Novels2Search

Deal In The Dark

Nightfall lingers over Daimon Island, casting an ominous shadow across the land. An ordinary house sits quietly in the middle of a neighborhood, blending seamlessly with its surroundings. Inside, in a modest bedroom, Yamato sits at a desk, going through his notes. Suddenly, a beeping sound comes from a drawer beneath the desk. Yamato opens the drawer and retrieves the small rectangular device Yuto had given him. The beeping device displays a small map with a blue dot and a red dot. An arrow extends from the blue dot, pointing directly toward the red dot. Yamato hesitates momentarily but ultimately grabs the device and leaves his house.

***

In a dark, ominous alleyway on the island, Yuto waits patiently in the center, clad in his vigilante suit. After a while, the sound of footsteps, accompanied by a steady beeping, echoes through the alley. Yuto turns to see Yamato slowly approaching him as the beeping fades away.

“So, you decided to come after all, Detective?”

“What’s to say I’m not here to arrest you?”

“And I’m supposed to believe you came here to take me on without your guns?”

“Okay... fair point. The only reason I’m here is because of what you said in that note — that I’ll need your help for Ryota and the radiation victims. What do you know that I don’t?”

“I figured that would intrigue you enough to meet me. Honestly, the fact that I know more than you about something I’m not even interested in is sad. Is the DIPD even doing their job?”

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“We’re busy every day. There’s not a lot of time to focus on one case, even with the addition of us rookies. Now, can we get to the real reason we’re here, or do you want to do a welfare check as well?”

“I do have information on Ryota and the radiation victims, but I need you to do something for me first.”

“Oh, isn’t that convenient? Let me guess — I help you first, and then you’ll tell me what I want?”

“Correct.”

“Yeah… no offense, but I don’t trust a word you say. Why should I?”

“You shouldn’t. But the fact is, you’re already here.”

“Okay, fair point again. What do you want?”

“I’m looking for a person named Kairo Arasaki. He’s a hitman for Madam.”

“And why are you looking for him?”

“Don’t worry about it, Detective. I just need any known locations. You give me that, and I’ll tell you what I know.”

Yamato stares deep into Yuto’s mask, hesitating to give a response.

“The DIPD is in a chokehold right now. I can’t say whether or not I trust you. But I need to start taking chances if I want to get things done. Fine, I’ll see what I can find. But even if I can’t find much, I still expect you to tell me what you know.”

“That’s fine with me. There’s a red button on the side of the GPS tracker. Press it, and it’ll take me right to you. Don’t bother using it to find me — only the person who presses the button can be tracked.”

Yuto takes off into the night and gradually disappears. Yamato stares into the dark city, uneasy about what just occurred. After a moment, he walks into the city and vanishes into the shadows.