"Have they stated the nature of their visit? And do they have a warrant?” Ryuji, remaining calm, asks the important questions first.

“They said they're not here to search anything or arrest anybody – just to ask questions. So, they don't have a warrant.”

Ryuji pauses for a moment, but he can't really decide yet. “Turn the screen. Let me talk to them.”

“Yes, sir,” Ethan readily complies and turns the lobby intercom around to face it towards two familiar faces: the tall, broad-bodied Terrence Colter, and his partner, the younger, auburn-haired Mason Howard standing immediately behind him.

“Detective Colter, I figured it'd be you,” the family leader remarks. “Speak plainly: tell me why you're here.”

“Good afternoon, Ryuji,” Terrence's thunderous voice is clearly relayed from the speakers. “Look, I'll cut to the chase. We have no interest in going through your shit or bringing any of your boys out in cuffs. We're only here to ask questions. There's no warrant, no gaggle of cruisers waiting outside, no one to bust down your door. We're only here to talk.”

“And what exactly would be the nature of our talk, Terrence?”

“The murder of William Camlin,” the detective answers with pronounced bluntness. “I know you know about it; it happened only a few nights ago, down the street from the Hoshino family's place. I had the pleasure of running into your boys Atreus and Devin when I showed up there.”

“Are you looking for Atreus and Devin, or do you want to just see me?”

“I only intended to talk to you, but if they're there too, then all the better.”

Ryuji pauses again to think about allowing the detectives into his office. He brings his gaze up to Atreus and Devin, who quietly wait for his answer – neither showing any leanings towards one decision or the other. The patriarch looks down at the screen again and takes a deep breath.

“Alright, come on up,” Ryuji invites the men in, and closes the call.

“Whoa, aniki, you sure that's a good idea?” Devin asks with distinct reluctance on his face.

“If we cooperate, we can probably direct them away from looking at the Sanada-gumi for this crime. Detective Colter is an honest – and albeit stubborn – guy; if it were anyone else, I'd have told them to leave. In fact, if we play our cards right, we can probably get him to tell us what sort of evidence the police are currently in possession of.”

“But what if they just ask leading questions to get us to incriminate ourselves?”

“Then don't say anything that'll incriminate yourself,” Ryuji gives an obvious answer. “It shouldn't be hard, considering we likely don't know any more than they do. If you're unsure of how to respond to a question, just tell them you don't know. And for now, don't say anything about the clan conducting its own investigation.”

Just as the family head finishes his lecture, a knock is heard against the office door and is immediately opened. Terrence's large frame is the first to come in, followed by his partner, who closes the door behind them.

“Oh, all three of you are here. That's good,” Terrence first announces his pleasure that both Atreus and Devin are present, as well.

“Welcome, detectives. Please, have a seat,” Ryuji greets the men and gestures towards the chair Atreus was sitting in.

The augmented gangster moves to sit next to Devin on the adjacent couch, and Terrence opts to accept the newly vacant chair. Mason, however, stands behind his seated partner, looking as stone-faced as possible. The tall, thick-necked detective sits rigidly with both feet flat against the floor and both arms resting on the armrests, his prosthetic right hand securely clasping the leather.

“Alright, well, you're here,” the patriarch begins, “so ask what you want to ask.”

“Well, first thing's first, is there any particular reason why these two were at the Hoshino family office just as we were showing up?” Terrence asks while pointing at Atreus and Devin.

“We knew that the murder happened close by, so I simply took it upon myself to send my boys over for a cordial visit – make sure everything was okay over there.”

“And why would you need to do that?”

“Because sanctioned hits are rare and often announced to other family patriarchs immediately afterward. This wasn't. And since Bessho is a friend of mine, I figured I'd check up on them, because if this was something a rogue Hoshino member did, then it could reflect poorly upon the Sanada-gumi.”

“So, you believe that because other patriarchs didn't receive word of this murder,” Mason interjects, “the clan didn't issue a formal hit? That a member acted on their own?”

