Chapter 2: Secret Admirer?

New york, America 1966:

8 years have passed since Suki's failed suicide attempt In that time Suki now 26 years of age had matured, graduating top of his class 3 years in a row with a degree in detective studies from a renowned private college he was accepted to through his father's connections.

Once he entered the field he left his colleagues' mouths agape, as his feats at such a young age were downright astounding, solving over 37 cold cases coming straight out of school. With a far lower crime rate than other areas of the world Suki thought it wisest to get a change of scenery, moving to the bustling city of New York in hopes of becoming the world's greatest homicide detective.

From there he only bolstered rumors of his greatness as he went head to head outwitting the likes of mafiosos, cold blooded murderers and even serial killers throughout the city, yet he didn't stop there. Suki was adamant about changing his surroundings from time to time to not grow complacent in his work thus he would often travel to other states for months on end working alongside other agencies and assistants to further expand his skills. This coupled with his good looks and charm made him well known throughout the states being hailed as the next Sherlock Holmes.

New York City, 1967:

Outside in the wintery elements strolled a man in a thick black coat at the dead of night. He picked up a newspaper opening it up.

It read, "From Death's Door to fighting the Reaper! The young man who's unfortunate accident nearly cost him his life has now become known worldwide as the world's next Sherlock Holmes. Suki Figimura (27) made headlines after surviving a 30 foot fall off a statue at Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine in Kyoto, Japan 9 years ago. Despite suffering a fractured skull, large losses of blood and being sent into a 3 year long coma, the young man has made a stunning recovery. Wasting no time to make the most of his second chance at life, Suki pursued detective work graduating top of his class. Now he spends his time taking down New York's most wanted."

The man crumpled it up and threw the newspaper on the ground. "Suki Figimura huh, so that's where you went."

NYC Airlines, October 3 1968:

Suki had just flown back to New York where he met with his two assistants. Billy White, a 20 year old college student currently interning under Suki's watch and Laura Shorts, a 23 year old red headed bombshell, who was known more for being notoriously blunt than being a highly effective detective.

Billy had first reached out to the agency after learning from a friend of the man who was hailed as the next Sherlock Holmes. Enthralled by the mystique of this young prodigy he used his photographic memory to wow the Reinhand Detective Works (the same agency Suki was employed with.)

Laura on the other hand wasn't in any way studious unlike her counterpart Billy. Instead her greatest assets came from her street smarts, a result of her troubled past.

Suki tossed his luggage in the trunk and hopped in the car.

"Damn ya look like shit Sukks." Laura said, bypassing the typical welcome back you'd greet someone with who'd been gone months. Her words, as blunt as a hammer in the back of Suki's skull.

"Nice to see you too."

She winked back with a smile. "Teehee."

"Can you be professional for even a second?"

Laura who often butted heads with Billy chose to straight up ignore him paying more attention to the look of her fingernails than his existence.

Grrrr…. "Sorry about her sir, but unlike miss rude ass over there I'm dying to know— How was your trip?"

Suki placed his hand over his head with an emphatic sigh. "To be frank... it was a pain in my ass. All of the detectives there kept trying to impress me by taking on cases out of their leagues so in the end I spent most of my time babysitting in a sense. I'm just glad to be back."

"And we're glad you're back!"

"Must ya be so loud Billy? Your constant blabbering is gonna give me a migraine." Laura said, rubbing her temples rapidly.

"I'm not even being that loud! You agree with me don't you Mr. Figimura?"

Billy peaked into the rear view for his reaction, taking his eyes off the road which he often did whenever Suki was in the backseat.

"Well... It was a long trip so perhaps you could lower your voice just a tad so I could doze off for a bit of the ride."

With a broken whimper Billy replied. "So-sorry sir I'll shut up."

As they neared the agency, Billy who was at the wheel, continuously peaked his head back at Mr. Figimura who was sitting alone in the backseat with drool on the edge of his lip as he nodded in and out of sleep. Laura noticed Billy drifting slightly into the other lane and reached over slapping the back of his head rest.

"Would ya quit watching Suki sleep n keep your eyes on the damn road!" She rolled her eyes, still visibly irritated. "— Whenever he's along all ya do is stare at him… It's fuckin creepy. So quit it woulda ya, I'm not trying to get in an accident because of your weird obsession with the boss!"

"I-I'm not obsessed with Mr. Figimura!!!" Billy yelled.

His high pitched scream was enough to rattle the insides of Suki's eyes and wake even a heavy sleeper like him from his nap.

