The next morning, Yuto was called in by Heiden as soon as he came into work.
“I got a call from the FBI’s Los Angeles field office,” said Heiden stiffly. Yuto could tell from his tone that it wasn’t good news.
“Was it bad news?” he asked. Heiden’s expression was severe as he turned to face Yuto.
“The worst. Corning’s been found.”
A most-wanted person had been found, yet it was “the worst news”. There could only be one reason why.
“Found dead, huh.”
“Yes. He was found in a car at the bottom of the sea, shot to death. What are your thoughts?”
“Probably Corvus. He used Corning to get out of prison, and killed him to silence him. That’s the only plausible scenario I can think of.”
Heiden nodded as if to agree with Yuto’s suggestion, and placed his coffee mug on the table.
“Heiden, let me go to LA,” Yuto said. Heiden looked at him apprehensively.
“LA? Why? The LAPD is working Corning’s case right now. There’s no use in you going.”
“It’s not just about Corning’s case. I want to visit the site and trace Nathan’s entire history from the very beginning. There has to be some point where he crosses paths with Corvus. I also want to visit Schelger Prison. I might be able to pick up some clues there.”
Heiden was silent, deep in thought. He probably had his misgivings about letting a rookie like Yuto work alone.
“Isn’t this the whole reason why you got me into the FBI on special privileges? Any other investigator can do interviews with witnesses at the bomb attack sites, or look into where the bomb parts originated. But there are certain things about this case that only I can do. That’s why I want you to let me go to LA.”
“I suppose,” Heiden assented at Yuto’s vehement appeal. “To be honest, I’m not expecting much from you. But if you weren’t going to offer more than the average investigator, I was also planning to send you back to the Academy. So this might be a good opportunity.”
“You’ll let me go?”
“Yes. But you have three days. If you can’t produce any results after that, you are to come straight back here.”
Yuto was unsure if he could gain any new information in just three days, but he had no choice but to try.
“I’ll put in a request with the LAPD to cooperate with you. Can you leave immediately?”
“I’ll be on my way soon.”
“Good. I give you permission to go on a solo investigation.”
The plane landed in Los Angeles International Airport after a five-hour flight. Although Yuto had been living in New York for ten years, he still felt comforted to return to the city that he had grown up in.
After arriving in Terminal 7 for domestic flights, he walked through the arrivals lobby toward the exits.
“Yuto! Over here!”
Yuto turned toward the shouting voice, and saw a tan-skinned man wearing dark sunglasses. Yuto smiled and raised his hand as he saw the figure in a suit striding toward him.
It was Francisco Lennix, or Paco. He was a Chicano and a detective at the LAPD Homicide Division, and Yuto’s stepbrother. Paco was there years older than him, with a slim, tall build and a charming face. He was a good man through and through, both on the inside and outside, and Yuto had always been proud to call him a brother since he was a child.
“Hola, ¿qué tal? (Hey, how are you?)”
Paco grinned widely as he swiped Yuto’s bag from him. Yuto had called him before his departure to tell him that he was coming to Los Angeles, but he hadn’t expected Paco to come all the way to the airport to pick him up.
“Más o menos. (Not too bad.)”
Although Paco was fluent in English, he and Yuto often spoke in Spanish when they were alone together, a carryover from their childhood days.
“I didn’t think I would be able to see you again so soon,” Paco said. “Do you have time to see Leti and everyone else?”
Yuto shook his head.
“I don’t know. I’d like to, if I have time. Can you keep it quiet to Lupita that I’m here? I don’t want to get her hopes up and end up disappointing her.”
Although Yuto wanted more than anything to see his stepmother and little sister, he was here for a work trip. He expected it would be difficult to go all the way to Arizona where they lived.
“Will do. She’d make such a racket if she found out you were in LA. She’s already twelve and still such a baby.”
Yuto smiled as he recalled Lupita a month ago, throwing a tantrum and clinging to him as she begged him not to go.
Yuto was ten years old when his Japanese-American father married for his second time to Paco’s mother, Letizia. He was a little hesitant at first at his new Mexican family, but Leti was a kind woman and Paco was a cheerful brother who took good care of him. Eventually, Lupita was born, and their family became four. Although Yuto’s father had passed away two years ago in an accident, he had never felt alone because he still had his stepmother and siblings. Even though he only got to see them a few times a year, they were still his precious family.
“I’ve got my car in the parking lot. Let’s go.”
“Aren’t you on work hours right now? Are you allowed to duck out like this?”
“I dunno what you’re talking about,” Paco said, grinning widely as he slapped Yuto on the shoulder. “This is part of work, too. I’ve come to pick up the honourable Mr. FBI Investigator on behalf of the LAPD. Captain’s direct orders. So don’t feel bad about it.”
“Are you sure? If you say so, then.”
Yuto’s face lit up as he looked at Paco’s profile. Thanks to his stepbrother, it looked like things would go smoothly.
“How about some food before we head to the station? You must be hungry. Let’s stop by a restaurant, it’ll be my treat.”
“We can just stop by an In-N-Out drive thru,” Yuto answered promptly. Paco raised his eyebrows.
