“Shut up!” Shiiba growled. He said it from the corner of his lips, trying to concentrate on the matter at hand.

“Let me help you,” Munechika said. “I’ll give you a word of advice. Use your imagination. If you don’t, you’ll never get it up.”

Shiiba wanted to scream back that that wasn’t going to be much help either, but he wasn’t in a position to do that. Glaring at Munechika, he let out a deep sigh. He had to calm down first. If he tried too hard, then he was never going to get anywhere.

“Use your imagination,” Munechika repeated. “I know that you really like men deep inside. You’ve never told anyone, but deep down, you like men. Large male hands caressing your body. You can’t help but want it. It’s your true desire.”

Shiiba looked up and checked the time on the clock hanging on the wall. Three minutes had already passed. He wasn’t going to be able to shoot off like this. He’d lose the deal.

“A male hand, holding your cock,” Munechika continued. “Slowly moving up and down. Surges of pleasure. The heat building, your dick hardening. It feels so good.”

Shiiba closed his eyes, and something floated up in his mind’s eye. A memory of an adult video that had been buried deep in his mind. The image of a beautiful naked woman slowly formed on his eyelids, but Munechika suddenly told him not to close his eyes. The image was ruined.

“Look only at me,” Munechika ordered. “That’s right. If you don’t, the deal is off.”

              He looked at Munechika full of hatred. Munechika told him to continue. He didn’t want to admit it, but Munechika’s baritone voice was attractive as he continued his monologue, “The man’s hand is turning you on. Moving up and down, up and down, your cock is starting to leak little drips. Little drips that start to run down his hand, it’s so dirty.”

Looking into Munechika’s eyes was making it difficult for Shiiba to think of other things. Jerking himself off required concentration. Without the chance to do that, he wasn’t going to be able to get hard.

He began to realize that if he wanted to get pleasure, then he had no other option but to surrender to Munechika. It wasn’t what he wanted, but it was the only way. Shiiba made up his mind. Next time Munechika spat out those foul words, he was going to try and listen.

He liked men. He needed sex with them. He wanted to do naughty things to them. Using Munechika’s words, he started to make up his own images. It was a kind of self-brainwashing.

“He starts to suck on your nipples. You like it. Him nibbling on them feels so good. Not only that. You want your own penis nibbled. You want your hard cock nibbled so badly. You want it licked. You want it sucked off.”

He was imagining it. Being turned on by a man sucking on him. The unrealistic thoughts twisted his will, and with the improper thoughts, he started to move his hand freely. The images were starting to arouse him. Slowly, his member was getting harder in his hand.

“Finally, he licks your dick. You can’t take it. You cry out because it feels so good. He’s excited too by your cries of pleasure, and he continues with the rough blowjob. You’re starting to leak semen into his mouth. You think you’re going to come, but you try to hold on to it.”

His heart was pounding faster. He had to catch this wave, and stick with it to the end.

Shiiba surrendered himself to the imaginary world. He was imagining the man going down on him. He was hot. His breath was quick. Oddly, the more he thought of the image, the more it started to turn him on. Even Munechika’s gaze on Shiiba started to become a turn on.

“The man’s tongue starts to look for something even deeper. You say that you don’t like it, but you’re so excited. You really want it. You want a rim job. You’re dripping, you want him to bury his own penis inside you.”

For an instant, Shiiba’s hand stopped. Munechika whispered to him to continue.

“The man does what you want and pushes against you. You accept him and open your legs wide to let him in. He penetrates you. Filling you up. It feels so good. He’s taking you as if you were a woman, you cry out in delight.”

Shiiba could see it in his mind’s eye. The man was holding him. Penetrating him. Shiiba was embarrassed. Ashamed. But, like a nightmare, he was only getting more excited. As if Munechika was manipulating Shiiba with his cold hard stare.

“You’re feeling the man inside you and he isn’t showing you any mercy. He’s pounding into you, and you can’t think of anything else anymore. You can barely breathe. But still, you want him to fuck you more. Harder. Deeper. You scream at him to pound you so hard you’ll never walk again. His dick is all the way up your ass, he’s grabbing at your hips. Until finally, the warm spurt comes spraying all over.”

At the conclusion to Munechika’s story, Shiiba erupted like a hot volcano. His hand was suddenly full of white sticky liquid. The pangs of gratification caused small convulsions in his stomach muscles. It was an entirely different feeling from when he jerked himself off alone.

“In 9 minutes 42 seconds,” Munechika drawled. “Good boy. Made it within the time limit.”

Shiiba’s breath was reverberating in his chest. He reached for the tissues on the bedside table. Finally finished, he lifted his worn out body and picked up his clothes from the floor.

It had been good.

Along with the exhaustion, he also had a sense of defeat that was difficult to explain.

What was he doing? To sink to this level? Why did he want to know who had killed Andou? What had he been waiting for?

Munechika watched Shiiba’s languid movements and took out a photo. He watched as Shiiba took it and looked at it. It was the face of a stern-looking man in his late 20s.

“Bao Sen Ma. He killed Andou.”

Shiiba’s eyes opened wide. He turned to Munechika. Munechika looked back at him. His thin smile, that had until now been there, disappeared.

“Why did he kill Andou?” Shiiba asked.

“Simple grudge that had to do with drug sales,” Munechika explained. “Andou had started getting merchandise from somewhere else. He’d been getting purer drugs from North Korea and having them smuggled into Japan through Asia. He was originally going to have the Taiwanese mafia smuggle it from the continent to Japan, but talks didn’t go well and, in the end, the Hong Kong mafia did it. That’s the basic story.”

Shiiba was secretly flabbergasted. He had never imagined that Andou’s operations had run that far and wide. He had overstretched himself.

“Then, this Ma, he’s Taiwanese mafia?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Munechika answered. “The Taiwanese mafia had the job stolen from them. The two organizations already had a strong rivalry, and Andou got in too deep. It seems that Andou was killed as a warning to others.”

There were countless Chinese mafia employees in Kabuki-cho. They worked for organizations from Shanghai, Beijing, Fujian, Hong Kong and Taiwan. These organizations were often in conflict with each other. The members of those organizations were mostly illegal immigrants. Investigating these people who were not on any official registers was like chasing shadows, so it was impossible to ever truly understand the organizations.

Shiiba was still full of rage. He glared at Munechika. “You knew that though. Even the Matsukura Group was aware of the danger Andou was in. Why didn’t you protect him?”

“It’s all easy for you to say,” Munechika said. “There isn’t a yakuza stupid enough to get in a fight with the Chinese. They have dirty methods, you should know that.”

It was as Munechika said. The Chinese mafia only came to Japan to earn money. Robbery, smuggling, and trafficking were nothing more than business to them. Their motto was “Yao qian, bu yao min.” Life is not important if you want money. It meant that you could kill for money. It reduced the brutality of it all and made it more business-like.

Knowing that still wasn’t going to appease the growing wave of anger inside. Shiiba continued to glare accusingly at Munechika.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Munechika muttered, scowling back. “I thought I did the only thing I could. I knew that the people who disagreed with Andou were those in the Chu Lien Pang clan so I talked to people I knew in Taiwan who came from that organization. I thought the matter had already been dealt with.”

The Chu Lien Pang was the largest of the Taiwanese crime groups. There were plenty of active members working in Japan. However, the orders from the upper levels probably never reached those members who were working alone in Japan.

“Andou knew he was in danger?” Shiiba asked.

“Lots of worrisome things happened, but I don’t think he thought that they were trying to kill him,” Munechika said. “The last thing he did was to take steps to move his money. He ordered me to be on my guard.”

Munechika’s expression looked depressed and Shiiba thought that the man was probably regretting not talking directly to Andou now. If only a little, his dislike of the other man decreased.

“Ma was a member of the organization that killed Andou,” Munechika said. “He’s probably not registered here. He’s an old member of the organization, but it seems that he’s not a favorite of his colleagues. On the back of the photo is the address of the apartment that Ma hangs out in.”

“How did you get so much information?” Shiiba asked. “It’s not easy to find things out about the Taiwanese mafia.”

Even the police found it difficult to gather information on foreign crime syndicates. A different kind of warning was going off in Shiiba’s head. He looked intently at Munechika. Munechika just laughed back at him.

“I have my ways,” he said. “But, that is all you need to know. Do with the information what you will.”

Munechika ran his finger down Shiiba’s cheek. Shiiba put the photo into his breast pocket.

“Thank you, I will,” he said.

He walked to the door. The deal was complete. He no longer needed this man or this room.

When Shiiba put his hand out to turn the doorknob, Munechika called out to him. He looked back.

“It was something,” Munechika said nonchalantly. “A serving police officer masturbating, not something you see every day.”

Shiiba felt like giving the man a flying kick to the face. Munechika had known who Shiiba was all along.

“You asked Andou?” he asked incredulously.

“No, I found out myself,” Munechika replied. “Andou was your informant, wasn’t he? I thought that maybe you two were sleeping together, but you said that your relationship was platonic. He was really a cruel man underneath it all, regardless of what you saw in him.” Munechika threw in some cruel sarcasm, giving a light laugh. “You did well to get a stingy man like that to help you out with no reward.” 

Shiiba was chilled by the look in the man’s eyes. Munechika wasn’t trying to make a fool of him, the man actually hated Shiiba.

“Andou was different from a jerk like you,” Shiiba spat.

“You are the same as me,” Munechika countered. “We knew how he felt and we used him. You have some balls, little girl.”

Shiiba went red with rage. He couldn’t stand to see this man’s face for one more second. He opened the door and left the room.

“Take care going home, Detective Shiiba,” he heard Munechika’s laughing voice say behind him.

Ignoring it, he slammed the door with all his might. He kicked it behind him for good measure. The tantrum, of course, didn’t do anything to ease his rage.

Entering the room, Takasaki let him know the good news: “Shiiba, we got Ma.”

The room was in the apartment block that was the center for the Matsuda team. Receiving Takasaki’s call, Shiiba had come straight away.

“Really? That was fast,” Shiiba said.

He had heard two days ago that Ma had been arrested in possession of drugs. It had been the result of the information that Munechika had given him that Unit 1 had been able to act on. It was for another crime, but when they searched his home, they found a weapon that they suspected had been used in the murder of Andou. Even Ma would have now resigned himself to his fate.

However, Shiiba thought that Ma probably wasn’t talking about what actually led to Andou’s murder. He would be insisting that it was a personal grudge against Andou, to protect his gang.

Takasaki had cheered up a little, but Shiiba couldn’t share in the celebration just yet. Takasaki was happy, not that they had caught Andou’s killer, but because that meant that they weren’t going to be snooping around Ying Fa Lin. To the people above, Andou was just an S, a pawn that they could discard.

But Shiiba had no right to reproach Takasaki for his lack of emotion. If you started accusing people of being selfish, Shiiba would come under fire too.

When Shiiba had found out that Andou’s killer had been Taiwanese Mafia and the man’s death had nothing to do with his work as an S, he had been relieved. He had felt a huge weight lifted from his shoulders.

He couldn’t help but feel a little bad about that.

The truth was that Andou had still been killed. But Shiiba had been released from his feelings of guilt. It wasn’t something to be proud of. Even that ridiculous deal he had entered into with Munechika to get that information he wanted so badly was all for himself.

“What’s happening with Lin?” Takasaki asked.

“When he gets back in the country I’ll try to contact him,” Shiiba promised.