"I-I just look up to him… It's obvious how gifted of a detective he is. That's all!" Billy continued, trying to defend his actions after Laura had piled on the embarrassment with her accusations.

"Riiiggghttt...."

"I'm serious!! Could you stop being so rude to me for just on-" but before he could finish his thought Suki interrupted having woken up with all the bickering back and forth between the two.

Yawwwwwwwnnnnn

"Guys if you don't mind piping down please, the last thing I need to deal with is your petty squabbles so please just make up already." Suki said, trying to reach a truce.

"Okay… okay, I'm sorry for insulting the way ya drive."

Laura snickered purposely leaving out the bit about Billy's obsession with Suki.

"That wasn't even the part I was mad about!"

"Billy please, she said sorry. just forgive and forget."

"Bu-but sh-"

Suki sat up in his seat sending a look Billy's way.

Sigh "Fine. I forgive you— jerk." Muttered Billy, ticked off at the fact that the boss hadn't held her accountable per usual.

For the rest of the drive everyone remained silent, that is other than Suki who's snores resembled that of a bear's roar.

October 15th:

In the suburban Great Neck Gardens, a middle aged man wearing a black suit with suitcase in hand is seen leaving his house; first kissing his wife goodbye.

"Have a safe work trip Roger baby I love you." Said the wife as she kissed him farewell.

"I will darling."

He hopped into his olive green, 1962 Chevy Impala SS and drove off. He couldn't help feel this strange sensation he was being followed the entire ride. Wanting to rid himself of his anxiety, he turned down a city backstreet checking his rearview mirrors repeatedly but after seeing nothing out of the ordinary his mind was slowly put at ease.

He drove a few more blocks before parking his car in front of a blank building. When he exited the car, he now wore a dark grey flat cap, pulling it down slightly to conceal his facial features along with a thin brown jacket. He knocked on a large steel door 3 times then paused then proceeded to knock 5 more times. The door slowly opened as he made one last glance back behind him, entering once the coast was deemed clear.

Inside the plain looking building was a sea of action. Live music playing, boozes of all kinds covering the walls as far as the eye could see and hot young females erotically dancing. Roger removed his hat, jacket, loosened his tie, placed his wedding ring in his pant pocket and walked out on the dance floor as he scandalously shook his hips behind a lovely lady he had spotted upon entering the establishment.

As the hours rolled by he and his new eye candy had become deeply intoxicated.

"Hoows bout we s-s-split dis jo-joint and go sumwher quiet?" He asked, sloshed with a bright red face.

They drove to an abandoned building which previously was a hotel that had been damaged beyond repair in an electrical fire. This was an ideal spot for quick secret meetups since a few of the rooms had escaped with only minor damages and were still in salvageable condition. He led the woman to room 209,

he threw her on the bed and slammed the door.

Her moans soon turned to screams as a masked man holding a bible, kicked open the door.

"Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. Hebrews 13:4" Preached the man in the mask.

Roger, still heavily intoxicated, stumbled his naked body up to the mysterious man and shoved a finger in his chest. "WHos do yoU tHInK You R! FiNd yor owN BicH SheS miNee!"

He spit flew out from all sides as he gave the intruder a piece of his mind.

The man looked as if he was made of stone with the way he stood body completely still as Roger continued to push his chest and head with his finger.

The spine of the bible in the masked man's hand slammed into Roger's temple, knocking him unconscious. His head bounced like a ball off the floor, blood scattering across the carpet.

Panicking for her life, Roger's side candy hopped out of bed making a swift run for the doorway but was ultimately too slow as she was caught by the wrist.

"It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; Thessalonians 4:3-5" Preached the masked assailant.

"Let go of me!!!!!! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Shrieked the drunk woman as she scratched, kicked and clawed trying anything she could to be released from their attackers grasp.

The grip around her arm got tighter as he effortlessly yanked her down, dislocating her arm from the socket and causing her face to split open against the edge of the doorway.

As she laid, blood pouring out of her skull, washing away her teeth that had fallen out on contact with the door, the man crouched down putting his lips just inches away from her ear. "I saw you in church last weekend… yet here you are committing sin."

"H-h-how d-id you n-n-know it did t-th-that. Just w-who are you?" She stuttered, struggling to verbalize due to the vast amounts of blood she had lost.

"Because god sees everything..."

As the words fled his tongue she was left with an insatiable desire for death sensing the bloodlust radiating from within him. He momentarily left the room returning with a chair.

