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A useless teammate. Completely dragging everyone down.
In Gin's eyes, Vodka's one redeeming quality was loyalty. Beyond that, there really wasn't much worth praising.
What Steven had done earlier, casually grabbing that FBI agent, might have looked effortless, almost accidental. In truth, it was a warning shot straight at the two of them.
Trying to kill him was never going to be easy.
"A smart hunter never exposes his weaknesses," Gin said calmly. "If Dukang dared to turn his back on us, it means he'd already prepared for the worst."
"He's strong enough. What's wrong with being a little arrogant?"
"As long as he works for me, he's an ally."
Gin was certain Steven hadn't joined the organization to seek protection. Money was the real reason.
And money was the one thing the boss behind the scenes had in endless supply. The funds allocated to the organization every year were barely more than pocket change.
People with desires were the easiest to control.
That was why Gin wasn't worried in the slightest about Steven betraying them.
"Boss…"
"Vodka, I know what you're worried about."
Gin cut him off.
"Since Dukang dared to show himself openly, he must be confident he can handle both the island nation's police and the American FBI."
"Don't forget, he's a lawless criminal to begin with. If things go south and he sacrifices the pawn to save the king, no one will ever trace him back to the organization."
"Let's go. Two rats are dead. That'll attract a whole swarm soon enough."
Click.
Gin lit a cigarette and left with Vodka. The alley fell back into silence.
A few minutes later, police cars arrived and sealed off the scene. Several FBI agents joined the investigation.
With no solid evidence pointing to any suspect, the two murders were naturally pinned on Steven.
…
Beika QQ Group Town, a certain 042 restaurant.
"Eri, over here. Can you see me?"
Yukiko sat by the window, waving enthusiastically.
"Sorry I'm late. Traffic was awful," Eri said with a smile. "Long time no see. You look exactly the same. Still lively and adorable."
"Ohohoho… getting praised by the great lawyer Kisaki Eri herself? I'm flattered," Yukiko laughed. "Honestly, I envy you more. Independent, sharp, unbeatable queen of the legal world. I see your name in the American news all the time."
"You're exaggerating. My colleagues are just being polite."
After a bit of catching up, they called the waiter over to order.
"Guess who I ran into at the bank today?" Eri said, flipping through the menu. Her glasses caught the light, making her look mysteriously smug. "I'll give you a hint. A big celebrity."
"In this country, is there anyone more famous than Lawyer Kisaki?" Yukiko teased.
"Stop dragging it out. What kind of handsome guy managed to catch your attention?"
"Steven."
Boom.
A flash of white exploded in Yukiko's mind. Last night's nightmare came rushing back, vivid and sharp.
Clatter.
The menu slipped from her fingers and fell to the floor.
"Yukiko, what's wrong? You don't look so good," Eri asked, noticing immediately.
"Ah… it's nothing," Yukiko said quickly. "I just got back to Tokyo and have been eating and playing nonstop. Probably didn't rest enough."
She accepted the menu the waiter picked up.
"Thank you."
To keep Eri from noticing anything off, Yukiko raised the menu to cover her face and took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.
They were close friends, but not close enough to share every secret.
Especially not something like that. It was far too embarrassing to say out loud.
"Coming back to Tokyo is like coming home," Eri said warmly. "Enjoy yourself, but take care of your health. Today's my treat. Order whatever you want."
"I'll just have this for now. Thanks."
Eri handed the menu back to the waiter and took a sip of tea.
"By the way, you're not unfamiliar with Steven, are you?"
Ever since Steven escaped detention and was put on the wanted list, he had become a household name across the country.
Even after officials later admitted there were doubts about his case and withdrew the warrant, it didn't stop people from gossiping about him over tea.
Holding out for three months against the combined pursuit of the local police and the FBI was already beyond what most people could imagine.
Then rumors spread that the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department bombing was also his doing, and his fame skyrocketed even further.
Some international tabloids even fabricated detailed reports for clicks, describing the scenes as if they had witnessed them firsthand.
"Huh? Why do you say that?" Yukiko asked, her heart leaping into her throat.
Don't tell me…
"Yusaku Kudo is a world-famous mystery writer. He often uses real cases as inspiration," Eri said calmly. "Steven's case is bizarre enough to be perfect material. I figured he'd be paying attention."
"And as his wife, always by his side, you must have heard something about it."
Eri watched Yukiko's emotional reaction and laid out her reasoning step by step.
False alarm.
Yukiko had thought Steven had told Eri about what happened last night. For a moment, she hadn't known how she'd possibly cover it up.
Now she finally let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"Yusaku has mentioned the case," Yukiko said stiffly. "But I think Steven is just a despicable, shameless scumbag. It wouldn't be surprising if he really committed that rape and murder."
"The so-called doubts in the case are probably just because the police couldn't find key evidence."
After last night, Yukiko's opinion of Steven was completely clouded by personal bias.
Given his filthy personality, she was convinced he was the real culprit. There was no way he'd been wronged.
"I don't think he's the murderer," Eri said. "This morning at the Beika Bank, he chased off a group of robbers and saved my life."
"Oh, and he said he's your fan. Asked me to pass along a message."
"'If you keep someone in your heart, the echo will one day return.'"
Ugh.
That disgusting pervert. Just thinking about it made her sick.
The moment Yukiko heard those words, her hatred flared. Last night replayed in her mind in brutal detail, every single moment crystal clear.
What made it worse was that the line sounded like he was looking forward to seeing her again.
"No matter what it takes, I have to get that videotape back as soon as possible," Yukiko thought fiercely. "Otherwise I'll never escape that man's grasp."
With Eri sitting across from her, she didn't dare show any reaction and quickly changed the subject.
"Talking about criminals is such a downer. Let's talk about you instead."
"Me? I'm fine. What's there to talk about?" Eri blinked in confusion.
"Come on, you're a woman too. You have needs," Yukiko said, propping her chin on her hands, eyes sparkling with gossip. "You've been separated from Mouri Kogoro for ten years. That marriage is basically just for show. Before, you could say it was for Ran's sake. But now she's grown up. Have you never thought about divorcing him and finding a new life partner?"
"Divorce?"
"I'm focused on my career right now. I haven't thought about that."
Eri said it firmly, but in her mind flashed the image of Steven's handsome face, and the effortless way he took down those robbers.
"....."