              “Be careful,” Takasaki warned. “If you need help, call me. We need to be very careful around Lin until he parts with a piece of information worthy of handing to the Incidents Team.”

After discussing how they were going to contact Lin, the conversation dropped off. Takasaki started on a topic that Shiiba himself would never have considered.

“Now that Andou is gone, what are you going to do? Your other informants are just small fry. You need to find a new S.”

“A new S?” Shiiba asked, surprised.

“Yes, how about Keigo Munechika?” Takasaki suggested. “He seems like he would make a good S.”

It was unbelievable. Shiiba yelled without realizing, “Stop it! That man could never be my S!”

“Why? He’s in the Matsukura Group, and he’s a businessman so he has a lot of connections,” Takasaki pointed out. “He’s knowledgeable on the criminal underworld, and he also works in an import company. He’s ideal. Anyway, even knowing that you were a detective, he still got you that information on Ma. That’s a pretty cooperative S already.”

How is that guy even remotely cooperative? Shiiba screamed internally. Of course, he hadn’t told Takasaki any of what had happened between him and Munechika. He hadn’t told him anything more than that a man of the Matsukura Group who knew Andou had given him some valuable information on the murder.

The idea of Munechika being his S made Shiiba want to vomit. The man had known that he was a detective, but still made him do that perverted stuff. Munechika clearly had contempt for the police. Furthermore, Munechika hadn’t gotten his hands dirty, but still shamed Shiiba through looks and words. It would have been so much better just to have had sex. The man was really messed up.

“You know that it’s difficult to get an S,” Takasaki said. “It usually takes years for things to get to the stage where you can use him as an S. But, Munechika came to you himself, so it’s going to speed things up. He might be too much of a big shot, but don’t overlook him.”

What Takasaki said was right. To get an S was the job of Shiiba and the other detectives in his team. An S wasn’t a form of investigation. It was a way of bringing yourself closer to the target. It felt like the reverse of what you should do, but that was what it was.

Having an S was like fishing with cormorants. The fishermen use birds to fish, but they first train the birds, and that training is essential. It was the same as undercover detective work. If you flew into the river yourself you would never catch a single fish. But a valuable bird could get you information on the fish. That was why you needed an S.

Shiiba knew it, but he wanted to choose what kind of bird to raise. His superiors had no idea what kind of man was most suited for the job.

“You have to take Keigo Munechika,” Takasaki repeated.

When Shiiba showed no reaction, Takasaki looked sternly at him. “All right? Shiiba? This is an order. You’ll start tomorrow.”

Shiiba could only nod. Even though he wasn’t happy, even though he couldn’t accept it, a superior’s order was absolute. Shiiba could not object.

Chapter 5

He had to obey orders.

The first thing that he did was tail Munechika. Shiiba had already investigated Munechika’s basic personality, but he still needed to find out what the man did everyday, his interests, his preferences, the money he borrowed, and his personal relationships. Shiiba needed to know anything that would help him understand Munechika as a man. When trying to obtain an S, you had to start researching from the very bottom.

On the outside, Munechika looked like an ordinary businessman. In the morning he would leave for work, at night, he would come home. He did a lot of entertaining as part of the job. Almost everyday, he would eat or go drinking with someone. The one thing that Shiiba knew was that Munechika had a young assistant, who would frequently meet with the other members of crime groups.

After watching Munechika for over 10 days, Shiiba still hadn’t been able to discern any particularly unusual behavior. This wasn’t going to progress Shiiba’s assignment. He didn’t want to bring private affairs to his job, but he disliked what he disliked. It depressed him. Knowing that he was one of those men that put his personal feelings before the job made him really begin to hate himself.

Consumed by his feelings of self-hatred, Shiiba stood guard that night, as he did every night, over Munechika. He was in front of a classy club in Ginza. He would be recognized so he didn’t go in.

There were lots of people drinking, but this part of the city was worlds apart from Kabuki-cho. Men disappeared into the building with beautiful hostesses in their arms. Flashy women were standing out on the streets to wave to customers. There were expensive cars and taxis lined up as far as the eye could see.

Shiiba was standing in the shadow of a deserted building under the cold winter sky. Finally, Munechika came out. He wasn’t alone. Tonight, he had a young girl with him. In front of them, the black Benz driven by Kaname pulled up.

Shiiba jumped into the taxi that he had paid to wait for him and told the driver to follow the Benz. The Benz with Munechika and the girl in it took off. The taxi that Shiiba was in followed a few cars behind. The Benz went from Showa Street, to the 405 and then on to Roppongi Street. It looked like they were headed for Munechika’s place.

Munechika was really doing well financially if he was able to take a hostess home from a fancy club. Shiiba stared at the Benz in front, his heart filled with resentment. But, if the girl was Munechika’s lover, then that could be a resource he could use. Shiiba had to find out everything he could about Munechika. After a short while, the Benz pulled up at Munechika’s Roppongi residence. Seeing the Benz enter the underground parking lot, Shiiba got out of the taxi. He was on one of the roads that were on the south side of Roppongi Hills. He looked around, just a little bit ahead was a park. Hiding himself in the shadows of the park’s trees, he watched the entrance to the parking lot.

He planned to stay there until the girl went home, but if he was unlucky, he might be there until morning. Shiiba would have to buy some hot coffee. However, after only taking a few steps towards the vending machine, the cellular phone in his pocket started to vibrate. The number on the display didn’t look familiar. Shiiba’s eyes were fixed on the house as he answered the phone.

“You won’t give up, will you? Do you plan to follow me forever?”

It was Munechika’s voice.

Shiiba had been so careful. There was no way Munechika could have noticed. And Shiiba had never told the man this cell phone number.

“Come on up,” Munechika continued. “I’ll make you some coffee.” This man seemed to have eyes everywhere. “See you.”

Munechika hung up.

Shiiba returned the phone to his pocket and set off determinedly towards the building’s front entrance. He exchanged greetings with the guard and the doorman and pushed the intercom. It connected him straight to the front reception where they asked for the name and room number of the person he was visiting.

He was let in. He walked through a large corridor that was decorated like an art museum. He waited there for the building personnel to make the relevant checks with Munechika. Finally, he got into the elevator.

The luxury elevator ascended silently. Inside, Shiiba was nervous. This would be his first meeting trying to get Munechika to be an S. It was a chance for him to improve their relationship.

He should have been feeling tense, but he was feeling depressed. He knew the reason. Shiiba should have had the upper hand on Munechika, but he hadn’t from the onset. If he was to gain the advantage now, he would have to take action. He may not get another chance later on.

Standing in front of Munechika’s room, Shiiba closed his eyes and forced himself to calm down. Right now, all he could do was to get to know Munechika better, and find a way to use him as an S.

When he pushed the intercom button, Munechika immediately appeared. He looked a lot younger now, perhaps because he had changed into jeans and a sweater.

Entering the hall, Shiiba quickly looked around on the floor, but there wasn’t a pair of women’s shoes to be seen.

“You had a woman with you?” he asked.

“Kaname took her home,” Munechika clarified.

So only Munechika had gotten out of the Benz in the parking lot. However, Shiiba wasn’t satisfied with that explanation. Why hadn’t they taken her home first? Shiiba asked that question, and Munechika grinned a dirty grin.

“I was intending to have some fun with her all night, but I changed my mind halfway through. I felt sorry for you out there all alone.”

“Don’t lie to me,” Shiiba snapped. “I bet you just got bored and dumped her.”

They entered the living room. Munechika disappeared into the kitchen and re-appeared holding a pot of coffee and two cups.

“Drink,” he said. “It’ll warm you up.”

Munechika poured coffee into the two simple, unadorned cups. From the amber liquid, a sweet smell drifted up.

When Shiiba didn’t immediately reach for it, Munechika said, dissatisfied, “Think there’s something wrong with it?”

“You didn’t spike it with something, did you?” Shiiba asked.

To prove his innocence, Munechika took a sip from his own cup. There was no reason to doubt the offering, but there was something in the way that Munechika looked that put Shiiba on his guard.

“I don’t trust you,” Shiiba said.

Munechika glowered at him. “Then don’t drink it.”

“I’ll drink it,” Shiiba protested. “No little powdered snacks though.”

Finally, Shiiba took the cup. Munechika snorted. “You should have drunk it right away. The best coffee gets cold quick.”

It was true. The coffee that Munechika had made was far more delicious than anything he’d had in a café. The man must have used good beans.

“Why are you following me? Are you madly in love with me?”

Munechika’s question was completely inappropriate. Shiiba glared at him.

“Idiot,” he said. “Even if I were a woman, you’d be the last bastard I’d fall in love with. Save your stupid words for someone else,” he said, totally shooting Munechika down.

Munechika looked coldly back at him. “You’re pretty, but you have a foul mouth.”

“Keep going,” Shiiba retorted. “I’m not the pervert who gets turned on by watching other men jack off. You’re probably impotent, aren’t you? You probably can’t even fire your magnum, it’s just decoration.”

As he said this, the better part of himself was screaming at him to stop. You shouldn’t anger a potential S. You’re useless!

However, Munechika, rather than getting mad, exploded in laughter. He slapped his thighs. Shiiba didn’t think that anything he had just said was amusing.

“Why don’t you find out for yourself whether my magnum is just a toy or the real thing?” Munechika asked, still laughing. “I’ll have you instead of that woman.”

“I’m going,” Shiiba said tersely.

When he stood up from the sofa, Munechika grabbed his arms and asked him to wait. “It was a joke! Jeez. Such an angry man. Believe me, if I wanted to chase after man-ass, then I wouldn’t have a shortage of partners. But, I might enjoy it more if it was you.”

Shiiba couldn’t tell if Munechika was joking or was being serious. He really disliked this man.

But he sat down again. “Munechika, you knew I was a detective, so why did you give me that information on Ma?”

“What brought this on?” Munechika asked, sobering up.

“You didn’t really want to do anything with me, did you?” Shiiba asked back. “That strange deal was just an excuse to give me the information, right?”

“I don’t know,” Munechika said evasively.

“By telling me the information, then Ma was definitely going to be arrested. The Matsukura Group couldn’t touch a member of the Taiwan mafia so that was your way of doing it. Am I right?” Shiiba said.

“You’re not entirely correct,” Munechika answered. “We did indeed want to take our revenge on Ma, but if that’s all we wanted, then we could have just made an anonymous call to the police. The reason for the deal was that I was interested in your body. The guy who was using Andou for information, I wondered what kind of man he was. The deal was enough. I had been thinking that you were just a pretty girly-boy, but you were much more amazing than I expected. I knew it from the way you jerked off.”

Shiiba began to feel angry. As soon as that ordeal was over, he had tried to erase it from his memory. To be praised for what he’d done made him feel more uncomfortable.

“Don’t get angry,” Munechika said. “That was all it was. I just wanted to have a chance to get to know the real you.”

Shiiba exploded. “How was that the real me? How can you tell who I am by watching that?!”

“Of course I could,” Munechika said. “In front of your lover, or someone that you want, you can pleasure yourself right? I didn’t arouse you. But when you started listening to what I was saying, that got you hard, didn’t it? You were surprised when your mood changed, and you even started to feel a little turned on. And then you managed to shoot off when you had a picture of two men in your mind. I didn’t actually think that you were going to manage it.”

