It has only been a few weeks that we’re here and yet I have to leave. The momentary detour I took to get Tsutomu back in school was a necessary one but so was seeing my youngest. I have accepted the situation in regards to Yoshi. Indeed I cannot find a more fitting place for him, in another family that needs him. A family that needs an heir to continue.
I worry about Tsutomu when I’m gone. I have spoken to him too many times in a span of only a few days. Hide can handle him I’m sure but I don’t want him causing trouble and in the end hurting himself. I hope our last talk got through to him but those are merely words and that son of mine can be a stubborn fool. Like you are moron!
Tanaka Arc
3 thoughts on “Tanaka Arc”
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I go over the investigation files submitted by Shindou to the Department of the Interior. The copies left only with Kawaji makes me wonder why only him. Of course he will have a fit once he finds out I have taken liberties with his files but he should know ever since Okubo I’ve had the same clearance to information as he. I’ll deal with Kawaji later. First…
“Superintendent Fujita.” He says as I look up. “You summoned?”
“Yes. Take a seat.” I tilt my head and ash my cigarette. “I’d like to hear your updates on the Tanaka case.”
“Sir that’s not within your jurisdiction.” He purses his lips. Still the same stubborn fool.
I take a drag and push the file of papers, -his- reports over. “You mean you have nothing else to add?” I narrow my eyes at him. If this was it, then he’s been wasting his time and Kawaji’s.
“That’s -months- of investigative work and confidential Fujita-san!” He scowls, disbelieving that I had access to likely his young career’s work.
“Superintendent Fujita you mean.” I pull rank. I don’t mind using rank with these arrogant young men who need a little putting in their place. “If that’s all you had…”
“No.” He hesitates. Finally. “Where is Chief Kawaji? I should be reporting the events to him.”
“Without Kawaji here, I’m in command and I’m requiring you to report Sargeant.”
He eyes my cigarette for a long time. I take long slow breaths. We can sit here all day if he likes.
“The Yakuza is very concerned with what’s happened in Kyoto. In Shimabara the Yakuza’s influence has waned heavily and after that police officer, a woman put that high ranking official behind bars the illegal gambling, one of their primary source of income has all been annihilated.”
I nod. That was Saya only a few weeks ago. Now that she’s done her job she has been exposed and need to be more careful.
“They’ve shifted their focus from organized crime, to taking on mercenary jobs. They’ve been doing this even before the gambling was shut down in Kyoto.” He shakes his head, “It had gotten so dire that several weeks ago, several men had taken on a kidnapping job as far as Ito Shizuoka.”
My eyes narrow but I don’t say anything. So they were just hired yakuza thugs… Tanaka is not leaving much of a trail.
“Imagine, how desperate things are if they’ve taken on ordinary jobs like that one. One so -low-.
I take a deep drag on my cigarette. If I could I would go undercover into the Yakuza once again but I have already been discovered. They no doubt know the name Urama. Even the idiot in front of me knows this.
“A long time ago, even before the Meiji, there was an unspoken but uneasy alliance between the police and the yakuza.” I look at Shindou, “Obviously these were driven by very different motives, the police to keep order while the Yakuza to make money. As the police turned a blind eye to the Yakuza, the Yakuza could continue making money and not cause trouble.” Of course that was a farce, the Yakuza did cause trouble. It just wasn’t serious enough.
“Was there anything else?” I prod, wondering if he’ll touch upon Kyo, that traitor cop who was felled by Seta Soujiro.
He shakes his head. “The last police report from Ito was that the victims were a woman and child. They went missing.” He looks genuinely sad, “I can’t believe that it’s gotten to this. They would probably be sold off to a human trafficking ring.”
“Perhaps.” But no. I would die first before that happened. I stand up and tap him on the shoulder. “Good work.” I tell him.
He looks at me quizzically. Like I’ve just done something out of the ordinary.
“Kawaji should be back very soon. He was getting us breakfast. Tell him what you told me.”
“Why you…” He’s back to his scowling and stood up. “You made me think the Chief was away.”
“Oh I did?” I shrug my shoulders. I never said Kawaji would be gone long. Did I… Ahou!
“God damn it!” I curse and slam the report on my desk. Another undercover cop killed in the line of duty. And he was -young-. I crumple the report in my fist and turn towards the window. How many more of our men should die?
You would think we were still in a civil war… If only Lord Okubo was still alive.
“I’m telling you Kawaji…” He says in between his smoking, “Our men are green, they cannot tell a rat nor a snitch.”
I turn back to him, “The TMPD is less than 10 years old, we had no choice but to recruit former samurai.”
“And inexperienced young men like him.” He finishes for me. “But to stack on your problems, you did recruit former bakufu retainers. It’s only natural they not cooperate…”
I stare at him, he was one of them so he would know.
“Well you cooperated.” I answer him squarely.
He grins, “I had another purpose. Somewhat aligned to yours.”
“You mean as long as you can go around brandishing your sense of justice.” I lean into Fujita, “Okubo told me about you but he’s not here now!” I never liked his independence.
“I spoke to your star sargeant the other day.” He takes a hit at his cig looking very grim, “He simply spilled information just because I reminded him I’m his commanding officer. If he’s one of the best you’ve got…”
“What are you saying Fujita?” I know where this is going to go.
“Let me take care of it.” He says in a low growl. “I can no longer lie still.”
“No!”
“Why not?” He replies back quietly but I can see his grim determination.
“You’re too close to the matter.”
“That’s precisely why I need to do it.”
“And you are not the same as before.” The words just came out. I had not meant them to. Okubo-san always did tell me to watch it when I get into the heat of the moment. I look at him. I’m sure he will lose it.
He finishes his cigarette instead, just looking for away for a while. I almost thought he wouldn’t say anything.
