“It’s not a good sign when we find out one of our men is dead by the morning news.” I throw the paper to Kawaji’s desk. It’s already dark but I had waited for him to come back. “Especially if he wasn’t even in uniform.”
“You’re fuming.”
“Of course I am.” I throw the cigarette butt on the floor in his office and Kawaji glares at me. I’m pissed about this development and it was worst when that old woman used it to highlight how incompetent the TMPD has become.
“He’s connected to you wasn’t he? How long was he gone?”
“He was the scout we sent out during the Yoshiwara incident.”
“I know.” He sighs and stands up, “They brought the body here, it was unrecognizable.”
I frown at that. “So how’d they know it was Kantaro?”
He shrugs and turns towards the window. “I don’t know. But now we’ve lost that lead.”
“I -knew- I should’ve gone after them -myself-.” I take a long drag at the cig – whoever broke the story found out who Kantaro was – or was told by someone, “We can’t keep sending out our young men like this.”
“You chose him. You thought he wasn’t going to be found out.”
I purse my lips. There wasn’t many to choose from. Aside from Shindou, pretty much it was the luck of the draw. “Then I have no choice. I’m going back out.”
“Fujita! You -know- you can’t do that right now.”
“Why?”
He turns towards me. “You have no support. We can’t send out a squad like we used to.”
“I’ve always worked alone.”
“You’re not who you were years ago.”
“Of course I’m not Kawaji.” I narrow my eyes at him, “But what are you implying?”
“I have access to all of your personal records, your house, your health and even your personal life and those around you.”
Of course I know that. Only a fool would think that he wouldn’t. But that goes both ways.
“Then you know that I don’t have much time.”
“We don’t have any leads Fujita.” He sighs, “What are you going to do? Follow the Nakasendo trail? That will take you months!”
“I’ve run around all over Japan Kawaji-san…” I tilt my head, “Have you forgotten?”
“No. But like you said, you don’t have that kind of time.” He closes his eyes and sighs, “And neither does the police. The time you will spend running after this old case, is time taken away from building the force -here-.”
I can’t help but groan at this, he must’ve forgotten what happened to Shindou. I can’t even get that idiot to come back and the training we’ve done with the new recruits – has mostly been about police conduct, hardly any practical skills like strategy, espionage or interrogation.
“If you start going all over Japan again, what do you think will happen to the people you leave behind?”
“Don’t go there. That has nothing to do with this.”
“I already did Fujita. -Think- about it. Are you willing to risk it all again like you did back in Seinan or Shishio or even -before- Seinan.”
“No one except you and Okubo knows what happened before Saigo.” I remind him quietly.
“Which is why I’m telling you to let this one go. If not for your sake but for that future wife of yours. Besides it’s your duty to do as your tasked and that is to -build-.”
“Tch.” I throw him a disdainful look.
“Seriously Fujita. For all your talk about how it’s expected to lose one’s life in the police, you doggedly go after those who’s killed your men. I’d almost say, you were exacting revenge.”
Turning to leave, I stop before opening his door to exit. “Kawaji-san. Revenge has been outlawed in the Meiji. I’m only practicing my own justice.”
I’m tempted to slam the door but I close it quietly. I -need- to do something. Now that Kantaro was found out, they are already likely on to us. But if they are, shouldn’t Aioi be found out already as well? Or… But I’d rather not think about that.
(OOC: Saitou is going home late at night.)