Saturday, December 15
The sky was overcast, and rain gradually began to fall. As time passed, the downpour only grew heavier.
Still on duty, Ritsu stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows on the ninth floor of the MPD. He really disliked rainy days, the feeling of rainwater soaking through his clothes was awful.
Besides, whenever the rainy season came around, things he would rather not experience always seemed to happen. His thoughts drifted back to New York, where it had also been raining, and where he had met that person he hadn't seen in a long time.
Near Beika Harbor, inside the Black Widow Tavern.
A man wearing a blue denim jacket sprinted through the rain. Pushing open the tavern's wooden door, he brushed the rainwater off himself while grumbling,
"The rain outside is really coming down. Weather forecasts are never accurate."
Acting naturally, the man approached Vodka, who was seated at the bar dressed in black, and smiled at the bartender.
"Hello. I'd like the same cocktail he's having."
The slightly chubby bartender didn't reply. He merely nodded and turned around to get to work.
Behind his black sunglasses, Vodka's golden eyes caught sight of the man sitting beside him. Raising his right index finger, he lightly tapped the countertop twice, signaling that it was time for the handoff.
While on a mission, Vodka shed his usual unreliable grin. With a serious, expressionless face, he actually looked quite convincing.
Understanding the coded signal, the man immediately pulled a white envelope from inside his jacket. Seeing Vodka store its contents away without the slightest hesitation, he curled his lips into a teasing smile.
"Aren't you going to check what's inside?"
Vodka seemed completely unconcerned that the man might be trying anything. Pulling a manila envelope from his coat, he handed it over and snorted.
"Hmph. If it's fake, you'll lose your life."
Taking the envelope, the man pulled out a thick stack of yen bills and smiled.
"I'd better verify it properly."
"Suit yourself."
Vodka lifted the cocktail glass before him, filled with a clear, colorless liquid. After a small sip, he tasted the floral-fruity aroma of Cointreau and the tartness of lemon. With a more careful aftertaste came the sweetness of rum.
But Vodka, a lover of hard liquor, had little interest in a cocktail with such a smooth profile. After sampling the flavor, he simply drained the glass in one gulp.
Once the man finished counting the money and confirmed neither the amount nor the bills themselves were problematic, he tucked it safely into his inner pocket.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Lifting the cocktail that had just been mixed for him, he gently swirled the glass and asked, "So what's the next job? I should at least know the key details."
At that moment, a low voice suddenly sounded beside him.
The man nearly sloshed his drink out of the glass. Fortunately, he was already used to Organization members appearing out of nowhere, so he quickly steadied himself.
Yet after hearing what the newcomer said, his heart couldn't help but begin racing.
"You know," Gin slowly turned his head, his cold, viper-like gaze sweeping over the man, "recently, a rat has been sneaking around the Organization, doing things it shouldn't. Have you heard anything about that?"
After a brief hesitation, the man answered, "N-No, not really. I haven't heard anything."
"I see..."
Seeing that Gin wasn't continuing to stare at him and didn't seem interested in pursuing the topic, the man casually asked,
"Then is the next assignment to root out that rat?"
"No. I already have a pretty good idea who the rat is."
"Is that so?"
The man clearly sensed something was wrong.
Forcing himself to suppress the ominous thoughts flooding his mind, he tried to remain calm. To hide his unease, he raised the cocktail to his lips and deliberately changed the subject.
"This drink is really good. What cocktail is it?"
The bartender, who had remained silent the entire time, didn't answer. He simply continued polishing the glass in his hand.
Seated nearby, Gin slightly raised the corner of his mouth, as though recalling something pleasant. Slowly, he said,
"Rum... mixed with Cointreau and a small amount of lemon juice."
Turning once more toward the visibly surprised man, he revealed the cocktail's name and delivered the final explanation.
"An X.Y.Z. cocktail. Once you've finished that drink... everything should be over."
The man's pupils suddenly contracted. He desperately tried to stay calm. Maybe he was just overthinking things.
With an awkward laugh, he set down the glass and rose from the bar.
"W-Well then, if there's another job, I look forward to working with you again."
Vodka's gaze fell upon the empty cocktail glass before him.
"Are you sure about this, Boss?"
Standing up, he added, "He's definitely that rat. If we just let him leave, he might run."
Hearing this, Gin's expression became noticeably pleased. His eyes settled on the half-finished X.Y.Z. cocktail as he replied meaningfully,
"Mm. Don't worry."
Vodka immediately understood the hidden meaning behind those words. Removing his hat and sunglasses, he sat back down on the barstool and grinned.
"Then give me another one of the same."
Consider it...
A farewell drink.
Not long after another X.Y.Z. cocktail was prepared, a massive explosion echoed from a nearby street.
The tavern's chandelier swayed violently, and the bottles lined up on the shelves rattled from the shockwave. One particularly unlucky bottle of whisky crashed to the floor and shattered completely.
Chivas, Chivas Regal Scotch Whisky.
That had been the rat's codename. The sweet aroma of malt and its distinctive smoky scent spread throughout the tavern.
Vodka chuckled dryly. "Heh heh... You're not going to charge us for that bottle, are you?"
"Of course not, sir," the bartender replied.
Internally, however, he couldn't help grumbling,
'Am I insane enough to ask you two for money? If I did, the Organization would probably end up one member short by tomorrow.'
"Boss, wasn't that a little too high-profile?"
Gin stood up and pulled out his phone to compose an email. "Someone will clean it up."
...
Far away at the MPD, Ritsu was enjoying a late-night meal. He had barely taken two bites of his oyakodon when an email from Gin arrived.
The moment he read its contents, the bowl instantly lost its appeal.
At nearly the same time, Takagi received a report and shouted,
"Inspector! We just got word, there's been an explosion near Beika Harbor! The situation is still unclear!"
'Yeah, yeah. You don't need to tell me, I already know.'
Ritsu tossed his disposable chopsticks into the trash and frowned.
"Prepare to head to the scene. Hayasaka, don't come with us. Clean up the trash and head home to rest."
"Hm? Okay."
Ever since purchasing his beloved Bugatti, Ritsu had stopped hitching rides from others.
Driving himself to a nearby alley close to Beika Harbor, he spotted the familiar black Porsche 356A parked by the docks.
Opening his car door, he walked over and knocked on the window. When it rolled down, Gin, seated in the passenger seat, handed him a small metal box.
"What's this?"
"A gift for the Nisan-kai."
Ritsu opened the box and glanced inside.
Only then did he realize it contained records of two recent transactions the Nisan-kai had conducted in Tokyo.
The fact that Gin possessed documents like these made him raise an eyebrow.
"Heh, Thanks for helping me pad my performance record."
Gin didn't answer. Calmly lighting a cigarette with the car's built-in lighter, he rolled the window back up.
Given his personality, there was no chance he would ever smile and say, "You're welcome."
Returning to his own vehicle, Ritsu drove to the explosion site.
While the investigation was underway, he deliberately tossed the box into the burning flames, waiting for firefighters to discover it after the fire had been extinguished.
Cases involving the Nisan-kai were never made public.
Furthermore, the transaction locations recorded inside were enough for the police to stake out and cut off one of the syndicate's profitable revenue streams.
For Ritsu, it really was a gift.
Only, it was a bit of a shame for that Mr. Rat who had been left with absolutely nothing.
"Inspector! We found this in the ashes!"
Takagi held the metal box high in excitement. Although Ritsu had already seen everything inside, he opened it again, his handsome face turning solemn.
"Takagi, prepare to withdraw. This matter needs to be discussed with the higher-ups."
"Yes, sir!"