It will be lunch time soon and the usual bento lay there untouched. I’ve been losing my appetite lately it seems but I don’t want the food to go to waste so I go to the person who’d appreciate the lunch.
“Oh Fujita-san! I’m so glad you came for a visit!”
I stymie a frown, “You’re just across the hall.”
“Well I know.” He stands up and I can see his moustache twitch a little. “But what do I owe the pleasure of this visit today?”
I hold up my lunch and place it on the table, “I didn’t want it to go to waste.”
“Ah it’s a special treat then!”
I grin a little at him, “For you.” I light up a cigarette and he looks at it. “Ah sumana, old habit.”
“No don’t worry about it Fujita-san, almost everyone of the old guard smokes. I’m not fragile.” He laughs.
“By the way, do you know of a Sir Howard Vincent?”
I shrug, “Kawaji introduced him to Hide and I during the Police ball.”
“Well Kawaji-san is having him visit us at home. We usually don’t have any foreign visitors…”
“Why don’t you tell him no?” I ask, not really letting Uramura know that I’ve been avoiding meeting with Howard the past week as I had more pressing matters to attend to.
“It seems that Kawaji-san really wants to gain this man’s knowledge from being the former head of the London police.” He looks up at me as I stare out the window, “I’m surprised he didn’t drag you into it.”
I refrain from telling him Kawaji already did drag me into it and Howard tried to drag Hide into it. What good would it do? “I’m too busy working a case.”
“Oh that must be why he’s been hands off with you.” He smiles, “Must be another big case Fujita-san.”
I’m quiet, he probably doesn’t know I have much leverage in the cases I work on. Eventhough Kawaji knows of this one and my history and Ito along with it, he doesn’t know I’ve decided to move in for the kill. Besides he’s always warned me of a personal vendetta but that’s not it, largely.
“Actually Uramura-san, the lunch is a bribe.” I smile a little, “I do have a favor to ask.”
“If it’s something I can do… I’d be happy to help Fujita-san.”
I look at him for moment wondering why it’s so easy. But there are people like him, just like her. And unfortunately this outing even if short, the usual people I can rely on is nowhere to be found or they’ve become unreliable.
“I just want someone to keep an eye on my family.” I take a long drag on my cigarette. “I won’t be long but it would put my mind at ease if you or if you can have one of your men watching them at times.”
He stands up slowly and goes to where I’m standing looking outside with a serious expression on his face, “I know how you feel.” He puts a hand on my shoulder.
“When Enishi’s goons came and invaded our home, it was never the same for my wife and daughter nor myself.” He smiles, “Of course I’ll do it. After all it’s part of my job to look after the Tokyo Area.”
I look at him. I’ve heard stories of some of his exploits and read the reports on this home invasion. I wonder does he know of what happened in Ito? In Hokkaido? Here in Tokyo?
“I don’t mean to pry Fujita-san…” He continues, “But is anyone in your household prone to loitering or escaping? And more importantly are you aware of anyone after them are they in danger?”
So he knows about Tokio too? Should I be surprised? Although this is only the TMPD, I am under the Department of Internal Affairs. The Department knows everything about its agents. “There is not that kind of complexity with regards to people in my household. And as for danger, that’s -part- of what I’ll be taking care of.”
He nods his head slowly and for a moment I question whether I did the right thing. “Alright. I got your back.”
“Thank you.” I turn to leave.
“And Fujita-san…”
“Yes?”
“Be careful out there.” He smiles again, “Don’t worry about Kawaji, I know how to take care of him.”
I nod and close the door. I can’t believe I’ve just asked a man who is closely associated with the Battousai to look after the house. But I’ve looked into him, he’s managed to stay clean even in these trying times with the police.
Going back to my office I resolve to go over some information through lunch, maybe it will yield a few more leads. I have to leave earlier anyway for the boy.