The woman blocking his path was no longer of any concern to him, nonchalantly he stomped down on her cranium. Her already fractured skull cracked under the weight of his boot like an egg dropped on concrete. With no attention paid to the brain matter that oozed out onto his shoe the masked man grabbed Rodger's unconscious body and lifted him into the chair.

"Sinners who seek salvation when in the presence of GOD will meet extermination, Sinners who seek salvation when in the presence of GOD will meet extermination, Sinners who seek salvation when in the presence of GOD will meet extermination, Sinners who seek salvation when in the presence of GOD will meet extermination!" The assailant chanted repeatedly.

He pulled out a rope from his pants pocket attempting to tightly tie Roger's arms behind his back but due to the chair's shape he couldn't get a good knot. To combat this problem he stuck his knee on the back edge of the chair and cranked down on Rodger's arm causing the elbow to pop. He then repeated his actions on the opposing arm. With both elbows completely bent outward they were easily contorted into position for the rope to be tightly knotted.

When Roger awoke his body immediately entered a state of shock from the overwhelming pain. If not for the intruder's ability to think ahead by placing a gag around Rodger's mouth he surely would've swallowed his own tongue and suffocated to death which in hindsight Rodger would've much preferred.

October 18th, 2 weeks had passed since Figimura's return to New York. Work was typically slow as few criminals with half a mind dared kill under Figimura's watch but with his extended period of time out of the state murders had increased 10 fold.

"This is absurd. Gone for a few months and the city goes to shit. Just look at this mess!" He shouted, slapping the massive stack of new unsolved cases on his desk. "This is going to take me weeks to get through all these... ughhh."

Suki placed his hands on his face and pulled his hair back.

"Mr. Figimura, Mr. Figimura, we received another fan letter!" Billy hollered from across the hall.

"Billy how many times do I have to tell you, if it's addressed to me don't open it."

Laura, who overheard Suki's complaints, scooted over and ripped the paper from Billy's hands.

"Fan mail? Gimme that! Lets see who's crushing on the boss now?"

Skimming the paper her eyes moved left to right over and over until she ended up tossing the paper in the air as Billy frantically reached out trying to catch it.

"What a bore. I was hopin for somethang riskay."

Suki snached the paper that floated just out of Billy's reach. "You both really need to learn to respect other people's privacy."

"Awh sirrrrrr can't I read it? Pleaseeeee."

Going against his better judgment Figimura caved.

"Ugh just take it."

Billy did a little happy dance then began to read aloud...

Hello Suki, long time no see. I read about you in the paper recently and who would've guessed you'd grow up to be New York's most renowned homicide detective at only 27 no less. I've kept tabs on you from the moment I learned of your new found successes and decided to make it my duty to follow in your footsteps as you travel the world, shining a light on humanity's darkness. I'm sure you're wondering who I am but you're a detective right? So rather than stating my name why don't we play a game. Discover my identity and come find me but before you can do that you must find yourself. I'll be anxiously awaiting a chance to meet back up...

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good- Romans 12:9

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand- Isaiah 41:10

Laura cringed the entire time as the letter was read aloud. "Tha hell was that? I'll make it my duty to follow in your footsteps as you travel the world, shining a light on humanity's darkness. Bwahahahaha how corny could ya get?" She mockly recited in her best man voice.

Her hand smacked on the small of Suki's back as he blushed, almost causing him to drop the coffee mug in his hand.

"Sir is this some old childhood friend of yours?" Billy sneakily inquired with the ulterior motive of learning more of his idol's past.

".....I'm at a loss. Ever since the accident I've been unable to recall any of my memories other than the stories my father told me."

Suki sat down at his desk tapping his pencil on the side of his head as he began reanalyzing the content of the letter.

He pulled the cap off his pen with his teeth and circled three sets of numbers in the letter.

"Find somethin already? You tha man Sukks!"

Suki chuckled, "You must think too highly of me. Nothings solved far from if but oftentimes in coded letters the sender will include numbers as a way to give you a pattern of some sort—"

Billy's eyes sparkled as he busted out his notepad jotting down every word so fast that his pencil began to burn smoke off the paper.

"For instance they made sure to throw in the number 27 which could mean to use the letter of every 27th word until the names spelled out or perhaps its part of a more complicated code that could incorporate the passage numbers of these two bible verses or I could be completely wrong because at the end of the day these are just theories and only the sender knows the real answer."

"Mr. Figimura so you're going to attempt to decipher the letter right?"

Suki glanced over at the letter for a moment but placed it in his desk. Sigh...

"It'd be fun and all but I really should stick to solving the pile of cases that piled up while I was gone. Perhaps I'll give it a whirl once we're all caught up."