“Burgers? You still love that place as always, huh.”
“It’s way better than McDonald’s or Burger King. Besides, I only get to eat it when I come down here.”
In-N-Out was a fast food chain that was only found in California, Arizona, and Nevada, and was Yuto’s favourite place to go for burgers.
“Órale. As you wish, then,” Paco grinned, showing his white teeth as he ruffled Yuto’s dark hair.
After having burgers for lunch in the car, Yuto and Paco proceeded to take an hour to get to the Los Angeles Police Department while stuck in LA’s infamously bad traffic. The LAPD was located in the central east side of downtown Los Angeles, and just nearby was the famous Los Angeles City Hall that appeared in many movies.
With Paco leading the way, Yuto stepped inside the offices of the Homicide Division. First, he met with Paco’s superior, Sergeant Hague, and thanked him for his cooperation for the investigation. Paco then introduced Yuto to his colleagues. All of them greeted Yuto in a friendly manner, perhaps because they knew that he was Paco’s younger brother. One of the detectives in particular, a black detective named Mike Howard, was especially amiable toward Yuto. He was apparently close friends personally with Paco, and seemed to know a lot about Yuto as well.
“Yuto, you should write an autobiography one day. I bet you can’t find anyone else in America who’s experienced being in the DEA, going to jail, and being in the FBI, too.”
“Good idea,” Yuto said wryly at Mike’s cheerful jab at his past. “I’ll be sure to mention in my book that there’s an excellent detective by the name of Mike Howard at the LAPD.”
“Hey, Paco! You’ve got a great brother, you know that?”
“Yeah. He took after me. Anyway, Yuto, let’s start with Richard Corning’s case.”
Paco had gathered information on Corning’s murder case in advance of Yuto’s arrival. “Here,” he said as he took some papers out of a clear folder and handed them to Yuto.
“By the way, why did Corning help Nathan Clark?” Paco asked. His curiosity was natural; out of all people, the warden of the prison had helped an inmate escape.
“I don’t know. I just know that they had some kind of personal connection.”
On Heiden’s orders, Yuto had not disclosed everything to Paco and the LAPD. Yuto had only explained to them that they were investigating the whereabouts of the fugitive, Nathan Clark, because there were suspicions that he was involved in the nationwide serial bombings. Paco was under the impression that Yuto had been scouted by the FBI for this reason as well.
“Corning’s body was discovered yesterday afternoon on Terminal Island wharf.”
Terminal Island was a port about twenty-five miles south from the Los Angeles city centre, and was located around the border of San Pedro and Long Beach.
“San Pedro police were the ones who discovered him. They’d sent divers to search for a handgun that was supposedly thrown away from an unrelated robbery. That’s when they found the car at the bottom of the sea by coincidence.”
“Yeah. The car belonged to Corning. A post-mortem examination said he’d been dead anywhere from a month to a month and a half. He had a gunshot wound to his head. Looks like he died immediately from the headshot, and was dumped, car and all, right into the sea.”
The files included photos of the car that had been pulled out of the water, as well as Corning’s belongings. Yuto gazed at them as he traced his lip with his thumb.
“So, his gunshot wound – was it point-blank?”
“Yeah. That’s what I’ve heard.”
“And the entry point was on the right side of his head.”
“Yeah. How did you know?”
Although it was only a hunch, Yuto had a feeling that Corvus had made Corning drive him to the port after he made his escape, and had pulled the gun on him from the passenger’s seat against Corning’s temple. He had gripped the same gun that he had pointed at Yuto and Dick, with the wan smile playing on his lips. Corning had probably never imagined that Corvus would finish him off like this, after all he had done to help.
“Given the area, I don’t think we’ll be able to get any eyewitness statements,” Yuto said.
“Yeah,” Paco agreed, taking off his blazer. “There’s barely any people around that area, and it’s already been a month. Well, San Pedro’s started their own investigation, so we should get a report if any information comes in. If you want to check out the scene, I can take you there now.”
“No, I think I’ll leave that to San Pedro. I want to know about Nathan Clark.”
“Leave that to me!”
It was Mike who gave the cheerful answer. He was carrying a folder that he placed on the desk and opened with a flourish.
“There you go,” he said proudly.
“Mike handled Nathan Clark’s case two years ago,” Paco explained. “You can ask him anything.” He sat down and lit a cigarette, as if to hand over the reins to Mike.
“Do you remember anything about Nathan, Mike?”
“To be honest, not really. I remember the case, but I can’t seem to recall anything about Nathan. It wasn’t until looking through his files that I could finally remember. He was just a quiet guy. I mean, he turned himself in, so he was pretty obedient. The circumstantial evidence was all there, so he was indicted in no time.”
“He turned himself in?”
“Yeah. He’d gone over to his mother’s place to ask for money, but he was turned away rudely, and that made the blood go to his head. He ended up shooting her with the pistol he had. But soon he got scared and turned himself in. He had no criminal history. He probably got shaken up.”
It was a completely different story from the one Yuto had heard in prison. Corvus had probably told Yuto a lie on the fly after finding out about Yuto’s history. If he had tried to gain Yuto’s trust by pretending that he was in the same boat – a victim of a false accusation who had been framed as the murderer of a loved one – then he had succeeded. Yuto recalled the compassion and sympathy reflected in those sincere eyes, belated mused on what a great actor he was.