(OOC: Saitou is at the office to leave later in the afternoon)
(Later that afternoon)
It’s only mid-afternoon but that’s when the restaurant gets it’s self ready for it’s afternoon to midnight patrons. I spy my son turn the corner, coming into the direction of the Akabeko. I step out of the alley so he can see me.
He doesn’t hide his frown. “So who told you? Yukiko-neesan or her… Yagi-san?”
“Does it matter?”
He doesn’t answer me.
“I’m going to be working here indefinitely.” He tells me, “I’d like not to be late to my new job.”
“I have higher hopes for you unlike your older brother Eiji.”
He rests his shinai on his shoulder, “I like Eiji-nii and he’s no longer working here. So he’s probably got a better job elsewhere.”
“Really?” I cross my arms. So the idiot decided to do something. “Did he tell you what he’s up to?”
“No… But even if he did, I wouldn’t tell you.”
I tilt my head and look at my son. So much distance between us, it sometimes feel impossible to cross. “I’ll ask him then when I get back.”
“You’re leaving again?” He looks away.
“Yes. Some business I should’ve taken cared of years ago.”
“You’re leaving Yagi-san with a new baby and with only Yukiko-nee-san to help her.” He shakes his head, “But I guess I shouldn’t be surprised? You always did choose work first.”
I’d tell him, this wasn’t exactly work. That my boss Kawaji had something else for me to do, that this was an old case spurned only by my need to find my justice and substantiation.
So it was true…
So what?
“Here.” I hand him an envelope.
“What’s this?”
“Money. You haven’t been receiving anything from Aizu right?”
“They told you that too?” He furrows his eyebrows.
“Not really.” I light a smoke. “I knew you didn’t have money after your brother came. After all I stopped sending stipend to Aizu.”
“What?!”
“You said it yourself, you didn’t believe I supported you.” I smirk at him, “Now is that enough proof?”
“What about mother?”
“What about her?”
“If you’re not sending money to her, how will she survive?”
I take a long drag on my cigarette, “I gave your mother almost all the money I earned in the police. She handled all the finances over many years. So I’d be -surprised- if she had none. Besides your Uncle Morinosuke is well off.”
“You really are a piece of…” He doesn’t finish the sentence. It’s his mother, he would be protective towards her. That’s the kind of son I wanted for my wife… But I didn’t expect that the wife Tokio would end up being was something else, far from what I hoped… But I’m not disappointed with my son. He knows right from wrong.
So you admit this is wrong…
No.
“Look I need to go for a week or maybe more. I want Hide and Yukiko to not worry about you.”
“They won’t. I can take care of myself.”
“That maybe true,” I look at him. I don’t really think so but arguing that point right now won’t get us to where we need to be, “But they’re women, with nurturing instincts, even if you or I were to tell them you can handle your own – one of them will still come here to fetch you.”
He looks at me with a frown.
“If your Yukiko-nee-san came, especially when it gets late, she’s pretty enough that men might hassle her or worse. And if it was Hide…” I grit my teeth a little just thinking about that… how this world treats her and I, “she’s still a woman without protection.” Well Hide has protection if she were in Kyoto with her brothers.
“So you’re saying I’m a burden.”
“Yes and I need you to not be.” I ash the cigarette I’m smoking, “Think of that money as my payment for curtailing some of your freedom. If you can’t accept it as something from a father to his son.”
He purses his lips and pockets the money.
“Hide handles the finances of the house. I will leave her some money for you to use every month.”
He sighs, “I still have to work tonight and let Tae-san know. I can’t just disappear.”
“I understand.”
“What will we do with Yukiko-nee-san? She might come tonight.”
“Don’t worry I’ll go back and let her know. Then I’ll come back here later.”
“I said! I can handle myself!” He almost shouts and I just grin.
“I’m not doing it for your sake boy. Can you imagine what those two women would do to me if something were to happen to you?” I walk away, “Something like this.” I make a slashing motion across my stomach.
He shakes his head and I go back.
Well it wouldn’t be the first time, if it were to happen.