“Aren’t you reading too much into it?” Shiiba threw back at Munechika. He was offended that the man thought he could assess a person’s personality through something as bizarre as that. “Maybe I just have a high sex drive and any dirty words will turn me on.”

“That might be the case,” Munechika mused. “You’re lucky if a few words can please you like that. Next time, shall I call your house? I’ll be your phone-sex buddy. I’ll turn you on with my voice every night. How about that?”

Idiot. This man really was the lowest of the low. Shiiba stood up from the chair. If he didn’t get out of here quick, then something weird might happen again.

“Going home already?” Munechika drawled.

“Yes,” Shiiba snapped. “I’ll only say this once. Thank you for helping us get Ma.”

Munechika didn’t say anything. He just looked at Shiiba silently. Shiiba couldn’t stand this awkward silence. He started to step away.

“Would it have been better if you knew the truth?” Munechika asked quietly.

Shiiba stopped in his tracks. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. In Shiiba’s heart, waves rippled.

“What do you mean?” he whispered.

Hiding his anxiety, Shiiba slowly turned around. Munechika sat on the arm of a chair, looking back at him. His eyes were quiet and Shiiba couldn’t tell what was going on behind them. The situation only intensified his unease.

“You were relieved when you found out that Andou didn’t die because of you,” Munechika said flatly.

Shiiba felt like his heart had stopped beating. He couldn’t get any words out at first.

Munechika continued. “I thought that you were Andou’s woman. So I thought that you would be desperate to find out who had killed him. But Andou was nothing more than your informant. The fact that he is gone is nothing more than a simple inconvenience to you. Poor Andou. I think he would have cried if you had died.”

              “Shut up!” Shiiba screamed to silence the words he didn’t want to hear. His relationship with Andou was something he didn’t want to talk to other people about. “Don’t say anything anymore…”

“Did I hit a sore spot?” Munechika asked mercilessly.

Of course, Shiiba had been relieved when he had found out that it wasn’t his fault that Andou was murdered. That was undeniable. But Munechika had no right to talk about Andou like that.

“What the hell do you know?” Shiiba growled. “How do you know how I felt? You know nothing about us…” The feeling of remorse that he may have been the reason that Andou had been in danger had been like a knife in Shiiba’s chest. One that Munechika just continued to twist. There was no way that Shiiba could keep his cool. “You shit, what does a shit like you know…”

Perhaps due to the intensity of his emotions, tears started to well up in Shiiba’s eyes. He didn’t want Munechika to see that. He wasn’t proud of his weaknesses. He tried to escape, but Munechika held him back.

“Wait,” Munechika said. “I haven’t finished.”

“You have nothing to say that I want to hear,” Shiiba spat out. However much he tried, he couldn’t pull away from Munechika’s grip. The more he tried, the more it hurt. “Let go of me. I’ll kick the shit out of you if you don’t!” He turned back round and glared at Munechika. His black eyes glistened, betraying the passion of his emotions.

Suddenly Munechika grabbed his hips and pulled Shiiba to his chest.

“Such beautiful eyes,” he whispered. “Finally, you’ve taken off your mask. That’s the face I’ve been longing to see. Not the pretty one, but the inner passionate one. That’s the face—”

He suddenly pushed Shiiba against the wall and kissed him violently. Taken aback by the sudden touch of Munechika’s lips, Shiiba was powerless to stop the man from pushing his tongue into his mouth.

“…Ngh…Mm…”

He started to lose sense of what was happening as Munechika’s thick tongue pushed so violently into his mouth that he could barely breathe.

“Sto…”

As soon as he opened his mouth to try and get a word out, Munechika changed angle and pushed his tongue in even deeper.

Munechika pushed his tongue in as far as it would go. As the tongue licked the roof of Shiiba’s mouth, a feeling he hadn’t known before shook his muscles. He’d never been touched there by another person. This was the first time in his life. To his surprise, he discovered that he was sensitive there.

The kiss continued. It tasted so much richer than anything he’d ever tasted before. His tongue being massaged by another man’s warm tongue, he couldn’t help but feel something. The tongue sought him out wherever he ran.

Finally parting lips, Munechika whispered sweetly in his ear, “Shall we sleep together?”

Shiiba tried to catch his racing breath and come to his senses. He couldn’t go at Munechika’s pace. He had to calm down.

“I thought you weren’t interested in men?” he asked.

“I’m not,” Munechika said. “You’re an exception.”

Munechika took Shiiba’s hand and started leading him into the bedroom. Shiiba hesitated. He shouldn’t have felt what he had when they shared that kiss. He wondered if the way to get Munechika as his S was through sex. He was prepared to sleep with him once. He didn’t want to risk saying no and have the man run away.

Work was work. He had to stick it out. Detectives had to get sexually intimate with women before to obtain information, so it didn’t really matter if this time it was a man.

This time it was a man. That was all there was to it.

The real problem was that to Munechika, he was nothing more than a rare and interesting toy. To work out whether Shiiba was going to be lucky or unlucky was difficult.

Munechika led him into another room and pushed him down onto the king-sized bed. The springs gave back a little and Shiiba sunk into the covers.

“You’re behaving yourself now. Am I that good a kisser?” Pushing himself down on top of Shiiba, Munechika stroked Shiiba’s hair.

“Yeah, it was good,” Shiiba answered. “It was so good, you broke down my defenses.”

Munechika frowned. “What’s up with you? You’re acting weird now.”

Shiiba put both his arms around Munechika’s neck and whispered, “I can’t help it. It was so good. That was the first time anyone has ever kissed me like that. It was amazing. I want you now. This is my first time with a guy, but I want it to be you…”

Thinking that winning him over with sex was going to make things easy, Shiiba pulled Munechika into him. How had Munechika made him feel things that Andou hadn’t been able to? Maybe because there wasn’t really anything between him and Munechika. He simply had to be very business-like about the sex.

When he tried to push his lips onto Munechika’s, he noticed that Munechika was laughing.

“What’s so funny?” he asked incredulously.

“Nothing,” Munechika said, between bouts of laughter. “You’re an odd one. Shiiba, you can’t make me yours with sex. I’ll tell you that now.”

“What are you saying?” Shiiba snapped.

              Munechika grabbed his chin and pulled Shiiba towards him. Their gazes locked. “Did you think you could use me instead of Andou? I’m different from Andou. I’m not some hero who will give you information just because they want to be touched by you. You have to know that before we sleep together.”

Shiiba cursed internally. He’d made a mistake. Sex was not going to draw this man in. Shiiba pushed Munechika off him and sat up with force.

“What? We’re not going to do it now?” Munechika grumbled.

“I’m not going to get anything out of it so why would I want to?” Shiiba said.

Looking at Shiiba, Munechika rolled off the bed and laughed again. “You were trying to bait me with sex?! You think that your body is worth that much?”

Shiiba’s face flushed, revealing what a fool he had been.

“You are an impotent pervert after all!” he yelled. “You’ll just have to jerk off all on your own forever!”

Shiiba’s line made Munechika’s shoulder heave with laughter.

Ignoring everything, Shiiba jumped off the bed. He was frustrated. He was mortified. But above all, he was angry with himself. Why did he lose his cool in front of this man?

While he was putting on his shoes, Munechika called out to him, “Hey.” He turned around just as something flew towards him. He caught it. “Have this.”

When he opened his hand, he found a key. It was a slightly different shape than usual though.

“It’s the key to the room,” Munechika explained. “If you swipe along the card reader on the intercom then the door will open. Same with the elevator. Put in the key and then you don’t have to press the button, it’ll take you to this floor automatically. You can’t go to any other floor.”

Inside the key was an embedded chip. There were a lot of locks and security checks in this building. Security was clearly of grave concern to Munechika.

Of course, the front hall was double locked. There were CCTV cameras and checks made by the front staff. The security was for their peace of mind.

Moreover, he had heard that the most expensive apartment in this block cost well over 4,000,000 yen a month. So the security wasn’t surprising.

“What do you mean by giving me a key?” Shiiba asked.

              Munechika smirked. “Don’t keep following me. If you want something, come over. I don’t have anything to hide from you.”

“Can I come in while you’re doing it with a woman?” Shiiba asked sarcastically.

“No problem.” Munechika leered. “We can have a threesome.”

Without the strength to find a witty comeback, Shiiba put the key in his pocket. He should just give the key straight back, but he couldn’t think straight at that moment. His rage was still smoldering inside him, but he was also feeling disappointed too.

He flung open the door and quickly left the room and Munechika behind. Walking rapidly down the corridor, he noticed a sweet smell lingering on his body. It was the perfume that Munechika used. The scent followed him about, seemingly trying to remind Shiiba that even if he left, Munechika would still be with him.

Shiiba dreamt of his sister for the first time in a long while.

In his dream of Yukari, she was silently knitting. When Shiiba asked what she was knitting, Yukari held up the almost completed item to show him.

“It’s a baby bonnet. It’s cute, isn’t it?”

Yukari looked so happy. She was knitting a hat for the child that would come in the cold winter. Her stomach hadn’t yet grown much, but she already looked like a mother.

He knew it was just a dream, but Shiiba’s heart was still filled with pain and longing upon seeing it. When Yukari died, she had been pregnant for five months. The little person’s life had been snuffed out so young.

“Masaki, Hideyuki is worried. Are you going to be all right with the exam?”

“It’s fine. I’ll pass, no worries!”

In his dream, he answered with such confidence. He was going to join the Metropolitan Police. At the same time, hidden behind that decision, was the desire to be like his brother-in-law and make his sister feel proud of him.

When Shinozuka and Yukari had married, Shinozuka’s family had not entirely approved. Even after they were married, they would keep saying hurtful things about her upbringing. Shinozuka was always on her side, but Shiiba couldn’t help pitying his sister who would just quietly take the insults. So he wanted to be on the same career as Shinozuka, to ease the criticism of his sister even just a little.

When their parents had died, Yukari had looked after Shiiba. She was a sister that anyone would have been proud of. Shinozuka was always very busy, but he looked after Yukari well. When they all went out together as a family, those were some of the happiest times in Shiiba’s life.

“Is that the time already? I have to get to my check-up.”

“You can’t.” Shiiba was surprised. “You can’t go!”

“Why? What’s the matter? You are a strange boy.”

Yukari laughed and stood up. Shiiba reached out to try and stop her, but Yukari disappeared. Shiiba was left grabbing at thin air.

On the way home from the maternity clinic the tragic incident had happened. If she hadn’t gone that day, then it would have never happened.

“Wait! Don’t go!” he screamed at the space his sister had once occupied.

Then he woke up.

Shiiba covered his face with his hands. His breath was irregular. His entire body was dripping with sweat. Looking at the clock, he saw that it was already past 11:00. He had gone to bed early so it was unusual that he had slept so long.

Just as he pulled himself out of bed, the phone rang. In the darkness, the phone display was lit up in orange. For a moment, he stared blankly at the display, but then he brought himself to his senses and reached out to pick it up.

It was Shinozuka. He wanted to know about the exam next year. Shiiba wanted to turn him down, but instead, his mouth gave a different answer.

“I’m sorry. I need more time to think.”

“I see,” Shinozuka said. “This is your life, so it’s right that you think about it. Masaki, you go to Shinjuku a lot, don’t you? I’m going to be in Shinjuku Street. I have something to do at the Tokyo Government Office.”

“A meeting about the Terrorist Planning?” Shiiba asked.

“Yeah,” Shinozuka answered. “This will be my last job for the Metropolitan.”