“Either that or someone not related to the Sanada-gumi at all did it. We don't know,” Ryuji honestly admits with a shrug. “Quite frankly, I suspect you know more about it than us by now. Or are those drones buzzing around over our heads just for show?”

Detective Colter sighs and furrows his brow, already looking somewhat defeated so early into the discussion. A tense silence fills the air as he looks downward toward to floor, carefully constructing his next words, and wondering if he should say them.

“Unfortunately, our drones didn't catch anything,” Terrence reveals. The three Asano family members widen their eyes in quiet shock.

“What do you mean your drones didn't catch anything?” Ryuji repeats interrogatively.

“Unless directed otherwise, our drones follow strict patrol routes that change every two weeks, in a certain pattern that repeats itself over the course of some months. Because of this, there are occasional blind spots throughout the city on certain days, on certain hours, especially in those narrow alleys. Basically, we're thinking it's highly unlikely that this murder was some sort of bad coincidence. It was planned.”

“Maybe the site of the murder was initially a meet up?” Atreus wonders aloud.

“That's one possibility we're considering, yes. Will Camlin was supposed to meet someone there, and they picked that specific spot, on that day, on that hour because he knew it would be free from the eyes of any of our drones.”

“I guess it would be too unbelievable of a coincidence otherwise,” Ryuji remarks as he pensively strokes his cheek. “But if your guess is true, then who was he supposed to meet up with? His killer? Or someone else?”

“Your guess is as good as ours,” the sitting detective responds with small shrug. He lifts his finger in a way that suggests he's about to state something matter-of-factly. “But I want you to know that with my transparency on this, I expect equal transparency on your part, too.”

“I can't guarantee we know anything you probably don't already know, but if you want to ask something, then go ahead and ask.”

Terrence leans forward with his eyes narrowed. “Do you know of anyone in the Sanada-gumi, either in your family or outside of it, who would have any motive to sabotage Atmos Dynamics' work or murder Camlin specifically?”

“No,” Ryuji answers with quick and clear confidence. “In general, we have absolutely no interest in interfering with Atmos Dynamics in any way, shape, or form. If anything, families are given strict instruction to not hassle them. As for Will Camlin himself, I can honestly tell you that I've never even heard his name until I saw news of his death.”

“I assume you're given such instruction because of your clan's stake in their business?” Mason interjects with a glare of suspicion so strong, it's as if he wants to bore a hole into Ryuji's head with it.

“Corporate stuff on that level is above my pay grade,” Ryuji flatly answers.

“Bullshit. It's an open secret that the Sanada-gumi infiltrated their board decades ago,” the standing detective is quick to become irate.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

“It's above my pay grade regardless,” the patriarch steadfastly stands his ground with a louder, firmer voice.

“That's enough,” Terrence lifts his hand to silence his younger partner. “The clan's financial ties to Atmos have yet to be proven to be directly related to the murder, so it's irrelevant as of now. But that could change in the future,” he looks at Ryuji as he states the final sentence with a strong glare.

“Just tell us straight,” Devin finally speaks up, “is the Asano family suspected of being involved in this murder in any way? You might not be here to arrest anyone now, but should we prepare for a not-so-diplomatic visit from the cops in the future?”

“Generally speaking, the entirety of the Sanada-gumi is a potential suspect. But you guys, specifically? At this very moment, no. The Asano family's too benign of a group to be anywhere near our top priority in terms of close investigation. You're too small, and you're never involved with anything like the Oyamada family's gun running, the Hoshino family's contract killing, or the Nagakawa family's drug trade.”

“We're just a family of errand boys,” Ryuji confesses with little guilt. “Other families and associates outsource menial tasks to us, and we do them. It's not ambitious, but it keeps us at just beyond arm's length distance away from other messy jobs that could get us into trouble.”

“How convenient,” Mason comments with a barbed tone. “Sounds like the Asano family would be the perfect ones to do a single hit on a desk jockey like Camlin and fly under the radar for it.”

“Would you mind pulling back the leash on your dog? He's starting to get yappy,” the patriarch speaks to Terrence, completely ignoring Mason's venomous remark.