“How trustworthy was his confession?”
“Nothing out of place at all. He had the murder weapon with him, too. Nathan was definitely the one who did it. He and his mother used to live alone together, but they didn’t get along, and he ran away from home. Nathan moved around frequently across the country, and came back to LA about six months before the incident. Desperate for money, he visited his mother for the first time in years, only for her to tell him that she had no son. That spurred him to do what he did.”
As Yuto flipped through the case files, his eyes fell on the mug shot of Nathan taken when he was arrested. The man in the photo was undoubtedly Corvus. As he thought, Corvus had already been impersonating Nathan by this time. The question now was when he had started.
“I’d like to meet some acquaintances of Nathan from before he was arrested.”
“Hmm,” Mike said with a grimace as he pulled the files over and began flipping through the pages. If “Nathan” had turned himself in immediately after committing his crime, the investigation would probably have wrapped up once the confession could be substantiated. Moreover, if the physical evidence was there, there would have been no need to investigate his social relationships.
“If you have the address where he lived at the time, I can go out and do rounds myself,” Yuto said.
“He had no fixed address. Oh, wait. Wait here just a minute,” Mike said as he hurried back to his desk and came back holding a binder. The old, worn binder contained a thick wad of papers packed with tiny print.
“What’s that?” Yuto asked.
“My precious work log,” Mike said with a grin. “I keep a journal of who I met with and where I went so I can remember later.”
“Wow,” Paco mused. “I had no idea. You’re more detail-oriented than I thought.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Mike said sullenly. “You didn’t know? Geez, some kind of friend you are,” he grumbled as he pointed out a line in his notes to Yuto.
“See here,” he said. “It says someone requested an interview right after Nathan was arrested. He ended up leaving without seeing Nathan though, because he was only allowed to see a lawyer at this point. The guy claimed that he was Nathan’s acquaintance. His name was… there it is. Rob Connors. I even wrote his address.”
Yuto thanked Mike and was scribbling Rob Connors’ address into his own notebook when a fat detective from the other side of the room gave a yell.
“Hey, Paco! We’ve found Joe Evanson! Harry and Lacy found him by coincidence, and they’re tailing him now.”
Paco and Mike looked at each other before hurrying over to the detective, who was on the phone.
“Where? Where is he right now?”
“Looks like he’s gone into Figueroa Hotel. You want to head over to back them up?”
“Of course. That bastard, we’ll catch him this time and throw him into jail!” Mike shook his fist vehemently. Paco returned with an apologetic look.
“Go,” Yuto said before Paco opened his mouth. “I’ll be fine by myself. I’m going to try meeting with this Rob Connors guy.”
“Sorry about that,” Paco said. “He’s a murderer we’ve been chasing for a long time. Anyway, if you need help, you call my cell right away, alright?” Paco said worriedly as he tapped Yuto’s cheek lightly. Yuto grinned wryly.
“I’ll be fine. Hurry up and go. Mike’s waiting for you.”
Paco nodded and grabbed his jacket before bursting out of the office with Mike.
* * *
Rob Connors’ house was located in Pasadena, about nine miles northeast from downtown, and the city was famous for the Rose Parade on New Year’s Day, as well as the Rose Bowl. It was also known for its wealthy residential area, putting it alongside the likes of Beverly Hills and Santa Monica. Although the town had a retro-looking landscape, many of the shops were new, and it was popular among residents for its low crime rate.
Yuto’s taxi dropped him off at a corner of a quiet residential neighbourhood. From the street, he looked up at Rob’s home. Although it wasn’t very big, it was a nice, stately-looking house. In the garage was a Ford SUV and the popular Toyota Camry. The front lawn was trimmed neatly and well maintained.
Yuto climbed the front steps onto the porch and rang the doorbell. A few moments later, the door opened to reveal a white man.
“Who is it?” the man said through a yawn, looking as if he had woken from a nap. He looked at Yuto through bleary eyes. He looked to be in his mid-thirties, and was about a fist-length taller than Yuto, about 185 centimetres. His eyes and hair were both a light brown. Despite his faded jeans and wrinkled shirt, he didn’t give off a sloppy impression, likely thanks to his well-groomed, handsome looks.
“Mr. Rob Connors?”
“Yes. And you are?”
Yuto opened his leather wallet containing his ID card and showed it to him.
“…FBI?”
“Yes. Agent Yuto Lennix. Sorry for the sudden visit, but I’d like to ask you a few things. Do you have a moment right now, sir?”
Rob raked back his slightly-wavy hair and gave a small sigh.
“I’m sorry, but I have no plans to help you guys again. Would you excuse yourself, please?”
As Rob tried to close the door, Yuto stuck his hand out to stop it.
“Wait, what do you mean, ‘help’? I’m only hear to ask about someone. Nathan Clark. You know him, right?” he blurted out quickly. Rob looked at Yuto apprehensively.
“Nathan Clark…?”