The government, police and fire departments were going to cooperate at the beginning of the year in a chemical terror attack drill. Public Security had set up NBC terror investigators in response to the threat of a biological chemical attack by terrorists. They were going to be the control center for this drill.

“There’s a meeting tomorrow so I’ll be at the Government Office. If you have time, do you want to have dinner somewhere?” Shinozuka asked.

“I’m sorry. I already have plans tomorrow,” Shiiba lied. He didn’t actually have any plans, but he didn’t want to see Shinozuka right then.

“I see,” Shinozuka said. “Well maybe next time then. Careful that you don’t catch a cold.”

“Okay.”

After he hung up the phone, Shiiba rolled back on the bed, exhausted.

He didn’t have an ounce of enthusiasm to take his career down that path so why hadn’t he just said so? Perhaps he actually was having doubts about continuing as a regular detective. He couldn’t deny that he was starting to have second thoughts on continuing his current line of work.

He was thirsty. Getting up, he went to the fridge and grabbed a mineral water bottle. Listening to the low hum of the fridge’s motor, he took a sip from the bottle. The water ran down his dry throat, slowly reaching his stomach. But even when he had drunk the whole bottle he was still thirsty.

It wasn’t his body that was thirsty, but his heart. Shiiba had always felt a loneliness within him, like there was a sandy desert inside. A world buried in hot, burning sand where nothing was alive. The desert would stretch on forever. From inside, Shiiba was drying up.

He returned to the bed and closed his eyes. However much he tried, sleep would not come to him. Frustrated, he prayed for sleep to take him back, away from this world. Suddenly, he noticed the cell phone that was by his pillow. He reached out and opened up the flip phone.

He found a missed call. It was a number that wasn’t in his phone book. After a while of him staring at the number, Shiiba pushed the call button.

“Yes.”

It was a man who picked up. When Shiiba said nothing, the man asked, “This is Shiiba, right?”

Shiiba still didn’t say anything. He only pushed the phone against his ear.

“Don’t stay quiet, say something,” the man demanded.

“What are you wearing?” Shiiba finally asked.

Hearing the “worst phone sex line ever” uttered in a monotone voice, Munechika, on the other end of the line, laughed.

“Bad joke,” the man said. “Try saying something better.”

“I didn’t say it to make you laugh,” Shiiba said.

“I’m always so bored,” Munechika said. “You’re a good source of amusement.”

Shiiba wished that Munechika would stop trying to pander to him. But he was satisfied that it was Munechika. The man was always awake. But no matter what expression he was making, happy or annoyed, his eyes always looked dark, as if there was some deep regret hidden there.

“Let’s get on with it then?” Munechika said.

“What?” Shiiba asked, puzzled.

“Phone sex,” Munechika replied as he always did, and Shiiba couldn’t help a small pained smile from forming on his face.

“I’m not going to do that,” he answered.

“So why did you call me then?” Munechika asked.

Shiiba didn’t know the answer. He hadn’t been thinking about work, this wasn’t the sort of business call he would make.

“Oh, I know,” Munechika continued. “You wanted to hear my voice. If you’re sad sleeping on your own, come over to my place. We can continue where we left off. I’ll treat you well.”

“Lay off.” Shiiba growled. “I told you, if there is nothing in it for me, then I’m not sleeping with you.”

“There is something in it for you. It’ll feel good,” Munechika crooned. “Anyway, whenever you do feel like it just slip into my bed.”

“Even in a hundred years, that is never going to happen. Goodbye.”

It was an annoying conversation, but it had cheered him up a little.

“Hey, wait!”

Ignoring what the man was going to say, Shiiba grinned and hung up.

Chapter 6

Ying Fa Lin had returned from China and was back in Japan.

Shiiba quickly contacted Lin and made arrangements for a meeting. The place that Lin had asked to meet was a restaurant at the top of a hotel in Shinjuku.

At two o’clock in the afternoon, Shiiba headed for the ninth floor. He was shown to a room overlooking the imperial gardens.

Lin appeared five minutes after the time they had agreed upon. As Andou had told him, the man looked like an ordinary businessman. He was around 40, of average build and looked mild mannered.

“It’s good to meet you,” Shiiba greeted. “My name is Shibano. Thank you for coming.”

“I’m Lin,” the man replied. “Happy to see you too. I’m sorry to hear about Mr. Andou. I was surprised when I heard the news.”

He had a slight accent, but apart from that, his Japanese was very fluent. Andou had told Shiiba that Lin had been in Japan for 10 years now.

“I’m very sorry too,” Shiiba said. “He was a good friend.”

“But I’m glad to hear that they caught the murderer,” Lin added.

Surrounded by plates of food, they talked a little of Andou. Lin had been hoping that Andou would be a good trading partner. He had regretted Andou’s sudden death.

“I heard that it was the Taiwanese mafia who had Mr. Andou killed,” he said. “Chinese crimes have been increasing recently which makes me very sad. But the Japanese police are to blame too. In my homeland, even robbery and sexual assault means the death penalty. Compared to that, the Japanese are easy on crime. Chinese criminals think that there is no place like Japan where it is so easy to make money. To them, the streets are covered in money.”

“The streets?” Shiiba asked.

“Yes, vending machines, ATM’s, you have so very many,” Lin clarified. “For a criminal from China, Japan is heaven. Prison is more like a hotel. So, even when they get deported they just come back to do it again. The most important thing to them is making money. In China, we don’t have this crime of passion. You can live without love, but you can’t live without money.”

“You are in Japan on business too? How is work going?” Shiiba asked, changing the subject.

“Thank you, it’s all right,” Lin replied. “But my company is government-run. All the capital comes from the Chinese government. That’s as much as I can say. So, even though I am the president, my salary is not that much.”

Shiiba felt a little bothered by what Lin said. Why would a state-run company pretend to be a private one?

“So you are a government employee then?” he probed.

“Something like that. Anyway, I hear that you are a fan of guns Mr. Shibano?” Lin asked.

              Shiiba concentrated. He had to be careful.

“Yes, that’s right,” he answered. “Of course, only the real thing. When I’ve been abroad I’ve often tried them out.”

“Is that so? Did you talk with Mr. Andou about it?” Lin asked.

Shiiba nodded. “Yes. I was very interested so I wanted to meet with you myself.”

Lin nodded. He looked satisfied. He picked up an attaché case that was at his side. Moving the dinner plates aside, he put it on the table and released the catch. He turned the open attaché case to face Shiiba.

“This is what I have to show you right now,” he said. “If there is anything else that you would like, I can obtain that too.”

Shiiba took a slight intake of breath. Inside were three pistols. He hadn’t expected Lin to bring goods with him. Shiiba was getting a glimpse of what Lin was really about, underneath the appearance.

There were three different kinds, but on the grips, there were small stars embedded so he knew all of them were made in China. One was a Tokarev, the other a Mokarev. But he didn’t know what the other was. It was smaller than the other two.

“This one, what is it?” he asked.

“This is a 77,” Lin explained. “I’m sure you know. In normal automatic weapons, you need to manually pull the slide back to load the chamber. But on a 77, when you pull the trigger guard, the slide automatically pulls back so it can be entirely operated by one hand. That is its feature. It was developed for the Chinese army, police, and high ranking officials as a small hand weapon.”

It was a gun that was not well known overseas then. Shiiba was becoming more and more baffled by Lin. The man worked as the president of a state-funded company. On the side, he sold guns in the black-market. What organization could be working behind him?

“How did you get these into Japan?” he asked.

“I can’t tell you all the details, but I have a friend in the consular office. If you carry a diplomatic passport then no one inspects you,” Lin answered.

Shiiba didn’t believe that diplomats could smuggle guns, but if he asked too many questions then Lin would be on his guard. He decided to change the subject.

“How much?” he asked.

“You were a friend of Mr. Andou so I will lower the price. How is this for you?”

Lin held up one finger. Even for a genuine gun, 1,000,000 yen was a little expensive. Lin saw him hesitate.

“These are expensive items.” He smiled. “This 54 Tokarev is splendid. Unlike Russian-made ones, the barrel is chrome so it’s very tolerant. It can fire up to 100,000 shots perfectly. If you need parts or ammunition then you must contact me, I can get it straight from China for you.”

Normally speaking, there was no after service with black-market guns. Lin on the other hand seemed to provide his clients with any extras that they needed. He must have some very special connections for this to be possible. Shiiba was starting to believe that a diplomat might really be involved in this venture.

“Thank you,” he said, stalling. “Please let me think about it. We should go drinking together soon.”

“Then I will book us a room so we can talk some more,” Lin said. “Oh yes, I completely forgot, I meant to give this to you.”

From a paper bag next to him, Lin took out a small box. Inside was a small decorative incense burner.

“I was going to give this to Mr. Andou,” he explained. “I bought it in China. I hope that you will accept it instead.”

“But this is expensive,” Shiiba protested. “I can’t accept it.”

He couldn’t carelessly accept gifts from people that he was investigating. He politely declined, but Lin smiled and handed it out.

“You were Mr. Andou’s friend, so you must accept it. Please,” he insisted.

“In that case, thank you.”

              Not wanting to cause Lin to lose face, Shiiba looking grateful, reached out and accepted the box. The burner was green with a translucent white quality to it and it was set into a wooden stand.

“Is this jade?” he asked.

“Yes,” Lin answered. “It is a special white jade. In old China, it was said to ward off evil and that if you kept it near you, you could live a long life. The burner is made from one piece of stone. It is a very unique and beautiful art-form. I hope that you use it to decorate your home.”

Finishing their dinner, they left the restaurant together.”

“Where were you born, Mr. Lin?” Shiiba asked.

“I was born in Fujian,” Lin replied.

“I see,” Shiiba said. “Many of the Chinese here are the children of those who immigrated from China.”

“Yes,” Lin said. “Fujian used to be the center for sea trade, so it’s an area from where a lot of people immigrated from. Nowadays, the Fujian mafia is quite famous. It is quite distressing.”

Of course, Fujian was indeed famous as the departure point of many illegal immigrants to Japan and as the origin of many Peking gangs. The illegal immigrants would pay an organization called a snakehead to smuggle them out of the country. These snakehead organizations would use a wide network of people to smuggle and obtain false travel papers and illegal work for their customers in their destination countries.

“Can anyone get guns there?” Shiiba wanted to know.

“No, no,” Lin replied. “The only people who have the right to carry guns are the army, the police and certain officials. Gun laws are even stricter there than they are in Japan. Mao Ze Dong said that “power comes from the mouth of a gun.” To protect the power of the government, the people cannot have guns.”

So even in China, guns had a lot of restrictions on them, so their manufacture and movement would be difficult for even the mafia groups. Could the organization supporting Lin have some kind of political power too?

Saying his goodbyes in the lobby, Shiiba heard a voice calling out behind him. Turning around, his heart stopped.

“Mr. Munechika!” Lin called out. “What a coincidence.”

“If it isn’t Mr. Lin,” Munechika said. “It’s been a while.”

The smiling face coming towards them was Keigo Munechika’s. Maybe because he had swept his hair back today, but he seemed even more brazen than usual. The striped suit he was wearing suited him well. He looked like a businessman.

Seeing Munechika, Shiiba clenched his fists. The timing was the worst. If Lin found out he was a detective then everything was over.

“I’m sorry I haven’t phoned you,” Lin said. “We should have dinner sometime.”