“He just wants to reach of the end of this investigation as quickly as any of us do,” Terrence tries to defuse the increasing tension between his partner and Ryuji while lifting his hand again to quiet Mason down.

“I'm sure you noticed on your way in here, but most of the men under me aren't even old enough to drink,” Ryuji begins to break out into an annoyed rant. “No one in their right mind would send these green kids out to kill someone, so let's dispel the idea right here and now that we would ever be the ideal family to ask to commit a hit and get away with it, alright? No one in this building has ever killed anyone. Period.”

Terrence lifts his hands, surrendering the point. “I know. I believe you. I'm just here to ask about any details to you could've heard through the grapevine that could even be slightly related to Camlin's murder.”

Ryuji pauses to take a deep breath and return to his usual stoic demeanor. “I promise you that I know absolutely nothing about anyone in the clan mentioning anything close to this. If I did, I would tell you, because it would've been unsanctioned anyway. I would have no qualms whatsoever about handing over a rogue member to you on a silver platter. But I don't know anything.”

“Okay. I trust you,” Terrence responds with a calm nod. “Do you have any reason to believe that it could have been the Blue Star who perpetrated the murder?”

“The clan's relationship with them had been on edge since the incident a couple years ago, but still amicable. We're significantly larger than them, so I can't imagine them doing this, because it would start a war they would undeniably lose. Have you spoken to any Blue Star officers yet?”

“Not yet, but it's on our to-do list,” Terrence leans forward and pushes himself up and off the chair. “That's all I wanted to talk to you about. I didn't mean to give you a scare by showing up all of a sudden, but we gotta question whoever we can.”

“Are you going to visit other families, then?”

“Yeah. We have a few more stops for today, so we can't really stick around for much longer. Look, if you discover anything at all that you think will point the investigation in the right direction, let us know. I know you believe that the Sanada-gumi didn't commit this crime officially – if at all – and we can help with that, if it turns out to be true.”

“I believe you,” Ryuji replies with a nod as he stands, too. Atreus and Devin, following their leader, stand as well. “If we hear about the involvement in the crime from people outside of the clan, you'll be the first to know.” He steps out from behind his desk and approaches the barrel-chested detective with an extended right arm and open hand.

“I appreciate it,” Detective Colter's metallic hand reaches out and clasps Ryuji's for a firm shake. After letting go, he turns to Atreus and Devin. “You boys have a good day. Stay out of trouble.”

The two gangsters respond with non-committal nods before Terrence turns and walks out of the office with Mason in tow, who doesn't close the door behind him this time, causing Atreus to step forward and close it himself.

In the hallway, Mason speaks up with a reluctant tone as they approach the elevator. “You sure it was okay to tell them all that stuff about the drones? That's being a little too transparent, don't you think?”

“If they had no part in the crime,” Terrence begins matter-of-factly, “then them knowing we don't have any drone footage won't change anything. If they did, then maybe it could lull them into complacency, and we can catch them doing something reckless.”

“If you say so,” Mason concedes, but still not sounding too convinced.

Back inside the office, Atreus and Devin sit back down, the latter resting his head back against the top of the sofa backrest and heaving a sigh of relief that the meeting is over.

“You sure it was a good idea to not mention Takiyama?” Devin asks while staring at the ceiling.

“I thought about it,” Ryuji answers as he sits back down, too. “But I decided that finding Takiyama is something we should take care of ourselves as much as we can before getting the police involved. We still don't know why he's missing or where he is currently. Worst case, we end up accidentally sending them into a situation where they find evidence suggesting the Sanada-gumi did it, after all.”

“That, and the mysterious guy who broke into the apartment could be a major player in this,” Atreus comments. “We need to find out what his deal is, too. I was pretty surprised to hear that they have no drone footage, though. I figured that was the one thing they had that could keep their investigation ahead of our own.”

“Yeah, that's pretty fucked,” Devin agrees. “They met up at the specific time and place where drones couldn't see them. But who was Camlin supposed to meet up with?”

