Synchronicity Chapter 8: Ratiocination

[Rukia Kurosaki 357]

Gin frowned, watching as Bourbon picked himself up and rubbed his left temple. "You didn't have to hit me so hard, Amontillado." The girl frowned and nodded, replying, "If you were breaking in, I wouldn't want you to stand back up. You're lucky the boss hasn't given me a gun yet." 

    Bourbon shuddered and gave a sigh. "So the kid isn't here, then?" Amontillado shook her head. " I lost track of him in a crowd, and then the case got boring, so I came here to do some reading and re-interest myself in something." Bourbon crossed his arms. "Then why are there two okonomiyaki on the table?" Amontillado rolled her eyes. "Do you know what a waste it would have been to leave that detective brat's food to get thrown out? Would you like to tell me if you saved yours?" she snapped. Bourbon frowned, glancing suspiciously at the food before sighing, "Fine... Sorry Gin. Thought they were here."

 

    Gin turned and left without another word, and Bourbon followed closely. Once out of earshot he whispered, "I know the boss' record says Amontillado's name is Dapono Agosta, but today she went by Natake..." Gin glanced back at Bourbon. "Natake?" He spoke the name with a bitter edge, and Bourbon snickered, knowing he'd hit a nerve. "Yes. Doesn't she remind you of Kinzie?" Gin glared at nothing, spitting, "Yes. She has the same irritating love of the 'mystery' of a job... and the same taunting blue eyes... But Kinzie's daughter would be at least twenty-five or twenty-six by now... If she was still alive. " Bourbon nodded, annoyed. "Yes, if... but Kinzie was almost as good with disguises as I am. It could be worth looking into, and then we might have our informant as well."

     If everything went according to plan, Gin and Vermouth at least would want to look into Amontillado's background and find out who she really was. And once they did, Amuro would know the truth. The only problem was what would happen to the girl if Anokata found out before his preparations were finished. A rat in a trap can still bite...If he gets to her first, Kinzie, there will be nothing I can do. 

 

    Gin nodded coldly, replying, "Yeah. Those FBI rats tried to pull something like what they did with Rye... but unless they got another one in while he was active, or pulled a switch on one of our faithfuls..." He gave Bourbon a firm frown as he got into his Porsche. "Bourbon, the game is over. The players will have to be dealt with another time.Look into Amontillado's records. She is not to be out of your sight." His eyes fixed on the road, Gin drove North, headed to the meeting place for his rendezvous with Anokata. "That woman's dangerous... but I guess if she is still alive, we'll be meeting again. And you won't be able to save even yourself this time, Erru..."

 

    Shinichi stopped only once he was holding the crumpled paper out to the first person he ran into at the police station. Doubled over and panting he proffered the message. Subaru glanced at Hattori and Shinichi. He took the paper slowly, mumbling, "Not sure what this is for, but okay..." Shinichi stood and blinked. "Ah, no, that was supposed to be- for..." Okiya had already opened and read the paper, and he frowned, shaking his head. "That's... impossible."

 

    Hattori, who had caught his breath, asked, "What is?" Subaru gave a start, then sighed, "I guess there can be no secrets this close to the end... Kudou-kun, Hattori-san, you know who I'm associated with... Ten years ago we had a new recruit, the daughter of the agent Kinzie Natake. This girl witnessed her mother's death at the hands of the Organization, and asked to be placed there to put the killers to justice... But she was killed those ten years ago... Now, this note says..."

 

    He held out the paper, and Shinichi scanned it blankly. He had no clue what it meant. "tell RED that L lives..." Hattori shook his head. "I'm good at English and I don't know what that means." Subaru smiled, explaining, "Take a look at it, and pull out only what is in capitals. you have RED and L. What is 'red' in Japanese?" 

    Shinichi smiled, replying, "Akai." Subaru nodded. "You came to the right place. It says 'tell Akai that L lives.'" Hattori blinked. "But who's 'L'?" With another slight smile Subaru replied, "Again, the Japanese." Heiji asked, "The pronunciation of the english letter L?" Okiya nodded. "Erru..." Again he nodded. "Exactly."

 

    "But who's Erru? This isn't any clearer, old man." Subaru chuckled at Hattori, adding, "Despite your inherent cluelessness, I assume you're a good detective... Erru Natake, the daughter of Kinzie Natake, is who the note refers to. Apparently she IS alive, which gives us a good advantage over Koibito-san."

    "What advantage is that?"

    "So many questions, Hattori Heiji-kun... WE have an ally that no one else knows exists."

 

    Back at her hideout, Amontillado finished her Okonomiyaki, putting Shinichi's in a paper bag which she folded and stuffed in her backpack after taking out her gps, transmitter, and tracers. "They don't need to know where I am... Besides, I'm just delivering some leftovers... and news." With a smile she walked quietly up the steps to the fourth floor, aware that Bourbon had been left outside to watch the front exits. "Too bad he doesn't know about this one~" Amontillado closed the exit behind herself and stood up, glancing around.

 

    Sure that no one had seen her, she headed down the back alley she had come through back toward the police station. After a few insecure minutes she emerged into a seething crowd and took shelter in the mass of bodies on the move. She replaced the headphones in her ears and hit 'play' on her mp3 player. "The mental features discoursed of as the analytical

[Maltavite 61]

Nice... 1+ rep for ya! (Even I have alternative version...)