“Yes, we should,” Munechika agreed. “I have a car waiting for me, so I need to be off.”

Munechika didn’t even look at Shiiba and walked to the elevators. Looking at the retreating figure, Shiiba secretly heaved a huge sigh of relief. He then took the chance to make some more inquiries.

“Was that a business acquaintance?” he asked Lin.

“Yes,” Lin answered. “He is the president of the EMZ Corporation. He’s still young, but he’s very capable. He has a lively personality too.”

Munechika worked with Lin legitimately it seemed. But Shiiba wondered if their relationship extended to other, less legal, ventures too.

“Well, Mr. Shibano. It was good to meet you.” Lin offered his right hand. Shiiba grabbed it and Lin, with some force, pulled him close. “I will be hoping for a positive answer,” he said, smiling.

Shiiba needed to find out the identity of the organization working behind Lin. His mind was racing as he walked towards Shinjuku station. Suddenly, his phone rang. It was an unrecognized number yet again, but he could guess who it was.

“Hello,” he said.

“Are you alone?” It was the man he had just passed.

“Yes. What do you want?” he asked.

“You owe me,” the man said.

Shiiba knew what the man was going to say, but he decided to play along. “Why?”

“If I’d have run up and said ‘Hi, Detective Shiiba, investigations going well today then?’ then that would have caused you a few problems, I’m guessing.”

“Shut the fuck up,” Shiiba growled.

“I told you not to use such foul words,” the man scolded. “They don’t suit your pretty face. Come over when you’re free. You can repay me.”

Munechika sounded like he was enjoying himself.

“Go fuck yourself,” Shiiba said as he hung up.

Munechika’s patronizing attitude really rubbed him the wrong way. However, he couldn’t deny that Munechika had saved him. He had to thank the man.

Shiiba got into the train and headed for Shibuya. He had to go to the office and tell Takasaki of what had happened with his meeting with Lin.

Getting there before Takasaki, Shiiba waited. Takasaki’s face was full of expectation, but after telling him all that he had gathered, Shiiba’s boss looked subdued.

“Who is this Lin? Using a diplomat to smuggle, it’s suspicious. Also, a state-funded dummy company? I just don’t get it.”

“Sir, shall I accept one of the guns at the next meeting?” Shiiba asked.

As expected, Takasaki looked even more troubled.

“I don’t think we’re ready for that. We need to look more into Lin’s personal affairs. Then we can continue the investigation in that direction. Keep meeting with him for now. Gather information. Do not rush this.”

Shiiba swallowed his desire to scream an objection at his superior. If they were too slow, Lin might slip from their grasp. He carefully rephrased what he wanted to say.

“If I stall, then Lin will be suspicious. If we don’t actually come to a deal then—”

“No,” Takasaki said. “If there is indeed a diplomat or a government agency supporting him, then it could be a real problem. It could develop into an international case. First prepare a report, and whatever you do, don’t do anything stupid.”

Shiiba could only nod at this new aggressive tone that Takasaki was taking. It was true that there were still too many questions surrounding Lin. It wasn’t going to be easy. But he had the guns right there, and he was trying to sell them. That was proof enough for Shiiba and he wanted to push this case ahead.

Besides, this had been the last piece of information that Andou had given him. Whatever happened, he didn’t want it to go to waste. He didn’t want only Lin, he wanted the whole organization and system behind the man too.

Takasaki changed the subject to put an end to talking about Lin.

“Anyway, how is the Munechika thing going? Any progress?”

“We’ve met but I don’t think it’s possible,” Shiiba said. “I don’t think I can do it.”

“What are you talking about? You’ve only just started. I know you can. Take your time. Gain his trust little by little. We can’t let him get away.”

The pep talk sounded hollow to Shiiba right now. Keigo Munechika was not an easy target. Shiiba wasn’t getting results whichever approach he tried. When he had tried sex it had just been a trap. He felt that it didn’t matter how long he took or how many times they met, it just wasn’t going to happen.

              He wasn’t getting anything right. Lin or Munechika. Shiiba sighed a deep sigh. Depression was filling his heart.

Shiiba got off the train at Urawamisono Station at the end of the Saitama Expressway.

There was no one around. Shiiba looked up at the gloomy winter sky that was now covered in dark clouds. The weather report had said it wasn’t going to start raining until the evening so he hadn’t brought an umbrella. Praying that it didn’t start raining now, Shiiba started walking away from the station.

After walking for 10 minutes, he could see his destination ahead of him. It was a spacious but ill-maintained cemetery. He bought a candle and some incense from the guard box that was near the entrance and then proceeded into the cemetery. Standing in front of a grave, he laid the flowers that he had been carrying. Then, he lit the candle and incense.

Today was the anniversary of Kaori’s death. Every year, he had come with Andou to visit her, but now Andou was resting with her here too.

Nishi had told him that the cremation had taken place three days ago. If they had tried, they could have probably found some of Andou’s relatives to take care of the funeral arrangements, but Nishi had seemed to want to take care of it himself.

Nishi had known that only Kaori was buried here. The siblings’ parents must be buried somewhere. However, Andou hadn’t wanted Kaori buried with their parents when she died. There was probably a complicated family affair behind it.

Shiiba hadn’t attended the service for Andou. That was because there were probably going to be a lot of people involved, with the police staking out the funeral home. There were plenty of people who might have recognized him but didn’t know that he was now working undercover. However much he had wanted to be there, he couldn’t.

He had tried not to let sadness overcome him and had kept on with his work. However, coming here, the reality of Andou’s death finally hit him.

He looked at the black granite headstone and thought about Andou. Andou was such a quiet man. It wasn’t that he wasn’t good at speaking, but if he didn’t have anything worthwhile to say then he would stay quiet. It was his expressive eyes that would speak of the emotions hidden behind his closed lips.

It was always more difficult for the ones left behind. There was so much doubt in Shiiba’s mind. No matter what, death has to come to everyone. But to be taken so early breaks the hearts of those who see it happen.

Shiiba felt a cold drop of water on his cheek. To protect himself from the coming rain, he pulled up the collar of his leather coat and turned around.

Suddenly lifting his head, he saw a shadow coming from the opposite direction in front of him. In an instant, he knew who it was. Shiiba went to one of the side paths and hid himself behind a gravestone.

It was Munechika. He was holding a large bunch of roses and a bottle of alcohol. Shiiba peeked from behind the gravestone. Munechika stopped in front of Andou’s grave and gently placed the flowers down.

“Drink up friend, it’s your favorite, Russel’s Reserve,” Munechika said, opening the bottle and pouring it onto the grave. “Is it good? The flowers are for Kaori. Roses don’t suit you. Hey Kaori, your brother is a real idiot. I shouldn’t be mourning him now.”

Hearing the sorrowful tone in his voice, Shiiba was moved. Munechika hadn’t known only Andou but Kaori too.

“A real idiot…”

Munechika stroked the rain-soaked headstone. It was such a gentle touch, as if the grave contained a beloved. Shiiba was so full of conflicting emotions he couldn’t express. He couldn’t watch anymore. He turned and fled from the scene.

It was the middle of December and even the streets were strangely restless.

Christmas decorations were everywhere, and the usually gaudy Shinjuku was even brighter now. Shiiba quietly walked the streets. He had met with his informants to be updated on the latest goings on. Today had brought some very interesting information.

A man who operated a snack shop in Golden Street had given him some valuable information about witnessing a gangster who occasionally came to his shop carrying a gun. The gangster had taken the gun out of his pocket and boasted that it had cost him 10,000 yen.

To have been able to buy it at such a low price meant that it was very likely to be a CRS pistol. The CRS was a bootleg pistol made in home factories based in places like Cebu in the Philippines. It was often inferior and there had been many accidents reported involving them.

When Shiiba had been receiving special instructions on handguns from a forensic specialist who dealt particularly in handguns, he had gotten a chance to handle a sample pistol and inspect its construction. The parts were so badly made. Shiiba had seen that it was a volatile weapon. If you mishandled it, you were very likely to blow your own hand off.

He had given the storeowner a little money and thanked him. He could trust this information and he had already worked out the gangster’s name and the group he worked for.

The Incidents Team had a different problem than that of the Intelligence Team. No matter how good the information was, it was exceedingly difficult to recover the gun itself. They would do a house raid based on their information, but very often they came out empty-handed. Guns were different from drugs in that they weren’t something you kept on you.

Of course if you were a bodyguard protecting a gang leader in the middle of intense rivalry then you would often carry one, but normally, it was far too much of a risk to carry a gun. Occasionally, a gangster’s mistress would turn them in, but that seemed to be on the decrease too.

The criminals must be hiding them somewhere, but no matter how well hidden they were, why couldn’t the police find them? Shiiba couldn’t be satisfied with the theory that the criminals had just become more skillful at hiding them.

Even if the police did arrest the gangsters whom they knew for sure were in possession of guns, to save their own necks, the criminals wouldn’t confess where the guns were. They would say that they didn’t know the person that they got it from or that the person who sold it was already dead. They would refuse to say anything anymore. Plus, the brokers had put in some strong safety checks so that the guns would keep selling.

There were three things necessary in the cycle: connections at the place where the guns were made, smugglers to bring the guns into Japan, and, finally, people to sell them to. If things continued as they were, then there was no way that the police would get a clear idea of the big picture. Not knowing a thing, the police couldn’t stop the tide of gun smuggling.

Shiiba’s superiors didn’t know the difficulties of working on the field. They just kept screaming ‘find the guns!’ All they knew were statistics. Everyone thought that the guns must indeed be somewhere. But the operatives couldn’t find them. It was like chasing ghosts. And now, all the detectives who were working hard on finding the guns were exhausted.

Making his way through the crowd, Shiiba felt tired. He didn’t know whether he was tired of detective work or of life itself.

He was only 28, and it was too early to be that tired. He laughed at himself. He had a little more left in him yet.

After the people at the top had put an end to the Lin case, he had not received any more answers. Maybe that was why he was feeling down. He had wanted to meet with Lin again and delve deeper, but he still hadn’t been given permission. If you couldn’t let the hound out of the doghouse then he couldn’t do his work. It was frustrating to have left it hanging like this.

Making his way towards the entrance of Shinjuku Station’s west exit, he passed a lively group of students. They looked like they were having fun. Looking to the side, he noticed a happy couple with their arms linked together. You could see on their faces that they were happy just to be with each other.

Even if they were strangers, it was nice to see people enjoying life so much. He didn’t feel jealous that he was alone. Instead, rather than being surrounded by sorrowful faces, it was much better to see joyful faces to lift your spirits.

His job was so private and he was always alone, thinking this was a little painful. Looking around, he thought that everyone looked like they were enjoying themselves.

There were so many people here. So why was he the only one on his own? These feelings he wished he didn’t have floated to the surface.

Loneliness like a cold night crept into his heart. Once his heart had been chilled, he couldn’t warm it up again.

Shiiba grimaced. He wasn’t a child anymore. If he was lonely then he should find himself a lover. But, by not trying, he had from the beginning decided to be alone. Wishing for something he couldn’t have, he couldn’t help but envy others.

Turning his eyes back to the front, he saw a girl of five or six jump out from the entrance of a department store. She was holding in her arms a stuffed teddy bear. She wasn’t looking ahead of her and, inevitably, she went running into a man who was passing by.

“Oh dear! Sweetie?” a voice exclaimed.