Atreus narrows his eyes a bit and starts to recollect something. “Wasn't Takiyama on his way out from the Hoshino building about an hour before the murder? When we met up with Bessho a couple days ago, one of his boys said he left without saying where he was going.”

“Oh shit, that's right,” Devin's eyes grow wide at the epiphany. “Fuck, that'd make a lot of sense. But then again, how in the hell would Takiyama know Camlin at all? Didn't Bessho say he had no interest in science or Atmos Dynamics? And he never went to college at all, right? What's the overlap here?”

“I think we're gonna have to wait until the phone's cracked open to find out.”

“Christ, I feel like I've heard that a thousand times already,” Devin gripes as he throws his head back in irritation. “But Tetsu will get super angry if I keep badgering him about it. I have no doubt he's already going as quickly as possible; he's got good work ethic, honestly – even in Black Iron.”

The room slowly returns to the listless atmosphere it had before the unsolicited visit from the two detectives, with the Atreus and Devin playing with different applications on their phones, and Ryuji making the occasional phone call and intercom conversation to talk to other members, hand out assignments, and check in with other families.

Before long, Atreus's phone vibrates in his hand with the tune signifying an incoming text message. It's from Max; chances are, she just woke up.

[Hey, I'm awake now,] she eagerly announces in the message, as anticipated. [What've you been up to today?]

[I stopped by Shohei's earlier, but for the most part, I've been hanging around with friends,] Atreus gives an honest, if not somewhat whitewashed reply. [What are you up to this afternoon?]

[Getting out of bed, for one. About to eat my breakfast and take a bath. Are we still on to meet up for donuts today? If so, I'll keep my breakfast small.]

[Yeah, for sure. Thankfully, nothing really came up, so I should be totally free to hang out this evening.]

[Awesome! When do you want to meet up? It's Takahashi's, right?] Even in text, her enthusiasm is a very apparent, and it's something that Atreus takes note of and appreciates.

[Yeah, Takahashi's. Do you know where it is? Let's meet up there at 7 PM.]

[Yup, I've been there before, but not recently. 7 PM is totally doable. I'll keep my breakfast somewhat small to save room for a few donuts. I can't imagine we'd stay there for long, so is there anywhere you want to go afterward?]

[Eh, we'll cross that bridge when we get there,] Atreus answers a tad aloofly, but on a Saturday night, they wouldn't be starved for choices, anyway.

[Ah, you wanna wing it, huh? I can respect it. Things can be more interesting that way.]

[I guess that's one way to justify my laziness.]

[“Work smarter, not harder” was a motto of mine through college. But it's probably why I barely escaped certain failure in some courses,] she momentarily allows herself to become distracted by more self-deprecating memories of her university experience. [But anyways, I'm gonna continue my morning, and I'll check up with you again when we're closing in on 7 PM, okay?]

[Okay. I'll talk to you later,] Atreus ends the conversation and closes the text messaging application. He looks up to see Devin's narrowed eyes looking at him suspiciously.

“I saw you smirkin' over there,” the smug-looking gangster remarks. “Who were you talking to? That girl Max, right?”

“Yeah, I was,” Atreus readily admits. “We're gonna meet up again in a few hours at Takahashi's place, then probably go somewhere else afterward.”

“Damn, you guys are spending a lot of time together, even though you're already coworkers. If I were a bouncer at Mystik, I'd be glad to see Ami every day, but man, I bet even I'd eventually want to take a break from her presence.”

“Well, we never really spoke to one another until we went to Crown as customers a few nights ago, so we were still pretty much strangers then.”

“At least you got a girl to be with,” Devin lets out a sigh as he leans back and stretches his arms across the top of the sofa's backrest. “When was the last time you had a girlfriend? High school, right?”

“...Yeah,” Atreus answers with a reluctant nod. He silently apologizes for never telling his closest friend about a recent relationship he had, which is part of why it ended up failing. The augmented man hopes to prevent the issue from happening again, but he meditatively considers how much overlap between his romantic life and 'professional' life would be too much.