“Yes. He was arrested by the LAPD for murdering his mother. Two years ago, you went all the way down to the LAPD to ask for an interview. Am I correct?”
“Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?”
“Nathan was serving at Schelger Prison, but escaped when the riot happened.”
“Ah,” Rob nodded. “If you came wanting to know where Nathan is now, you came to the wrong place. I have no idea where he is. I wasn’t that close with him to begin with. I only went to see him at the police station because I had a professional interest in the case.”
Rob’s explanation left Yuto wanting answers. What kind of profession would he be in, to be interested in a murderer?
“Would you mind if I asked what you do?”
“…Are you really in the FBI?” Rob asked sceptically. Yuto gave a wry smile.
“If you have doubts, you’re free to call the FBI directly.”
“You’re from the Los Angeles field office, did you say? I don’t recognize you. New face?”
There was no doubt that Rob had some sort of connection with the FBI. If he was from the media, it would make things a hassle, Yuto thought.
“You’re correct that I’m new, but I’m not from the Los Angeles field office. I’m from headquarters.”
“Headquarters? So you came all the way here from DC?” Rob asked in surprise.
“Yes,” Yuto answered. Rob finally seemed to be convinced about Yuto’s identity, and revealed his profession. “I’m a criminologist at the University of California. I’ve helped the FBI a few times with their investigations, but a lot of them would demand for advice and never take it, so that turned me off completely.”
It finally made sense. That was why Rob had said he had no plans of helping them again.
“I’m not asking you today about Nathan’s whereabouts. I want to ask you about what kind of person Nathan was, as you knew him.”
“You’re telling me you don’t care about where he is? You’re mystifying me here,” Rob said with an exasperated smile. He had an attractive smile, one that made you almost turn up the corners of your own mouth. He reminded Yuto somewhat of Paco. He had a grown man’s charm, but still retained a hint of boyishness. The type of guy that ladies had a soft spot for.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t feel like talking about Nathan to strangers. You can ask someone else,” Rob said firmly with a smile. He was gentle-looking but stubborn. Apparently he was serious about not wanting to be involved with the FBI.
If Yuto gave in here now, he would have come all the way here to LA for nothing. He needed to hear about Nathan from Rob’s own lips, at all costs.
The gears turned rapidly in Yuto’s head as he tried to think of a way to overcome the roadblock.
“I was actually in Schelger Prison until recently, and that was where I met Nathan.”
“Really? What, as an officer?” Rob said amusedly. He clearly didn’t believe the story.
“No, not as an officer.”
“Then, what?”
Yuto deliberately paused and stared into Rob’s eyes.
“I was an inmate. I was in Schelger Prison as a convict.”
For the first time, a flicker of interest lit up in Rob’s eyes. He’d succeeded in piquing the man’s professional interest. But just as Yuto mentally encouraged him to bite the bait, an unexpected occurrence threw a wrench in his plan. A baby had started crying somewhere inside the house.
“Oops, looks like Katie’s awake. Wait here ― actually, just come on in.”
Yuto followed a flustered Rob as he stepped quickly inside the house. On the right hand side, a door was thrown open to reveal a spacious living room.
“What’s wrong, Katie? Hungry? Or did you go pee-pee? Hmm?”
Rob scooped up the crying baby on the sofa and spoke to her gently. She was plump and adorable, and looked to be less than one year old.
“Looks like pee-pee. I’ll change your diaper, alright? No more crying, now.”
Rob pecked the fussing baby on the cheek over and over as he took out a new diaper from the package nearby. Rob appeared to be accustomed to changing the diaper, and as Yuto watched him, he fondly remembered changing Lupita’s diaper with Paco.
“Hey, uh… Agent Lannix, did you say? Go on and have a seat. Anywhere is fine.”
Yuto took a seat on the sofa across from him. Rob, for some reason, dumped Katie into his arms.
“Can you watch her for a bit?” he said. “Sorry I can’t tell you anything, but I’ll at least pour you a coffee for your troubles.”
With that, Rob disappeared into the adjoining kitchen. Truth be told, Yuto wanted information more than coffee, but Rob seemed determined.
Katie was staring at Yuto’s face with her blue eyes, as if she knew he was a stranger. It had been a while since Yuto held a baby, and he was nervous that she would start crying. But contrary to Yuto’s concerns, Katie grinned at him. Apparently amused, she giggled, showing her small, partially-grown teeth.
“What, you think my face is funny?” Yuto said to her, poking Katie’s cheek with his finger. Rob returned holding two cups of coffee.
“Well, well. Isn’t the princess in a good mood? She’s usually shy around strangers.”
Rob placed the cups down on the table and scooped Katie up in his arms. He nuzzled Katie’s small nose affectionately.
“Already got the heart of a teenage girl, huh? You in a good mood because you got to see a cute guy?”
“Is your wife out?” Yuto asked.
“I don’t have a wife. I’m single,” Rob laughed as he sat down on the sofa.
“I see,” Yuto said as he averted his gaze. Maybe Rob’s wife had left him. Yuto couldn’t help but feel some pity. It was probably anything but easy to raise such a small baby by himself.
“…It must be hard taking care of a baby on your own,” he said, voicing what came to him for the sake of making conversation.
