible to walk in there, but he had to try it.
He saw the security man walking around the building while the other guy disappeared somewhere on the other side of the road. It was his chance. He started running until he reached the door and slipped in. His heart was hammering against his chest when he leaned against the now closed door.
He really managed to get in there without being seen. He breathed in deeply before he walked up to the small stone where Yuriko’s name was written. For the first time in weeks he felt the pain in him again. He pushed everything away, because he had to fear for his life, that’s why the actual pain never crossed his heart. But now he had a moment of silence, a moment just for him and his daughter.
Yokoyama knelt down in front of the stone, brushing over it softly. Some tears came up in his eyes when he thought about her. He didn’t even realize when the door got open and someone slipped into the room.
“I found you earlier than expected.” Yokoyama winced. He slowly turned around, facing a man he never saw before.
“You came to get me?” He asked, his voice husky and deep. Somehow he was expecting it. He already knew they’d get him sooner or later.
“Nishikido Ryo’s my name. I came back here because I saw the door open, and from the pictures I saw, I knew it must have been you.” Ryo put his hands in his pockets and walked up to the other one. He could see that he was broken and looked horrible.
“I didn’t do anything. I swear.” Yokoyama was still kneeling on the ground, his gaze lowered.
“I know.” Ryo smiled when he saw the other one looking up at him. He knelt down towards him, facing him directly now. Ryo blinked when he saw Yokoyama’s sad and honest eyes resting on him.
“You know?” Yokoyama started wondering about this strange guy. He didn’t seem to have something bad in mind.
“I am here to help you. I believe you.” Ryo didn’t know if he was able to show the other one that he really meant what he said, till a sudden thought hit him. He took out his mobile and called the first number in his contacts. “Hey there. I found him, but maybe you can tell him that I won't do anything bad.” Yokoyama was staring at him in utter surprise. What was this man up to do? He thought shortly before he took the phone from the other one. “Yes?”
“Yoko? Subaru here.” He waited till the other one would answer. He could hear Yokoyama breathing deeply before he said something.
“Subaru, I am sorry for disappearing, I really…” He started, visibly relieved to hear a well-known voice.
“Stop it. I know your situation. Listen Yoko, go with Nishikido-san. He will take care of you, he will do everything to hide you from the guys who are searching for you. I know him, so don’t worry, okay?” Subaru knew the other one long enough, and he knew Yokoyama believed in what he told him. “I will.” Subaru heard him saying, before he hung up the phone.
Yokoyama looked at Ryo towards him, nodding. “Okay, let’s go.” Ryo smiled at him. He didn’t believe that it would be that easy. “Okay. The security man out there is a friend of mine, so don’t worry. I organize a taxi for us. I know that driver, so he will bring us to my home. It’s too dangerous to drive with my car. I have several shadows right behind me, so who knows who is observing me right now.”
Ryo pulled on the other one’s arm. He knew it was important to be quick now, because he didn’t know how much time they had. Maybe there were already some of the prime minister’s men on the way. “Okay.” Ryo heard the other one saying before they left the mausoleum. Ryo turned his head left and right and started walking when no one was around. “Thanks Jin.” He said again, nodding at the security man, before they started running down the cemetery.
They reached the taxi breathless. “Home, Ueda-kun.” Ryo ordered. The driver just nodded at him without saying a word.
“Thanks, like always.” Ryo answered, giving the man some extra money for his help. “This way.” He said to Yokoyama, guiding him to his apartment. “I tell my brother to prepare the guest room for you.”
“Why are you helping me?” Yokoyama stopped walking, staring at Ryo.
“I got the message to kill you, but I now know that you can’t be the culprit, so I am going to help you. I only deal with bad people, so I handle this case.” Ryo’s eyes got smaller and smaller.
“Aniki?” Ryo turned around, smiling at his brother.
“Ah, Maruyama, this is our, let’s call him guest, Yokoyama.”
“You found him?” Maru stared at the guest, scanning him properly.
“Yes, with a little bit of luck.” Ryo answered. He guided Yokoyama to the living room. “You can sleep in this room.” Ryo pointed at a door on the other side.
They sat down on the couch, not saying anything to each other till the guest started. “Thanks.” Yokoyama stared on his knees. No one seemed to know what to say, till Ryo stood up and started walking up and down in the room. “Do you know why all this happened to you?”
“I have no idea. I don’t even know what exactly happened. I came home and saw them, already dead.” Yokoyama started.
“You know that there is no word about your wife’s death in public?”
Yokoyama looked up. Ryo could see that he had no idea about what the other one was talking about. “No one knows it?” Yokoyama was more talking to himself than to someone else in this moment.
“I got a letter from your wife that you killed your child.” Ryo said softly. He didn’t know how the other would react to it, but he had to tell him about it.
“You did what? But that’s impossible. I knew that they were after me, because they think that it was me, but my wife? She is dead, she couldn’t do it.” Yokoyama’s words got louder and more and more enraged.
“I know, I know. I believe in your words, really. They wanted to trick me, because they thought I wouldn’t do any research, but I did. I am sorry about your loss.” Ryo tried to calm the situation down.
“Thank you, but the only real loss was my child. I never had deeper feelings for my wife. She hated me, I knew it, but I learned to live with it because of my family. They wanted it like this. So I have to admit that I am not really sad about her death, no matter how harsh that may sound now. She tried to make my life like hell on earth, and I will never forgive her for this.” Even though Ryo counted with something like this, it was strange to hear it from the other one. When he read all the letters and facts he had in his file he knew that there wasn’t love between Yokoyama and his wife, but he was sure that there was a deep love for his child. “But you loved Yuriko?”
“Yes, even though she wasn’t my daughter. I loved her like she was mine.” Yokoyama had his gaze lowered, nibbling nervously on his lips. Only the memory let his heart break into thousand pieces again.
“Can you imagine what really happened?” Ryo sat down on the chair next to where the other one was sitting. He needed more information. But there was already a guess he had.
“I can’t say it for sure, but I think her father is involved in it. Some days before this happened she told me what she thought about me, and she would go and tell him everything. That the child wasn’t mine, that she hated me and that she wanted something else for herself.” Yokoyama breathed out deeply. “You know, I hated her because she treated me like I did something wrong. She never thought of the fact that I was thrown in this situation like she was. We both should have pulled on one rope, and not worked against each other, but I think she was broken, because she wasn’t able to live her life. She was in a cage/bubble, like me. And now I am in a different kind of cage, and I don’t know how to get out there again without dying in the end.” He smiled sadly.
“Who could have an interest in pretending that she is alive?” Ryo rubbed his chin. “There is only one man. Her father. Someone else doesn’t make any sense.” He added, earning a nod from the other one. “But why?”
“First of all I think he got to know about the child. I can’t say what else happened, but I know him, and I know that everything has to go the way he wants it. Maybe she told him about everything and he got angry and killed them?” Yokoyama suggested.
Ryo blinked at that. “You were a police man, right?” He said. For some moments only the logical thought, without any feeling or emotion in it came up in him.
Yokoyama blushed. “Yes.” He nodded.
“But there is something else I have in my mind. I can’t tell you about it by now, because I have to research a bit. I will be back in a few hours.” Ryo said, turning around before he left the room. “And stay here, and don’t go out. But I think I don’t have to tell you that. Maruyama will bring you something if you need something special.” With that Ryo left.
________________
It's really long, jump to part 2 HERE