A woman who must have been her mother came running out after her. The little girl sat flat on her bottom, then looked around at her mother, her face already screwed up, ready to cry.

“I’m so sorry. Are you alright?” the woman asked, bowing to the man her daughter had bumped into. The man said it was fine, and then picked up the little girl. Shiiba, upon seeing the man’s face, was surprised.

“No injuries? Does it hurt anywhere?” the man asked.

Patting away the dirt on the girl’s clothes was Shinozuka.

“My teddy…” the girl mumbled while holding back the tears.

Looking down at his feet, Shinozuka smiled. “Oh, this? I’m sorry. I hurt Teddy. Here you go.”

He handed over the teddy bear and the little girl hugged it close to her.

“My mom got me this,” she explained. “It was my Christmas present. Mr. Santa gave me a cuddly rabbit.”

“Really? That sounds like fun.”

The little girl’s mother smiled and put her arm around her daughter’s shoulders.

“I’m very sorry,” she said.

“No, don’t worry about it,” Shinozuka said.

The girl waved goodbye and walked with her mother towards the ticket gates. Shinozuka stayed standing there, watching the two of them walk away.

Seeing Shinozuka like that, Shiiba was also frozen. If Yukari had had his child she would have been about the same age as that girl. The thought was unbearable.

Shinozuka was looking at the life that he had lost. What was he thinking? What was he looking for in that pair?

Suddenly, tears welled up in Shiiba’s eyes. He quickly wiped them away with his finger.

It was not only him that was hurting. Of course, other people were hurt too. But it was only then that he really felt it. Shiiba had always condemned Shinozuka for rejecting detective work. He really could be cruel.

But that wasn’t it. All the things that weren’t said must have been even more painful for Shinozuka. Shiiba had no way of knowing how much Shinozuka’s heart must hurt.

In the silence, Shinozuka must have been so angry. Angry at the senseless crime. Angry at the impotent system that employed him. And, above all, angry at himself. He must have been silently killing himself over all of it.

Amid the crowd of people pushing past them, the two stood there as if time stood still. Shiiba stood their helplessly staring at the broad shoulders wrapped in the trench coat that stood in front of him. He wanted so badly to run up and hug his brother-in-law. To be back to the way they used to be. They had lost the same thing.

But he couldn’t do that.

Time started again.

However much he hoped, Shiiba couldn’t be that person again. He was a man alone, a detective alone, he and Shinozuka walked different paths now.

As if waking from a dream, Shinozuka finally took a step forward. His defeated expression left him and he was the old Shinozuka again.

Shiiba watched Shinozuka disappear into the crowd. Then he ventured forward as well.

Chapter 7

Stepping into the entrance hall, Shiiba could hear the sound of running water. He followed it to a dressing room. In the back of the room was a round glass shower cubicle. Obscured behind the glass was the naked body of a man. He leaned against the large dressing counter that ran along the wall, which was furnished with two sinks. He watched the shadow of the man showering.

After a few moments, the man opened the glass door. Upon seeing Shiiba standing there with his arms crossed, Munechika’s eyes opened wide, but that was his only visible reaction.

“That grave expression suits you,” he teased. “Slipping into the house while her husband is away to seduce the wife.”

Shiiba was wearing a simple business suit. Munechika wore a slight grin.

“I didn’t know you liked soap operas,” Shiiba said.

“I have lots of interests,” Munechika replied. “Pass me that towel.”

Grabbing the bath towel, Shiiba threw it to him. Munechika quickly dried his body and then put on a black bathrobe.

“So Munechika, where are the guns?”

At the sudden question, Munechika frowned.

“What are you talking about?” he asked. “I’m not hiding any.”

“No. Not you. I’m talking about the gangsters. The police have been looking all over, but can’t find any at all. So many gun crimes, but not one gun to be found. It’s getting the detectives antsy.”

Munechika snorted. “When you use a gun, you throw it away afterwards. Common knowledge. There are so many guns in this country; you can always get a new one. No one would be foolish enough to shoot it and then keep it on them as evidence. Just being discovered in possession of a gun can be one to 10 years inside. If you have live ammo in it, that can add an extra three years. No one would be that stupid.”

“But where would they throw them?” Shiiba persisted.

“If they’d been thrown in the sea, they’d rust up quickly and lose their fingerprints,” Munechika said.

“Is that right?” Shiiba asked.

“That’s right,” Munechika said firmly.

Shiiba wasn’t satisfied. He felt that Munechika was trying to avoid the subject. There was the possibility that the man was telling the truth. Munechika might import a lot of guns, but as soon as they came on the market, he may never see them again.

“You work in arms investigation? You’re COC?” Munechika suddenly asked.

Shiiba couldn’t hide the truth forever from someone who was a potential S so he admitted, “Yes, I’m from COC5 with the Metropolitan Police. My work is obtaining information on arms smuggling. Have you heard of S work?”

“That’s where you get someone on the inside of the organization that’s under surveillance to pass information, correct?” Munechika said.

Shiiba nodded. “Correct. It’s an investigative method. We call these informants our spies, our S.”

“So, Andou was your S?” Munechika asked.

“I want you to be my S now. Munechika, be mine.”

Munechika didn’t answer his direct invitation, only the corners of his lips raised slightly.

“You want me to be a police dog?” he asked.

Shiiba nodded once more. “Yes. I will be your owner. If you want treats, I’ll give them. If you’re mine, you can sleep with me as much as you want.”

Munechika squinted at him. “You really think that’s what I’m worth? Small treats?”

“I’m not the one who decides what you’re worth,” Shiiba countered. “That would be you.”

He slowly approached Munechika. Then he leisurely stroked the outline of Munechika’s body from top to bottom. Finally, he knelt on the floor. Opening the bathrobe, Shiiba without hesitation, closed his lips around Munechika’s member.

Burying his face in the still damp pubic hair, Shiiba licked the penis with the tip of his tongue. With each lick, Munechika was steadily getting harder. Finally, it was tense and fully hard. He took the hard shaft into his mouth and started to caress it with his tongue and lips. It didn’t feel as bad as he thought it would. Instead, licking this man’s shaft was, in a strange way, turning him on. The thin skin covering it was smooth and Shiiba was absorbed in how good it tasted.

Even though what Shiiba was doing wasn’t in the handbook, he had decided that sexually pursuing Munechika was the right thing to do. The quickest way to getting the job done would be to use his body. That was why Shiiba had come here.

Munechika didn’t say anything. He just let Shiiba do what he wanted. Shiiba, thinking that Munechika was probably looking down on him as a fool, looked up. Their eyes met.

Munechika’s eyes were a color he’d not seen before. It was different from disdain or mockery, yet it wasn’t lust. They almost looked like they were filled with love.

Feeling that he was going to get sucked in by those eyes, Shiiba’s breathing suddenly became difficult. He didn’t know why. It was as if the sweet emotion had constricted his heart and might even stop it entirely.

To escape the intense gaze, Shiiba closed his eyes and started to suck again on Munechika’s member. Munechika placed his hand on the back of Shiiba’s head. Shiiba thought that the man was going to make him stop, but Shiiba wouldn’t let him and kept on pleasuring Munechika right to the inevitable end.

Munechika made a low groan and shot into Shiiba’s mouth. The warm fluid hit the back of his throat and he swallowed it. However, as if his body was rejecting the unfamiliar flavor, it didn’t go down well and he choked.

Munechika quickly pulled away from him.

“Here, water,” he said, offering Shiiba a glass filled with water.

Taking it, Shiiba rinsed out his mouth.

“I don’t know—” he began.

“You did a good job,” Munechika interrupted. “Paying me back for that time?”

Shiiba shook his head. “No. I wanted to show you what your reward could be.”

As soon as Shiiba stood up, long arms wrapped around his hips and Munechika pulled him close. Lifting his head he was caught in Munechika’s eyes. They were so close, their noses almost touched.

“All right,” Munechika whispered. “But you can’t buy me with just your body. I’m not that cheap. If you really want me, then you have to win my heart.”

“Heart…?” Shiiba frowned.

“You’re a carnal man,” Munechika said, seemingly unhappy.

He pushed Shiiba away and left the dressing room.

Shiiba chased after him. “Hey, what did that mean?”

Munechika entered the living room and sat down on the sofa with a thud. The ceiling lights weren’t on, but the room was softly lit with lamps.

“It doesn’t matter,” Munechika answered. “Anyway, if that was a taste of the rewards, you can start paying me back now.”

“You are greedy,” Shiiba growled. “How do you want me to pay you back?”

“Sit here,” Munechika said, pointing to his knees.

Shiiba was amazed. “I’m not a hostess,” he said indignantly. “Why do I have to sit on your lap? Give me a break. And anyway, what’s fun about a guy sitting on your knee?”

“I’ll enjoy it,” Munechika said. “I’ll be able to see your stubborn face. Come here, Shiiba.”

Shiiba obeyed. He’d already given the man a blowjob. What did the man mean by this?

“I’m not a chair,” Munechika said. “Sit sideways.”

Shiiba moved his body round. He leaned his back against the right arm of the sofa.

“Is this what you want?” he muttered.

Munechika nodded.

“Now what do we do? Shall I sing a song?” Shiiba asked sarcastically.

“Sit there and look at me,” Munechika replied.

Shiiba felt uncomfortable. He didn’t want to sit on a man’s lap. But he did what he was told and looked at the man in front of him.

Looking at Munechika like this, Shiiba realized the beauty in him. He called it “beauty,” but it wasn’t that the make-up of Munechika’s face was good. But under the gloss of his appearance, his body was mature. Shiiba grudgingly conceded to himself that Munechika was a superb example of a man.

“There’s something I want to ask,” he said.

“What is it?”

“What connection do you have to Ying Fa Lin?”

Munechika frowned and tried to change the subject. “Couldn’t we talk about something a little sexier since you’re sitting on my knee?”

“I can’t, I’m a detective,” Shiiba said brusquely.

Munechika gave a grim smile.

“I trade with Lin’s company,” he answered. “That’s it. Nothing for you to be suspicious of.”

Shiiba smiled. “So you know about Lin’s other work. Who is he?”

“Hey I’m not your S yet. Don’t use me as your informant.”

“Please, Munechika, tell me what you know. Andou told me about Lin. I don’t want to waste the last piece of information he gave me,” Shiiba pleaded, his face serious.

He intended to lay his pride as a detective on the line for this. He needed so much more information.

“First sex, next you’ll be giving me a sob story. What a jerk,” Munechika complained. But he kept talking about Lin despite his complaints.

“Lin is really a soldier in his own county. His company exports Japanese mechanical goods overseas, but this company doesn’t really achieve anything. His real business is Chinese oil, arms and ammunition. He uses Japan as a base to export them. He just manages the paperwork in Japan. The goods are then carried from China directly to their destination country. It’s a Chinese tunnel company. All the profits are probably moved back to the country or their military.”

In other words, Lin was an arms dealer working under the direction of the Chinese government. This was too much. Shiiba was confused.

“Is that true?” he asked. “But why is he working from Japan? Surely he should set up in the country that he’s exporting to?”

“I don’t understand it that well either,” Munechika admitted. “Perhaps because Japan doesn’t have the same laws concerning spies that other countries do, so it’s easier for someone employed by the military to operate here.”

Shiiba, deep in thought, got off Munechika’s knees and sat next to him. Munechika looked at him, dissatisfied, but Shiiba decided to ignore that. He couldn’t sit in such an awkward position for too long.

