It was already after ten at night when Heiji drove Yukiko home.
Yukiko sat quietly in the passenger seat. She looked calm again.
She turned to look at Heiji. She pressed her lips together slightly and gave a smile.
"Heiji, thank you for tonight."
When she needed comfort the most, Heiji shopped and ate with her. He even saved her life.
Heiji smiled simply. "It was just a coincidence."
He could not let Yukiko know the truth. Otherwise, who knows what this woman would do.
Yukiko gave a small smile. Her eyes curved like crescent moons.
She looked at Heiji once, then she opened the car door and left.
Suddenly, she turned and leaned on the car window. She blinked her eyes.
"Remember, you are not allowed to tell anyone about today. Or else, humph..."
She shook her small fist. She gave a cold snort and turned to walk to her house.
Heiji gave a shrug of his shoulders.
He arrived home. Shizuka was already asleep. As for Heizo, it seemed he was not back yet.
Heiji went back to his room. Kazuha was not there either.
He heard whispering from the room next door.
He shook his head slightly. He put his things away and went to take a shower.
After getting home, Yukiko also went to shower.
After that, she sat on the bed in her thin pajamas.
She held her legs in her arms. She looked sad.
It was very quiet here. But the Osaka Police Station was not peaceful at all.
Heizo Hattori, Yusaku Kudo, and Ginshiro Toyama sat quietly in the meeting room.
They looked very serious.
Yusaku Kudo gave a sigh. "It seems we lost this fight again."
Heizo and Ginshiro also gave a sigh.
"Mr. Yusaku, do not blame yourself. The Night Baron said those things to trick more than just you."
"He also wants to trick our Osaka Police," Heizo said calmly.
"Mr. Yusaku, have you met the Night Baron before?" Ginshiro asked with a frown.
Yusaku Kudo frowned. He shook his head.
"That is what I cannot understand. I have never met the Night Baron. Why did he kidnap Yukiko?"
Heizo and Ginshiro became silent.
"Your wife was not hurt, right?"
Yusaku paused. He realized he had not asked that question.
His face changed slightly.
"Chief Hattori, Superintendent Toyama, I will make a phone call first."
After saying that, he walked straight out of the meeting room.
Yukiko was sleeping in a daze. She was woken up by the phone ringing.
She saw the number on the screen. Her eyes showed mixed feelings.
She thought for a moment.
"Yukiko, are you asleep? Are you okay today?"
Yukiko paused. Then she shook her head.
"I am fine. Heiji came at the right time."
"That is good. It seems we need to thank Heiji Hattori properly."
Yusaku Kudo let out a sigh of relief.
"I am a bit tired. I am hanging up now."
"Okay, sleep early."
Yusaku could hear that Yukiko was acting strange. But he did not think deeply about it.
He thought it was because of the kidnapping.
Under the covers, tears fell down her face.
Heiji was alone in his room tonight. This was because Kazuha was sleeping with Eri Kisaki.
I must make a plan. Heiji got out of bed. In the dark night, he jumped down from the second floor.
In the darkness, a figure avoided all the cameras. He arrived at a phone booth.
Heizo Hattori looked outside. "It seems we will not find anything tonight."
Yusaku Kudo stood up. "Yes. I should go back to the hotel, too."
"Hotel?" Ginshiro Toyama looked at Yusaku in surprise.
"Are you not staying with Mrs. Kudo, Mr. Yusaku?"
Yusaku gave a bitter smile. "To tell the truth, I came back for my son, but also to tell Yukiko to go back to Los Angeles."
"We had a small fight before, so she came back to Japan first."
Heizo and Ginshiro looked at each other. They did not ask more questions.
Suddenly, the three men became alert. Their pupils shrank.
They all looked at a phone at the same time.
"A strange number!"
Heizo and Ginshiro quickly put on their headphones. They nodded at Yusaku.
Yusaku nodded back and picked up the phone.
"Mr. Yusaku, taking so long to answer the phone is not like a gentleman."
The voice of the Night Baron came from the phone.
"Night Baron, what is your goal exactly?" Yusaku asked in a serious voice.
"Heizo Hattori and Ginshiro Toyama are also listening, right?"
The three men were surprised. Yusaku then put the phone down.
Heizo pressed a button. "Night Baron, why did you come to Osaka?"
"To play a game."
The three men frowned.
"To be exact, I want to play a game with Yusaku Kudo."
Yusaku's eyes became sharp. "Mr. Night Baron, do we know each other?"
"We do not," the Night Baron said simply.
"Since we do not know each other, why do you target me?"
"Targeting someone for no reason is not like a gentleman."
Anger rose in his heart.
"I am a gentleman of the darkness. Wherever there is evil, there is a gentleman."
Yusaku's face looked dark. "Mr. Night Baron, do you mean I have the smell of evil on me?"
"Everyone is evil. Everyone also carries evil with them."
The Night Baron paused. "Of course, I just want to play a game with Mr. Kudo."
"I have no interest in playing games with you," Yusaku said darkly.
"Refusing a gentleman's invitation is very rude. Be careful, or heaven might punish you."
The elegant tone was full of coldness.
Heizo and Ginshiro frowned.
"Mr. Night Baron, that is a threat. We have the right to charge you," Ginshiro said coldly.
"It seems Superintendent Toyama is also foolish. A gentleman in the darkness lives only for evil."
"Human laws do not work on me."
"Mr. Night Baron seems very confident. Why don't you tell us your game rules," Heizo said.
"Indeed. Mr. Night Baron, you should stop making me angry."
"I also want to hear your game rules," Yusaku said.
He had been angry, but he suddenly became calm.
"That is better. Acting in front of a gentleman is also very rude."
It was clear that the Night Baron knew they were acting.
The meeting room became silent.
"Mr. Night Baron, can you say the rules now?" Heizo asked.
"Cat and mouse. The mouse loves rice."
The three men frowned as they heard the phone hang up.
"Cat and mouse?"
"The mouse loves rice?"