#37 – Information Exchange
(Now then…)
Yukito picked up his personal effects that had been confiscated, and walked out of the front door of the police department building. Then he let out a deep sigh.
A man was sitting on a bench and reading a newspaper. A salary man ran down the street. A pair were in a parked car and speaking on their phones…
(Four people monitoring…)
Less than expected.
At least it meant they really did not think he was the culprit.
Not that it really mattered.
(What should I do now?)
The air was surprisingly cold today. The sun was hidden by clouds, and everything looked gloomy.
“Excuse me. Do you have a minute?”
A moment after he had started walking down the street.
The voice suddenly called out.
A bearded man with a coat that seemed too thick for autumn, and a hat pulled low that it nearly covered his eyes.
“Yukito, isn’t it? I was wondering if we could talk.”
“…Who are you?”
“Ah, please excuse me.”
He pulled out a business card. It was not what Yukito had been imagining.
“You’re a reporter?”
The name Rock Collins Newspaper was printed on it.
They published that Time on Fighters magazine.
“I am not giving interviews right now…”
“Now, don’t be like that. We can exchange information.”
“Exchange?”
The man looked around and leaned forward in order to whisper.
“Regarding the current incident in the city.”
◆ ◇ ◆
Sven Romaius.
Yukito looked at the card one more time before sitting down at the table in the cafe.
It was a large cafe, likely part of a franchise.
“They won’t come in. They aren’t cops.”
The reporter called Sven said with a chuckle as he lit a cigar.
“You noticed them?”
“I used to be in the news department. So I know a lot about—let’s just say from experience. And so even now, I catch wind of a lot of suspicious stories. Though…I just get articles pushed to the corner of TOF now.”
He smiled behind the smoke. His eyes had a far away look, as if he was thinking about an old case.
“That is enough for introductions. Let’s get to business.”
Yukito didn’t care about any of that.
The man smiled and nodded.
“Like I said, we will exchange information. I will offer information that you want. And then you will answer some questions for me.”
“…What kind of questions?”
“Regarding the incident you got mixed up in.”
He pulled out a notepad and lowered his voice.
“It’s harder to learn anything about this one. Apparently, they really don’t want anyone to know.”
“Wait a minute. I thought you were the one who was going to tell me something about it.”
Did he really expect Yukito to have information? He narrowed his eyes.
“Well, wait. You just arrived in the city, yes? So you probably don’t know much about it.”
“Yes…I suppose.”
“And yet you became involved in this case. And you want to help solve it.”
Yukito couldn’t help but nod. The man chuckled with a ‘Of course, you do.’
“Fighters are usually like that. Especially ones who are as strong as you. You can’t stand to be falsely accused, eh?”
The man wasn’t exactly hitting the nail on the head.
If this was any normal incident, Yukito would not have cared and would continue on his way. He was not interested in honor or reputation. Or the lives of other people he did not know.
However…
This one involved Jin Raidou. And he was family.
He could not ignore it.
“However, you can’t acquire information just by being strong. You would hit a deadend very quickly.”
The man then slapped the table.
“I know this city, inside and out. And so it wasn’t hard to find out that you had become involved in the investigation of these serial murders.”
He opened his hand and offered it to Yukito.
“What do you say? Surely it is preferable to trying to figure it all out on your own?”
Yukito looked at the hand silently.
He was right.
But the reason that he did not answer immediately—was because he felt the presence of someone coming into the cafe suddenly.
“Hey, Yukito. And you, reporter.”
The large man laughed, the scar on his mouth twisting.
It was Grafios, the A-Rank Hunter.
This is so frustrating, it’s too slow and the mystery is dragged, DRAGGED I TELL YOU. Sorry, I like mystery genre but this is something we alrdy know and that’s not mystery anymore imho.
Thx for the chapter.