“I suppose. I still make tons of mistakes. It’s so hard dealing with children.”
“You should be proud of yourself, Mr. Connors. Not every man can raise a child all by himself.”
“Really? But I wouldn’t call it raising her, though. I only take care of Katie two or three times a month.”
“Huh…?” Yuto was taken aback, confused at the situation.
“She’s my sister’s baby. They live nearby. Their babysitter cancelled last minute today, so I ended up taking care of her.”
“Oh.” Yuto blushed, realizing his misunderstanding. Katie was not Rob’s baby.
“I-I’m sorry,” he stammered. “I misunderstood.”
“No worries. Anyone would make the same mistake.” Rob was looking at Yuto with a mischievous sparkle in his eye, like a child who had succeeded in a prank. He had probably noticed Yuto’s mistake from the start and hadn’t bothered to correct him. It didn’t make Yuto angry, but it left him feeling awkward. Thoroughly embarrassed, Yuto brought the coffee cup to his lips.
Although Rob responded openly to casual conversation, whenever the topic turned to Nathan, he always diverted the conversation. Although Yuto was tenacious on his efforts to glean information, Rob was unrelenting.
“I’m sorry, but nothing is going to make me talk.”
“I’m not finished yet. I need to know about Nathan. I’ll excuse myself for today, but I’ll be back again tomorrow.”
“I’ll be at the university tomorrow. I’m a part-time lecturer, so I go about a few times a month.”
“Can I visit you at the university, then?”
Rob hunched his shoulders in exasperation, apparently weary of Yuto’s assertiveness.
“You don’t give up, do you? You got me. Mind if I make a suggestion?”
“Suggest away.”
“I don’t want to give any information about Nathan to the FBI. But I don’t mind talking about him to a friend,” Rob said, smiling as he soothed Katie. Yuto looked at him with apprehension.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean I’ll work with you if you become my friend.”
Yuto didn’t have an immediate answer. He also knew that it wasn’t going to be so simple as just agreeing to be his friend.
“What do you want me to do?”
“Hmm, let’s see. First, why don’t we go to my usual club for a few drinks? By the time we leave, we’ll probably be friendly enough to joke with each other, don’t you think?”
Yuto wondered if the man was pulling his leg, but he seemed serious about his suggestion.
“Fine. I’ll do as you wish.”
“Great to hear. My sister’s coming to pick up Katie soon, so once that’s done, I’ll drive us over. Let me tell you beforehand, though, the club I go to is a little special. I’ll just have to ask you to bear with that.”
Yuto felt a slight twinge of anxiety as he looked at Rob’s honest and well-meaning face.
The next morning, Yuto was called in by Heiden as soon as he came into work.
“I got a call from the FBI’s Los Angeles field office,” said Heiden stiffly. Yuto could tell from his tone that it wasn’t good news.
“Was it bad news?” he asked. Heiden’s expression was severe as he turned to face Yuto.
“The worst. Corning’s been found.”
A most-wanted person had been found, yet it was “the worst news”. There could only be one reason why.
“Found dead, huh.”
“Yes. He was found in a car at the bottom of the sea, shot to death. What are your thoughts?”
“Probably Corvus. He used Corning to get out of prison, and killed him to silence him. That’s the only plausible scenario I can think of.”
Heiden nodded as if to agree with Yuto’s suggestion, and placed his coffee mug on the table.
“Heiden, let me go to LA,” Yuto said. Heiden looked at him apprehensively.
“LA? Why? The LAPD is working Corning’s case right now. There’s no use in you going.”
“It’s not just about Corning’s case. I want to visit the site and trace Nathan’s entire history from the very beginning. There has to be some point where he crosses paths with Corvus. I also want to visit Schelger Prison. I might be able to pick up some clues there.”
Heiden was silent, deep in thought. He probably had his misgivings about letting a rookie like Yuto work alone.
“Isn’t this the whole reason why you got me into the FBI on special privileges? Any other investigator can do interviews with witnesses at the bomb attack sites, or look into where the bomb parts originated. But there are certain things about this case that only I can do. That’s why I want you to let me go to LA.”
“I suppose,” Heiden assented at Yuto’s vehement appeal. “To be honest, I’m not expecting much from you. But if you weren’t going to offer more than the average investigator, I was also planning to send you back to the Academy. So this might be a good opportunity.”
“You’ll let me go?”
“Yes. But you have three days. If you can’t produce any results after that, you are to come straight back here.”
Yuto was unsure if he could gain any new information in just three days, but he had no choice but to try.
“I’ll put in a request with the LAPD to cooperate with you. Can you leave immediately?”
“I’ll be on my way soon.”
“Good. I give you permission to go on a solo investigation.”
The plane landed in Los Angeles International Airport after a five-hour flight. Although Yuto had been living in New York for ten years, he still felt comforted to return to the city that he had grown up in.
After arriving in Terminal 7 for domestic flights, he walked through the arrivals lobby toward the exits.
“Yuto! Over here!”
Yuto turned toward the shouting voice, and saw a tan-skinned man wearing dark sunglasses. Yuto smiled and raised his hand as he saw the figure in a suit striding toward him.