“How do you know so much? Did you buy guns from Lin?” Munechika played dumb and pulled on Shiiba’s earlobe. “Ouch. Let go.”

“I told you I wasn’t interested in guns,” Munechika said. “My Yakuza friend bought them from Lin before. I’ve been guessing things from what he’s told me. When one of them went to China with Lin, he was shown around the gun factory. The place was heaped with guns, apparently. Well, I suppose that would only be natural in a place like China which exports them to the world.”

It was as Munechika said. There was any number of companies that exported weapons in China, all of them state-funded. In that way, foreign currency could be acquired from the gun sales, which then flowed into the state’s pockets.

Any weapons company would fulfill an order, regardless if it was a government or a civilian company. Nevertheless, they shouldn’t be dealing guns in a country like Japan, which had strict restrictions on bearing arms. If their dealings were discovered, then there would be an international incident. Not just that, Lin’s company was illegal, but had the backing of the government and military. When he posed these questions to Munechika, the man just shrugged his shoulders.

“It doesn’t matter to me why Lin wants to sell guns in Japan.”

“It matters to me!” Shiiba cried out. “I have to catch Lin. Not just Lin but everyone supporting him.”

Munechika suddenly looked serious. He grabbed Shiiba’s chin. “Leave it,” he said fiercely. “He’s too big. How is one detective going to fight him? You know that the people above him are government or military organizations, so you have to leave it. You know that Japan can’t do anything against China.”

That made Shiiba remember the sinking of a mysterious boat that caused a stir in the world. The Japanese coast guard had spotted an unidentified boat in the East China Sea near Kyushu. After several warnings, they had proceeded to fire shots at the boat and it had sunk. When it was recovered, it was identified as a North Korean spy boat. The East China Sea was a well-known sea route for Chinese and North Korean smugglers. The waters in which the boat had sunk had, in fact, been Chinese, causing problems for its recovery. China strongly objected to Japan’s actions. Finally, after nine months, the boat was recovered, but the Japanese government had to pay the Chinese 150,000,000 yen. Before this incident, American satellite pictures had made it look probable that the North Koreans had bribed the Chinese naval ships in the area to let them pass and even allowed them to buy fuel. Still, the Japanese hadn’t been able to push their point.

“The Japanese government is never going to take the risk of offending the Chinese government,” Munechika added. “You’ve picked the wrong target. Don’t waste your time.”

“No, I have no intention of—”

The phone rang, cutting off Shiiba’s rebuttal.

“It’s the phone, I’ll leave,” he said.

“Ignore it,” Munechika ordered. “I have the answering machine on.”

After ringing a few more times, they heard the recorded message and a young man’s voice spoke.

“Keigo? Are you there? I couldn’t get you on your cell phone. What the hell are you doing?” The man sounded agitated. The tone of his voice was tinged with arrogance. “I told you I needed to talk to you. You can’t have forgotten? I need to meet you alone. When you get back, call me straight away.”

There was a loud noise of the phone being slammed down.

“Who was that?”

It was none of Shiiba’s business, but before he could stop himself the words had already left his mouth.

“It’s the president of the Matsukura Group,” Munechika replied.

“Your brother?” Shiiba asked.

“You really have done your research,” Munechika said with a faint laugh. “That’s right. I’m the lovechild of my dad and he’s the child of his real wife. We only share half our blood, but he is my brother nonetheless.”

“Is he always that arrogant?” Shiiba commented. “I heard that he was younger than you.”

“It’s all a bluff,” Munechika said. “If he didn’t do it then there is no way he’d survive in that world. He’s desperate. It’s sweet. Due to the way things turned out, he was put in my custody at 12. So I know him better than anyone.”

Shiiba still wasn’t satisfied. It didn’t matter if the man was the president, surely it must be annoying to take orders from your little brother. Imagining a placid Munechika, he felt an incomprehensible irritation inside him. It didn’t suit Munechika to be the inferior bastard child. He didn’t think Munechika was the kind of man to be shackled like that.

“The other members of the group must want you to be the president,” he said. “Andou said so.”

Munechika was the sort of man who should be at the top, wielding the power. Shiiba had only known him a short while, but he understood the man that much.

“I don’t want to,” Munechika said. “I want to support him as much as I can while he needs me. But as soon as he’s old enough, I’m washing my hands of off it all.”

Shiiba suddenly realized that in order to let his younger brother succeed, Munechika had devoted himself to the criminal business. If he got too involved in the dealings of the group, then people would force him to become the president. So, even though he was his father’s son, he had kept his distance from the group and now only supported his brother like a shadow in the background. This was all only conjecture on Shiiba’s part, but he believed that he couldn’t be too far from the truth.

“Your brother is a burden, am I right?” he asked.

Munechika muttered that he didn’t know.

“Everyone has at least one or two things they can’t escape from, right?” Shiiba continued. “The longer a person lives, the more responsibility he bears.”

It was a depressing way to look at things. Munechika was clearly not unhappy at his lot in life. Shiiba didn’t fully understand the situation, but he could see that Munechika was unwavering in his decision to help his half-brother.

Shiiba stood up from the sofa. It was best to know as much as possible about someone you were hoping to take as your S. But he was scared to push much further into the recesses of Munechika’s heart. He felt a strong sense of foreboding that if he did, he wouldn’t be able to get out again.

“Thank you for telling me more about Lin,” he said. “But you’ll want repayment for that too?”

“Of course,” Munechika replied with a leer. “You can pay me back whenever, but it’ll be earning interest.”

Shiiba wasn’t given a chance to reply. He was grabbed by two strong arms and pulled back into the sofa.

Munechika smothered Shiiba’s body with his. “A kiss for the interest.”

“Not a bad rate,” Shiiba managed to say.

Munechika moved to press his lips on Shiiba’s. When Shiiba quickly turned his head, Munechika licked his earlobe. When Munechika’s warm breath hit the moist skin on his ear, little waves of electricity passed down his spine. Scared at how good it felt, Shiiba shook his head.

“Let go,” he said. “Don’t get the wrong idea. That was only a taste. I’m not giving you any more. If you want more you have to be mine.”

“I said that this was interest,” Munechika insisted.

Teasingly, Munechika ran his finger over Shiiba’s lips. He could have remained stubborn and fled from the room, but Shiiba hesitated, the strength had left his body. Whether it was a sampler or interest, Shiiba should probably compensate Munechika for the valuable information he’d just forked over.

Shiiba started to oblige and placed his lips on Munechika. Before he knew it, the kiss had grown passionate. It was so different from the other kiss. Munechika’s hands rubbed at his cheeks over and over. It was a kiss that tasted so sweet on his lips. It was as sweet as candy to Shiiba.

“…No…”

“Huh?” Munechika cocked his head.

“We can’t do that,” Shiiba gasped.

“What can’t we do?”

Shiiba looked back at the man who was irritated about being interrupted. “If you’re hungry, then get a snack,” he said.

“No, your lips are so much sweeter,” Munechika whispered.

It was seduction. Munechika ignored the glare on Shiiba’s face and kissed him again. Shiiba knew that Munechika was enjoying the idea that someone might walk in on them with their lips locked. He licked and nibbled gently. Shiiba’s lips finally let down their defenses and, before he knew it, he had allowed Munechika full access to the interior of his mouth.

Letting this one thing slip meant the rest of it came tumbling down after. With Munechika’s tongue deep in his mouth, Shiiba’s body started reacting. Munechika pulled the tucked-in shirt from Shiiba’s pants and pushed his hand in. When the warm hand touched Shiiba’s skin, he broke out in goose bumps.

“Who said you could do this…stop…no…ngh…”

He tried to plead between kisses but the words didn’t seem to reach Munechika. The man was insatiable. Giving up on the kisses, Munechika licked his neck sensually and started rubbing his chest. He started out softly, but then quickly moved on to pinching. Shiiba’s breathing just got more and more erratic.

“Shall I return the favor for earlier?” Munechika whispered as he undid Shiiba’s belt buckle. Undoing the zipper, he pushed his hand in, but Shiiba pushed back with all his might.

“You don’t have to return the favor,” Shiiba exclaimed.

“I want to service you. This is going to be a relationship of give and take.”

Shiiba could hear the sarcasm in Munechika’s tone. He turned away, but Munechika brought his face up close with an unexpected gentleness.

“Shiiba, you’re acting like a stressed-out cat. Relax. See what another man can do for you. It’ll feel good and you’ll feel better. You must be tired with all that hard work. Just unwind. ”

At Munechika’s gentle words, not only Shiiba’s body, but also the defenses in his heart were breached. He threw away not only his pride as a detective, but also as a man. He put his body in the care of Munechika’s arms.

Shiiba licked his dry lips. His brain was telling him to stop, but Munechika’s words had been such sweet seduction. The parts of him that had been so firm, Shiiba felt were weaknesses. His personality hadn’t changed, but for a few moments, he discarded the heavy, stiff armor he wore from day-to-day. If he could throw himself unarmed into this, then maybe he would be happier. Tired of thinking, Shiiba let himself go with the flow.

              “I like strong-willed cats,” Munechika said, “but cats are best when they sit and let themselves be stroked.”

              “You want me to purr too?” Shiiba asked sarcastically.

              “I’m sure you can make a sexier sound than that,” Munechika answered.

He kneeled on the floor and lowered his head towards Shiiba’s crotch. Shiiba felt the warm breath on it, and the warm saliva, which was starting to cover his member. Not being able to contain it, he let out a small groan.

When Munechika took the whole cock into his mouth, as if that was what it had hoped for, Shiiba’s cock hardened immediately. When Munechika’s lips closed down on it, little shock waves ran through Shiiba’s body.

“….Ngh…mmm….”

He issued little groans. Munechika, to annoy him, nibbled a little bit on it.

“Do it properly…” Shiiba groaned.

Munechika laughed. He pushed his hands behind Shiiba’s back and, finding the crack in Shiiba’s ass, he started to finger the sensitive part. Shiiba reflexively reacted as if to move away, but that just pushed his cock further into Munechika’s mouth. Either way, he was going to be penetrated. Shiiba was flustered.

“What…don’t…don’t touch there…stop that.”

“Don’t make a fuss. I’m just stroking you. This is going to make you feel so good.” Shiiba held on to Munechika’s hair, still distressed at this latest act. “Stop complaining. I’ll make you come in no time.”

“It’s all right…I don’t think I…”

Munechika started moving his mouth again so Shiiba couldn’t finish his sentence. Munechika was sucking hard on him and was moving his moist lips up and down. The finger had made its way into his back passage and was starting to wriggle inside. He didn’t know if what he was feeling now was pleasure or not. But rather than being embarrassed at having Munechika touch him there, Shiiba was feeling more excited.

“No…Mmm…Munechika, please…”

His orgasm was building, Shiiba couldn’t turn back now. All the blood rushed to his crotch and his back arched. Holding his breath, he released his passion into Munechika’s mouth. Munechika swallowed it down just like Shiiba had done only 10 minutes ago.

Regaining his breath, Shiiba pulled his clothes straight and let Munechika do his shirt buttons. Shiiba wasn’t used to having other people do things for him. He felt bad.

“Want a drink? I have some alcohol?” Munechika asked him.

Shiiba swept the hair that had fallen over his eyes. He silently shook his head to decline the drink. He felt uncomfortable, acting like lovers after the deed.

