"Gin, got a cigarette?"
Gin glanced at Ritsu, the corner of his lips slowly curling upward. He pulled out the same cigarette brand he'd smoked for over a decade. Sometimes he even wondered if he alone had driven the price up from smoking so much of it.
After taking the cigarette Gin handed over, Ritsu didn't withdraw his hand. Under Gin's gaze, he calmly said, "I didn't bring a lighter. Help me light it."
Vodka nearly choked on his cocktail.
He hadn't expected Ritsu to become this mischievous after a year apart, actually making the boss light his cigarette!
This was the sort of thing Vodka only dared fantasize about in his heart!
A pleased smile formed on Gin's lips. Not only was he not angry, he actually seemed to admire Ritsu's audacity. He pulled a lighter from his pocket and lit the cigarette for him.
"Couldn't even buy JILOISES in Switzerland. I've wanted to try it for a while now."
Ritsu placed the cigarette between his lips and took a drag. The tobacco blended cigar leaves into the mix, giving it a powerful kick. Fortunately, he'd only taken a light puff. If he'd inhaled harder, the intensity probably would've overwhelmed him.
Seeing how naturally he smoked, Gin asked, "When did you learn?"
"In Switzerland. Wasn't really used to it the first time."
"Heh. Then I'll return your own words to you."
Ritsu knew exactly what Gin meant. Leaning back comfortably in his seat, he smiled and said, "Even if smoking kills us, you'll die first. You've been smoking longer."
Completely unconcerned about provoking Gin, Ritsu waved over a waiter and said, "One Scoff-Law, please. Don't make it with rye whisky. Thanks."
This cocktail could be made with either rye whiskey or bourbon whiskey.
Gin chuckled when he heard the cocktail's name. "Scoff-Law… didn't expect you to like that kind of cocktail."
"I do like the taste," Ritsu said, raising his right hand as though holding a glass. "But… I like the name even more. Doesn't it describe us perfectly?"
The cocktail was prepared quickly. When the pomegranate-red Scoff-Law was placed before him, Ritsu elegantly picked up the glass and took a small sip. The sweet-and-sour flavor carried a fruity aroma, while the lingering finish left behind the unique fragrance of bourbon whiskey.
'Didn't expect this bar to make its own grenadine syrup. Looks like I found a hidden gem, good choice.'
"Drink less. Your alcohol tolerance is terrible."
Hearing Gin's oddly considerate warning, Ritsu raised a brow and teased, "Gin, do you know who you sound like when you say that?"
"Who?"
"My dad."
"..."
Gin felt a vein bulge on his forehead. Restraining the urge to pull out his Beretta, he coldly stared at Ritsu and warned, "Don't push your luck."
"Yes, sir. Next time for sure."
Ritsu turned to the visibly terrified Vodka and asked, "How's life been this past year, Vodka? I saw Kaoru Kusano publicly announce she likes someone the other day."
"Kaoru Kusano?"
Gin frowned, his icy gaze landing on Vodka. Already too scared to breathe loudly, Vodka nearly stopped breathing altogether.
'Macallan, why are you sabotaging your teammate?!'
"So you didn't know about that, Gin? Shame. Better forget what I just said then." Ritsu honestly hadn't meant to expose him.
He simply didn't expect Gin to still not know Vodka was an idol otaku. Seems Vodka's counter-surveillance skills were pretty decent.
Then again, maybe Gin simply couldn't imagine a burly Russian guy obsessing over female idols.
Gin snorted but said nothing. After ordering another Singapore Sling from the waiter, he asked, "How's your first week at the Metropolitan Police Department been? Nobody noticed anything suspicious, I assume?"
"Of course not. Just a few hours ago I solved a boring case. Anyone with half a brain could've seen how full of holes her story was."
"Heh. Augier, do you know why the organization established its headquarters in Japan?"
Ritsu genuinely didn't know why that person had based the organization in Japan. Over the past year, he'd had far more contact with the Boss and had even learned the man's identity.
"Because he's familiar with Japan? So he chose to base it here?"