It was Francisco Lennix, or Paco. He was a Chicano and a detective at the LAPD Homicide Division, and Yuto’s stepbrother. Paco was there years older than him, with a slim, tall build and a charming face. He was a good man through and through, both on the inside and outside, and Yuto had always been proud to call him a brother since he was a child.
“Hola, ¿qué tal? (Hey, how are you?)”
Paco grinned widely as he swiped Yuto’s bag from him. Yuto had called him before his departure to tell him that he was coming to Los Angeles, but he hadn’t expected Paco to come all the way to the airport to pick him up.
“Más o menos. (Not too bad.)”
Although Paco was fluent in English, he and Yuto often spoke in Spanish when they were alone together, a carryover from their childhood days.
“I didn’t think I would be able to see you again so soon,” Paco said. “Do you have time to see Leti and everyone else?”
Yuto shook his head.
“I don’t know. I’d like to, if I have time. Can you keep it quiet to Lupita that I’m here? I don’t want to get her hopes up and end up disappointing her.”
Although Yuto wanted more than anything to see his stepmother and little sister, he was here for a work trip. He expected it would be difficult to go all the way to Arizona where they lived.
“Will do. She’d make such a racket if she found out you were in LA. She’s already twelve and still such a baby.”
Yuto smiled as he recalled Lupita a month ago, throwing a tantrum and clinging to him as she begged him not to go.
Yuto was ten years old when his Japanese-American father married for his second time to Paco’s mother, Letizia. He was a little hesitant at first at his new Mexican family, but Leti was a kind woman and Paco was a cheerful brother who took good care of him. Eventually, Lupita was born, and their family became four. Although Yuto’s father had passed away two years ago in an accident, he had never felt alone because he still had his stepmother and siblings. Even though he only got to see them a few times a year, they were still his precious family.
“I’ve got my car in the parking lot. Let’s go.”
“Aren’t you on work hours right now? Are you allowed to duck out like this?”
“I dunno what you’re talking about,” Paco said, grinning widely as he slapped Yuto on the shoulder. “This is part of work, too. I’ve come to pick up the honourable Mr. FBI Investigator on behalf of the LAPD. Captain’s direct orders. So don’t feel bad about it.”
“Are you sure? If you say so, then.”
Yuto’s face lit up as he looked at Paco’s profile. Thanks to his stepbrother, it looked like things would go smoothly.
“How about some food before we head to the station? You must be hungry. Let’s stop by a restaurant, it’ll be my treat.”
“We can just stop by an In-N-Out drive thru,” Yuto answered promptly. Paco raised his eyebrows.
“Burgers? You still love that place as always, huh.”
“It’s way better than McDonald’s or Burger King. Besides, I only get to eat it when I come down here.”
In-N-Out was a fast food chain that was only found in California, Arizona, and Nevada, and was Yuto’s favourite place to go for burgers.
“Órale. As you wish, then,” Paco grinned, showing his white teeth as he ruffled Yuto’s dark hair.
After having burgers for lunch in the car, Yuto and Paco proceeded to take an hour to get to the Los Angeles Police Department while stuck in LA’s infamously bad traffic. The LAPD was located in the central east side of downtown Los Angeles, and just nearby was the famous Los Angeles City Hall that appeared in many movies.
With Paco leading the way, Yuto stepped inside the offices of the Homicide Division. First, he met with Paco’s superior, Sergeant Hague, and thanked him for his cooperation for the investigation. Paco then introduced Yuto to his colleagues. All of them greeted Yuto in a friendly manner, perhaps because they knew that he was Paco’s younger brother. One of the detectives in particular, a black detective named Mike Howard, was especially amiable toward Yuto. He was apparently close friends personally with Paco, and seemed to know a lot about Yuto as well.
“Yuto, you should write an autobiography one day. I bet you can’t find anyone else in America who’s experienced being in the DEA, going to jail, and being in the FBI, too.”
“Good idea,” Yuto said wryly at Mike’s cheerful jab at his past. “I’ll be sure to mention in my book that there’s an excellent detective by the name of Mike Howard at the LAPD.”
“Hey, Paco! You’ve got a great brother, you know that?”
“Yeah. He took after me. Anyway, Yuto, let’s start with Richard Corning’s case.”
Paco had gathered information on Corning’s murder case in advance of Yuto’s arrival. “Here,” he said as he took some papers out of a clear folder and handed them to Yuto.
“By the way, why did Corning help Nathan Clark?” Paco asked. His curiosity was natural; out of all people, the warden of the prison had helped an inmate escape.
“I don’t know. I just know that they had some kind of personal connection.”
On Heiden’s orders, Yuto had not disclosed everything to Paco and the LAPD. Yuto had only explained to them that they were investigating the whereabouts of the fugitive, Nathan Clark, because there were suspicions that he was involved in the nationwide serial bombings. Paco was under the impression that Yuto had been scouted by the FBI for this reason as well.
“Corning’s body was discovered yesterday afternoon on Terminal Island wharf.”
Terminal Island was a port about twenty-five miles south from the Los Angeles city centre, and was located around the border of San Pedro and Long Beach.