“I know. I will need help.”
I’m floored. This man who would never show weakness, has admitted to it. Perhaps I’ve underestimated him?
“My strength is not what it used to be.” He says as if I’ve not read the reports. Years of damage to his shoulders particularly the right after the Shishio fight and again just a year ago in ambush, this is why I’ve taken him off active duty. I cannot lose one of our best men recruited by Okubo-san himself. Okubo-san believed he is the type that our nation state needed.
“So what do you propose?” Guardedly I ask. I have a lot of other things I wanted him to do, to lead the Police Bureau to a new era, one not led in the shadows.
“I will work with that young man. You and I know that he will be next if this keeps going. I am not sure what is the connection between the deaths we’ve experienced lately, the yakuza, the red-light district, kyoto and hokkaido but the one who is after me may know something.”
“You think that this vendetta runs through not just the yakuza but the police as well?” I breathe deeply.
“Even further likely. I can no longer go undercover in the Yakuza but everywhere else I can still move freely.”
“So you want Shindou to go in your place.”
“Yes but he needs strict instructions. Left to his devices, he’s not going to get deeper and will only get caught.”
I would ask him, why he thinks he’ll do any better but I do not. I remember the circumstances of his being found out, he was having problems with his wife then. A lapse in judgment during his work due to marriage problems or was it related to his mistress, ah “wife to be” was the term.
He continues, “He’s a stubborn young man though and won’t easily take directions from me. So I need you to make it official. Also I will need high level support elsewhere, not quite the 5,000 men I needed in Shishio but I would need your assurance to send whatever it is I need at a moment’s notice.”
Crossing my arms I consider. My first instinct is to say no. Have Fujita work with me here and produce the Police Services rules and also get our special services trained and organized. But those who went after his “wife to be” and child in Ito were connected to the Police and I look at the crumpled paper on my desk. The Police Bureau cannot modernize while it is plagued by a sickness from within. I swallow.
“Alright.” I agree, “But I know how close you are to this. I need you to promise me that you are not going in to settle a personal vendetta.” If he makes the same mistake twice, I will have no choice but to permanently take him away from active duty. That is if he’s lucky enough to survive just like the last time.
He smirks, “Why Police Commissioner Kawaji, haven’t you heard? It is forbidden to have personal fights in the Shinsengumi. I’d have to disembowel myself.”
“Don’t joke about this Fujita!”
He nods and stands up. “I’ll send Shindou here so you can give him, his new assignment.”
He leaves and I hope for the life of me that I did the right thing. Lord Okubo, I do not want another dead man on my conscience. Sitting down, I go over more paperwork, case studies from my stay in France.
Quietly I slip off the futon, careful not to wake Hide. It’s still somewhat dark out but the horizon is turning red so the sun will soon be out. I take my bag, already prepared from the day before and check. Clothes, gloves, paper, her tanto, a pistol and some bullets…
Putting on my jacket, I leave my cap on the bedside table. I stand there just looking at her for a moment and remember an old story.
Why don’t you ever wake me up in the mornings? I start to light up but put it away. She might waken.
Apparently I told her I was rather unpleasant in the mornings, which may or may not be true, however I -do- prefer to see her looking peaceful before I leave. But there was in fact another reason, that leaving her was difficult, whether it was simply because I’d be my undisciplined self and stay. I kneel down and watch her face, those lips. I’d kiss her but I run the risk of waking her.
I stand up…
I have things that will keep me away that she should not know about. I turn to leave but remember an old memory.
“Not like this. I didn’t know what to think. I am here, carrying our child… and you could be anywhere. And what am I to know? To think? I know your work comes first…
I grit my teeth a bit. She’s right, then and now, here she is carrying my child and I will be away for who knows how long. But it is necessary… As I told Tsutomu, I don’t want to go. I wonder if she would know that? Why did I ever tell her that Japan comes first and love second? Idiot! I go back to my things and take a piece of paper and write quickly.
“Hide. I don’t know when I’ll be back but remember that I love you.”
She will not be lonely. Unlike then there are many people here who will provide her support. I leave it on my cap and leave the room taking the bag and nippontou. For once I’m glad she chose this sword. I will need such a sword to where I’m going.
Quietly I pass by Makoto’s room and spy her and Yukiko still sleeping. Tomu is not in his room but I know he’s probably fallen asleep on the roof again. He forgets that Kinosuke shares a room with him and tells me what he’s up to.
I close the door to the house at the gate is Kinosuke. Waiting as usual.
“Yamaguchi-san Good morning.”
I manage a grunt. I guess it’s true I’m unpleasant in the mornings.
“Do you have any questions?” I ask, we’ve spoken now several times.
“No questions.” He looks at me but I’m not looking back at him, instead I look at the garden and light up. That garden… I inhale and look back at the house inspecting it and after I feel my eyes linger at the window upstairs, I realize I’ve been standing there not saying anything.
“It will be difficult to get a hold of me, however you know how to reach me.” I tell him, “Also don’t forget to…”
“Yes Yamaguchi-san.” He smiles as if knowing something, “Remember the Suzuki’s were the sponsor of the Yamaguchi’s.”
I want to answer, “so what?” but I don’t.
“Part of our responsibility as sponsors is to protect.”
I want to add “your domain” but I do not. “I appreciate that.”
“You can count on me Yamaguchi-san.”
I look him over. He’s not really the type that can protect anyone but he was from a former samurai clan. But this place I look around again, as if I needed to memorize this old house, I -know- this house very well. It is a -safe- house compared to that in Ito. Nothing happens here that is not of our own doing. I am not one for superstition but the spirit of this old house is a good one.
It’s then that I realize I’ve just been standing here with Kinosuke staring.
“Don’t worry Yamaguchi-san.”
I grunt and pick up my bag and nippontou.