“I have something I want to ask you,” he said instead.

“What? You’re very inquisitive today,” Munechika teased.

“Munechika, what do you think of me? You must hate me.”

Munechika’s gentle smile disappeared. “Why would I hate you? Because you always say annoying things?”

“No, it’s just that you often look at me with such cold eyes. I don’t think it’s because I’m a detective. It looks like you really dislike me…or is it because I didn’t protect Andou?”

              Munechika muttered in annoyance, “You shouldn’t be asking such questions straight after sex. Such a turn off.”

“If I hurt your feelings, I’m sorry,” Shiiba apologized. His timing was wrong. But he didn’t want to linger here more than was necessary. The lovemaking was part of a bargain. Nothing else.

“I don’t dislike you,” Munechika admitted. “At first, you annoyed me, I can’t deny that I wanted to hurt you.”

“What were you annoyed about?”

“I couldn’t stand that you hadn’t saved him. I felt so helpless that I could only watch. I guess both of us feel responsible in some way for Andou’s death.”

Munechika looked like he truly despised himself. Shiiba knew how he felt. He had originally had the same feelings towards Munechika.

“The first night that you came here, you wanted to make sure that Andou’s last bit of information wasn’t wasted, and I almost agreed with you. But now…” Suddenly Munechika stopped.

Shiiba waited, but nothing further came. Munechika just stood there, stock still, looking at Shiiba. Shiiba stood up, not being able to take the silence.

“I’m going.”

              When he tried to leave the room, Munechika called him back in a low voice, “You’re like a cat with a cold. Why won’t you let someone pet you?”

“What do you mean?”

              Munechika muttered that it didn’t matter. His eyes were dark. Shiiba knew that he had hurt him.

“Don’t go near Lin,” Munechika warned. “For your own sake.”

He wanted to say something in return but nothing would come to him.

“Good night.”

With that, Shiiba opened the door and left.

Chapter 8

Exiting Shinjuku station, Shiiba quickly made his way to his destination.

Today was much colder than before. His breath condensed to a fine white mist when it hit the winter air. Feeling the cold mostly on his face, Shiiba tried to warm his face with his hands. He shivered, although this wasn’t entirely due to the temperature.

This was going to be his second meeting with Lin. Shiiba had not gotten permission from his supervisors. He had asked Takasaki over and over again, but the only reply he had received was a “don’t do anything.” They were thinking that although it looked like a lizard, if he tried to grab the tail, then it might turn out to be a horrible monster. Shiiba understood his superior’s hesitations.

Shiiba had reason to suspect that his superiors didn’t intend to secure Lin. If Lin was arrested ineptly, then the investigation could take them as far as the Chinese embassy. They wanted to leave anything like that well alone.

Shiiba, however, couldn’t drop his interest in Lin. He wanted to get to the organization at the source of the distribution chain. He was resolved. He was now ignoring orders and proceeding on the case alone. In the worst-case scenario, he may have to quit the police. But whatever happened, he couldn’t back out now.

He went to the same hotel where he had met Lin the first time. Knocking on the door of the room that he had been told to come to, Lin opened the door to him in cheerful spirits.

“Welcome,” Lin greeted. “I am so happy to meet you again. Please, I have made us drinks.”

The room was the executive suite on the top floor. The lights had been dimmed. Because the room was dark, you could see the entire night scene out of the large windows.

Sitting on the sofa, Lin offered him the drink. The logo was in Chinese. Taking a sip, Shiiba choked.

“Hey, hey, are you okay?” Lin inquired.

“What is this? It’s quite strong,” Shiiba said hoarsely.

“It’s Moutai, traditional Chinese liquor,” Lin explained. “In China, it’s very normal to drink it straight, but it is around 60% alcohol, so it may be difficult to drink if you are not used to it. Shall I add some water to your glass?”

Lin diluted the alcohol, but it was still pretty strong. If Shiiba didn’t drink it, he could hurt Lin’s feelings so, while exchanging pleasantries with Lin, Shiiba slowly put the liquid into his body.

              “Mr. Lin, can I count on you?” he finally asked. Lin looked delighted. “But, what I want isn’t what you showed me. I need something with no markings. Can you get me that? I think Andou told you already. My passion for guns means I’m very interested in the unusual items. If I can have those guns, then I may want to buy more later. What do you think?”

              Lin looked calculating, then smiled. “That will be no problem. To obtain it in China will take a little while, however.”

Lin said that when it arrived in Japan, he would inform Shiiba.

Shiiba then probed further. “Where do you make these guns with no marks?”

There were several arms factories in China, but the two military-run ones were Poly Technologie and Norinco. As Lin was a military man, there was a good chance that it was from one of these. However, it was difficult to think that a named company that worked overseas would be making and transporting guns without markings. To have no markings at all meant that they could only be destined for the black-market.

“That is a secret,” Lin replied. “In China, there are many weapons factories. It is a military secret so I cannot tell you the location of the factories. But I tell you Mr. Shibano, if Japan and China were to go to war, then Japan would lose in a day.” Lin smiled comfortably. He evidently had a lot of pride in his home country. The Japanese government and the police were nothing, that’s what Lin thought. After a pause, he asked, “Mr. Shibano, do you have an interest in China?”

“Yes. I do indeed. I would like to visit soon.”

“Really? Well then you should let me show you my home country. I can take you to places that you would not be allowed to go normally. It will be very enjoyable.”

Shiiba remembered that Munechika’s Yakuza friend had been shown around weapons factories in China by Lin. Lin must have a very high position in the military to be able to take a foreigner into restricted military facilities.

Shiiba needed to know more. The guns that were made in China, how did this man get them through? Shiiba knew that he managed to bring them into Japan. Where did those guns then go? Shiiba craved so much more.

Lin then said something to Shiiba, which he thought was strange.

“Mr. Shibano, I very much like you. I want us to be closer.”

“I feel the same,” Shiiba agreed.

Suddenly, Lin stood up and sat next to him. “Can we take our time tonight? Will you stay the night?” Lin looked persistent. He gripped Shiiba’s hand.

Shiiba tried to remain composed, but his skin broke out in goose bumps. Andou had been right about him. “Mr. Lin, I’m sorry, but I’m not inclined that way.”

Pulling his hand away, Shiiba tried to reject him. Shiiba was not a gigolo who could be bought with money. Despite the fact that that hadn’t stopped him last time. “If you want, I could introduce you to some sweet boys.”

Shiiba forced a grin as he stood up. He wanted to end this meeting now. Maybe it was because he knew this man had beaten up women before, or perhaps it was just a feeling in his gut. Either way, he didn’t want to be with Lin anymore now.

“I want you,” Lin said, grabbing him.

The effects of the alcohol meant that Shiiba easily lost his balance and collapsed on the floor.

“Let go of me,” Shiiba growled.

His body had twisted when he fell. He hit his head on the table’s edge as he tried to get up. The swimming sensation in his head wouldn’t stop and Shiiba kneeled on the floor. He wasn’t a lightweight when it came to alcohol. He put his hand to his forehead. It was then that he realized that he was losing sensation in his limbs. This was strange. He couldn’t be that drunk. He put his hand out on the sofa, desperately trying to support his body, but he was feeling worse.

“Are you all right?” Lin murmured. “You mustn’t be used to such strong alcohol. Why don’t you rest on the bed?”

“What did you put in my drink?” Shiiba gasped. “Mr. Lin…what are you going to do?”

Lin looked at Shiiba with his usual grin. His smile was unnatural. It made Shiiba feel sick to his stomach.

“If you do anything strange… then…the deal…is off…” Shiiba said weakly.

He felt as if his heart was going to stop. Through his wavering consciousness, Shiiba looked at Lin. When had Lin found out? Shiiba had been so careful.

“How did I find out you were a detective?” Lin asked, as if reading his thoughts. “You still don’t know? Well I’ll tell you. The incense burner that I gave you, it had a wooden stand, remember? In there, I hid a bug. After I met you, you met a superior in Shibuya, didn’t you? I heard your conversation. I was surprised that such a pretty boy could be a detective. A great shame.”

Lin did not seem afraid despite knowing that he was being investigated by the Japanese police. The support from the Chinese government seemed to make him confident of himself and his position. “Your superior stopped the investigation. It was the obvious decision. But you decided to carry on alone. You shouldn’t have disobeyed orders.”

Lin squatted down and embraced Shiiba. He wasn’t a big man, but he managed to lift Shiiba up. Shiiba didn’t have the strength to resist. Lin carried him to the bed and stripped him. From a bag next to the bed Lin started to pull out strange objects. First, the man restrained him with black leather belts that were used in S&M play. Shiiba shivered. His legs struggled, trying to escape. But the belts were tight enough so that he couldn’t move. There was nothing he could do.

Around his neck was wrapped another black leather belt. From the neck down he was covered in thin belts, and his wrists were tied behind him. He had no freedom of movement.

“This suits you,” Lin purred.

              “What…no…do you think that you’re going to get away with this?” Shiiba’s words were disjointed. Catching a glimpse of what Lin had in his hand now, Shiiba took a sharp intake of breath. Lin had a camera.

“We’re just going to play,” Lin said. “Consensual play. I’ll take lots of naughty photos. If you stop the investigation then the photos will stay between just you and me.”

“A threat…I don’t care…if those photos…are circulated…”

“Really? It’ll look like you’re enjoying it in the photos. It’ll be quite a scandal for a detective to be involved in S&M photos. You might be fine, but what about your family?”

At those words, Shiiba froze. Lin was right. He might be okay. But his disgrace would reflect on Shinozuka too. His brilliant brother-in-law would lose his footing on the elite road he was taking. Shiiba couldn’t let it happen.

He’d been thoughtless. He had underestimated Lin. Shiiba wanted to curse his own carelessness. On Lin’s bed were placed adult toys and whips. He was now going to torture Shiiba in some grotesque hedonistic display.

“I think that you’re not going to be able to move for a while from the drug,” Lin said, “but you can still feel, right? If you can’t, it won’t be any fun.”

Shiiba felt sick to his stomach.

“I liked you the first time I saw you,” Lin continued. “You are so beautiful. I want to see that proud face full of shame. I wonder how distorted it will look. Imagining you screaming for mercy makes me so hard.”

Lin’s face looked so engrossed as he selected a whip. It was a thin leather whip. Shiiba’s chest tightened before it had even touched him.

“…Ngh.”

A sharp blade of pain ran from his chest to his hips. Shiiba couldn’t take it. Lin swung the whip down for a second go. The intensity took Shiiba’s breath away. After the initial pain had subsided, he was left with a dull burning feeling. It was like his chest had been scorched.

“Whip marks look good on your white skin,” Lin crooned. “I’ll make you look even cuter. Before that, let’s try this.

Lin picked up a small wrapped object. Unwrapping the foil, he took out what looked like a capsule.

“This is very effective,” he said. “You’ll get hard straight away and you won’t be able to do a thing about it.”

No way, Shiiba thought. Lin stretched his arm out to Shiiba’s ass and then pushed the capsule deep inside. It was some kind of suppository. Shiiba felt the foreign body being pushed up inside of him. He felt so defiled.

“It’ll dissolve quickly,” Lin murmured. “Then we shall see.”

Shiiba was still lying face down and now Lin had in his hand a vibrator. It was a round plastic vibrator and he gently slipped it up inside Shiiba. Flicking the switch, the motor started.