“San Pedro police were the ones who discovered him. They’d sent divers to search for a handgun that was supposedly thrown away from an unrelated robbery. That’s when they found the car at the bottom of the sea by coincidence.”
“Yeah. The car belonged to Corning. A post-mortem examination said he’d been dead anywhere from a month to a month and a half. He had a gunshot wound to his head. Looks like he died immediately from the headshot, and was dumped, car and all, right into the sea.”
The files included photos of the car that had been pulled out of the water, as well as Corning’s belongings. Yuto gazed at them as he traced his lip with his thumb.
“So, his gunshot wound – was it point-blank?”
“Yeah. That’s what I’ve heard.”
“And the entry point was on the right side of his head.”
“Yeah. How did you know?”
Although it was only a hunch, Yuto had a feeling that Corvus had made Corning drive him to the port after he made his escape, and had pulled the gun on him from the passenger’s seat against Corning’s temple. He had gripped the same gun that he had pointed at Yuto and Dick, with the wan smile playing on his lips. Corning had probably never imagined that Corvus would finish him off like this, after all he had done to help.
“Given the area, I don’t think we’ll be able to get any eyewitness statements,” Yuto said.
“Yeah,” Paco agreed, taking off his blazer. “There’s barely any people around that area, and it’s already been a month. Well, San Pedro’s started their own investigation, so we should get a report if any information comes in. If you want to check out the scene, I can take you there now.”
“No, I think I’ll leave that to San Pedro. I want to know about Nathan Clark.”
“Leave that to me!”
It was Mike who gave the cheerful answer. He was carrying a folder that he placed on the desk and opened with a flourish.
“There you go,” he said proudly.
“Mike handled Nathan Clark’s case two years ago,” Paco explained. “You can ask him anything.” He sat down and lit a cigarette, as if to hand over the reins to Mike.
“Do you remember anything about Nathan, Mike?”
“To be honest, not really. I remember the case, but I can’t seem to recall anything about Nathan. It wasn’t until looking through his files that I could finally remember. He was just a quiet guy. I mean, he turned himself in, so he was pretty obedient. The circumstantial evidence was all there, so he was indicted in no time.”
“He turned himself in?”
“Yeah. He’d gone over to his mother’s place to ask for money, but he was turned away rudely, and that made the blood go to his head. He ended up shooting her with the pistol he had. But soon he got scared and turned himself in. He had no criminal history. He probably got shaken up.”
It was a completely different story from the one Yuto had heard in prison. Corvus had probably told Yuto a lie on the fly after finding out about Yuto’s history. If he had tried to gain Yuto’s trust by pretending that he was in the same boat – a victim of a false accusation who had been framed as the murderer of a loved one – then he had succeeded. Yuto recalled the compassion and sympathy reflected in those sincere eyes, belated mused on what a great actor he was.
“How trustworthy was his confession?”
“Nothing out of place at all. He had the murder weapon with him, too. Nathan was definitely the one who did it. He and his mother used to live alone together, but they didn’t get along, and he ran away from home. Nathan moved around frequently across the country, and came back to LA about six months before the incident. Desperate for money, he visited his mother for the first time in years, only for her to tell him that she had no son. That spurred him to do what he did.”
As Yuto flipped through the case files, his eyes fell on the mug shot of Nathan taken when he was arrested. The man in the photo was undoubtedly Corvus. As he thought, Corvus had already been impersonating Nathan by this time. The question now was when he had started.
“I’d like to meet some acquaintances of Nathan from before he was arrested.”
“Hmm,” Mike said with a grimace as he pulled the files over and began flipping through the pages. If “Nathan” had turned himself in immediately after committing his crime, the investigation would probably have wrapped up once the confession could be substantiated. Moreover, if the physical evidence was there, there would have been no need to investigate his social relationships.
“If you have the address where he lived at the time, I can go out and do rounds myself,” Yuto said.
“He had no fixed address. Oh, wait. Wait here just a minute,” Mike said as he hurried back to his desk and came back holding a binder. The old, worn binder contained a thick wad of papers packed with tiny print.
“What’s that?” Yuto asked.
“My precious work log,” Mike said with a grin. “I keep a journal of who I met with and where I went so I can remember later.”
“Wow,” Paco mused. “I had no idea. You’re more detail-oriented than I thought.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Mike said sullenly. “You didn’t know? Geez, some kind of friend you are,” he grumbled as he pointed out a line in his notes to Yuto.
“See here,” he said. “It says someone requested an interview right after Nathan was arrested. He ended up leaving without seeing Nathan though, because he was only allowed to see a lawyer at this point. The guy claimed that he was Nathan’s acquaintance. His name was… there it is. Rob Connors. I even wrote his address.”
Yuto thanked Mike and was scribbling Rob Connors’ address into his own notebook when a fat detective from the other side of the room gave a yell.
“Hey, Paco! We’ve found Joe Evanson! Harry and Lacy found him by coincidence, and they’re tailing him now.”
Paco and Mike looked at each other before hurrying over to the detective, who was on the phone.
“Where? Where is he right now?”
“Looks like he’s gone into Figueroa Hotel. You want to head over to back them up?”