"No."
Gin waited until the bartender left after delivering the drink before continuing.
"Because Japan respects privacy rights. The more a place values privacy, the easier it is for criminals to operate. And Japan's police system… heh. You know why there are so many unsolved cases, don't you?"
Ritsu wanted to refute that. After all, he'd once been a police officer and proud of it. But setting aside other cities, Tokyo's police clearance rate alone… left him with no grounds to argue.
At its core, it came down to Japan's policing system. Unlike countries with formal police academy training systems, many Japanese officers simply passed the civil service exam, completed a six-month police school program, passed the test, and officially became police officers.
"There are still capable officers out there. We should stay cautious."
"And because the Boss knows that, he planted you inside the MPD. One little fry won't stir up much trouble."
"Oh?" Ritsu raised a brow and smiled. "So Caymus is just a little fry in your eyes? Then what am I?"
"A shark." Gin lowered his eyes and took a sip of his cherry-red Singapore Sling before calmly continuing.
"Sharks are extremely sensitive to scent in seawater, especially blood. Even a concentration of one ppm can lure them from far away. They relentlessly follow the scent of blood, feeding on the weak and throwing the sea into chaos."
"That's pretty high praise, Gin." Ritsu straightened up and drained the rest of his drink in one go. Licking his lips with lingering satisfaction, he smiled. "I like it."
He really was like a shark lurking in the deep sea. A shark that would never breach the ocean's surface.
His phone suddenly rang with a marimba melody. Pulling it out, Ritsu saw it was a call from Megure. An ominous feeling instantly rose in his chest.
He gave Gin and Vodka a look before answering. "Hello, this is Onizawa."
"Inspector Onizawa, do you have time to come to a crime scene? This case is a little special."
As expected, nothing good.
"Special? Who's the victim?"
Megure suddenly lowered his voice and whispered, "The victim isn't special. The suspect is… she's the famous idol singer Okino Yoko. Since this involves a celebrity, could you come personally?"
Because he knew Onizawa had extensive overseas investigative experience, Megure made this request. Celebrity cases easily attracted reporters, and if anything leaked online, it'd become a nightmare.
'Okino Yoko? What a coincidence.' Ritsu couldn't help glancing at Vodka.
"Understood. Send the address to my email. I'll head over immediately."
He was about to hang up when he remembered something and added, "No need to call Hayasaka over. I'll handle it myself."
"Alright! Sorry to trouble you!"
After hanging up, Ritsu shrugged helplessly at the two men before him and smiled bitterly. "Enjoy your drinks, gentlemen. I've got overtime."
Before leaving, he deliberately walked over to Vodka and leaned down to whisper, "Vodka, the suspect is Yoko Okino."
"What?!"
Vodka shot to his feet so suddenly that he slammed straight into Ritsu's chin. Ritsu hadn't even managed to close his mouth before biting his own tongue. The metallic taste of blood instantly spread through his mouth.
"Ah, sorry, I—"
"It's fine." Ritsu patted Vodka's shoulder. "Don't worry. She's probably not the killer."
Gin stared coldly at the two whispering together and asked in displeasure, "What are you talking about?"
"Okino Yoko. If you're curious, Gin, search her on Yahoo. I'll get going."
#Okino Yoko#
Gin pulled out his phone and typed the name into Yahoo's search bar. When he saw "idol singer" listed under her profession, his expression darkened. Then, while trying to close the page after seeing she was a former member of Earth Ladies, he accidentally tapped into the profile.
And there, in the Earth Ladies introduction, he saw the name "Kaoru Kusano."
His icy gaze sharpened like knives as it landed on Vodka.
"Vodka…"
"Boss, s-sorry."
"Tonight's drinks are on you."
Gin wasn't upset that Vodka liked female idols. He was upset that Vodka was spending money on them. Until now, Gin had always paid for the drinks, which nearly left him without enough money to repair his beloved car last time.
Vodka, on the other hand, secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Patting his broad chest, he thought,
'Thank goodness the boss didn't chew me out. What a false alarm.'