Chapter 6: Disappearing Retsu

Takeru shook her head as Officer Retsu leaped onto her couch. After she had invited Officer Retsu to live with her, the older woman was delighted. Takeru smiled at Retsu's cheerfulness. Throughout days and nights, Takeru and Retsu enjoyed each other's company. When Takeru had sent Retsu to buy something from the store one early afternoon, she never came back. Takeru tried not to worry as she knows that Retsu was clumsy, however, her worry increased tenfold when the early afternoon turned to nighttime. Takeru cursed and she almost ran outside when her phone had rung. Without checking the caller ID, Takeru answered the phone as she put the phone in her ear. "Oh, you've answered," a male voice had tells Takeru. Takeru then realized that her suspect was no suspect at all. The man who stabbed her wasn't the killer. It was the person on the phone and Takeru knew she had dug too deep trying to solve the murders. "You would've caught me. Let me rephrase that- You can catch me," the man tells Takeru, who got angry.

"What sick game are you playing with me? Screw you!" She had shouted at the man. The man cackled at her angry reaction, making Takeru even more angrier. The man then became cold and ruthless as he started to speak again.

"You may want to lower your tone of voice, little girl. After all, you don't want your friend to get hurt, do you?" The man asked. Takeru froze when she remembered Retsu. She's too sweet to die. Takeru thought. Horror seeped into Takeru when she realized what kind of danger Retsu was in at the moment.

"Don't hurt her," Takeru spoke back to the man, her voice soft this time. The man cackled as he gazed at Retsu. Retsu was tied up on the floor. She didn't like the situation she was in at the moment. She didn't want do die! She didn't want Takeru to place herself in danger just for her sake. As she stared at the murderer, he smirked at her. The man pulled his head away from the phone and he started to speak to Retsu.

"You were extremely easy to grab. I wonder how your friend feels," he told her, reaching out to stroke her cheek with his rough hand. Retsu whimpered in fear of the man and he pulled away from Retsu. He walked to another place in the house he was staying at and he placed the phone back to his ear. "You are playing with fire, little girl," he warns Takeru. Takeru was about to explode on the man when she remembered Retsu. Takeru groaned with discontent as she felt upset at both herself and the murderer. This wouldn't have even happened if I just stuck to myself and pretended that I heard nothing that day. She thought, scolding herself.

"I know I'm playing with fire, but I'll play until she is returned to me," Takeru warns the man, telling the man that he had picked the perfect bait to lure in his new victim. Fine. If I die, I know I'll die keeping Retsu safe. She thought, feeling very determined to save Retsu from the clutches of the murderer.