“Of course. That bastard, we’ll catch him this time and throw him into jail!” Mike shook his fist vehemently. Paco returned with an apologetic look.
“Go,” Yuto said before Paco opened his mouth. “I’ll be fine by myself. I’m going to try meeting with this Rob Connors guy.”
“Sorry about that,” Paco said. “He’s a murderer we’ve been chasing for a long time. Anyway, if you need help, you call my cell right away, alright?” Paco said worriedly as he tapped Yuto’s cheek lightly. Yuto grinned wryly.
“I’ll be fine. Hurry up and go. Mike’s waiting for you.”
Paco nodded and grabbed his jacket before bursting out of the office with Mike.
* * *
Rob Connors’ house was located in Pasadena, about nine miles northeast from downtown, and the city was famous for the Rose Parade on New Year’s Day, as well as the Rose Bowl. It was also known for its wealthy residential area, putting it alongside the likes of Beverly Hills and Santa Monica. Although the town had a retro-looking landscape, many of the shops were new, and it was popular among residents for its low crime rate.
Yuto’s taxi dropped him off at a corner of a quiet residential neighbourhood. From the street, he looked up at Rob’s home. Although it wasn’t very big, it was a nice, stately-looking house. In the garage was a Ford SUV and the popular Toyota Camry. The front lawn was trimmed neatly and well maintained.
Yuto climbed the front steps onto the porch and rang the doorbell. A few moments later, the door opened to reveal a white man.
“Who is it?” the man said through a yawn, looking as if he had woken from a nap. He looked at Yuto through bleary eyes. He looked to be in his mid-thirties, and was about a fist-length taller than Yuto, about 185 centimetres. His eyes and hair were both a light brown. Despite his faded jeans and wrinkled shirt, he didn’t give off a sloppy impression, likely thanks to his well-groomed, handsome looks.
“Mr. Rob Connors?”
“Yes. And you are?”
Yuto opened his leather wallet containing his ID card and showed it to him.
“…FBI?”
“Yes. Agent Yuto Lennix. Sorry for the sudden visit, but I’d like to ask you a few things. Do you have a moment right now, sir?”
Rob raked back his slightly-wavy hair and gave a small sigh.
“I’m sorry, but I have no plans to help you guys again. Would you excuse yourself, please?”
As Rob tried to close the door, Yuto stuck his hand out to stop it.
“Wait, what do you mean, ‘help’? I’m only hear to ask about someone. Nathan Clark. You know him, right?” he blurted out quickly. Rob looked at Yuto apprehensively.
“Nathan Clark…?”
“Yes. He was arrested by the LAPD for murdering his mother. Two years ago, you went all the way down to the LAPD to ask for an interview. Am I correct?”
“Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?”
“Nathan was serving at Schelger Prison, but escaped when the riot happened.”
“Ah,” Rob nodded. “If you came wanting to know where Nathan is now, you came to the wrong place. I have no idea where he is. I wasn’t that close with him to begin with. I only went to see him at the police station because I had a professional interest in the case.”
Rob’s explanation left Yuto wanting answers. What kind of profession would he be in, to be interested in a murderer?
“Would you mind if I asked what you do?”
“…Are you really in the FBI?” Rob asked sceptically. Yuto gave a wry smile.
“If you have doubts, you’re free to call the FBI directly.”
“You’re from the Los Angeles field office, did you say? I don’t recognize you. New face?”
There was no doubt that Rob had some sort of connection with the FBI. If he was from the media, it would make things a hassle, Yuto thought.
“You’re correct that I’m new, but I’m not from the Los Angeles field office. I’m from headquarters.”
“Headquarters? So you came all the way here from DC?” Rob asked in surprise.
“Yes,” Yuto answered. Rob finally seemed to be convinced about Yuto’s identity, and revealed his profession. “I’m a criminologist at the University of California. I’ve helped the FBI a few times with their investigations, but a lot of them would demand for advice and never take it, so that turned me off completely.”
It finally made sense. That was why Rob had said he had no plans of helping them again.
“I’m not asking you today about Nathan’s whereabouts. I want to ask you about what kind of person Nathan was, as you knew him.”
“You’re telling me you don’t care about where he is? You’re mystifying me here,” Rob said with an exasperated smile. He had an attractive smile, one that made you almost turn up the corners of your own mouth. He reminded Yuto somewhat of Paco. He had a grown man’s charm, but still retained a hint of boyishness. The type of guy that ladies had a soft spot for.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t feel like talking about Nathan to strangers. You can ask someone else,” Rob said firmly with a smile. He was gentle-looking but stubborn. Apparently he was serious about not wanting to be involved with the FBI.
If Yuto gave in here now, he would have come all the way here to LA for nothing. He needed to hear about Nathan from Rob’s own lips, at all costs.
The gears turned rapidly in Yuto’s head as he tried to think of a way to overcome the roadblock.
“I was actually in Schelger Prison until recently, and that was where I met Nathan.”
“Really? What, as an officer?” Rob said amusedly. He clearly didn’t believe the story.
“No, not as an officer.”
“Then, what?”
Yuto deliberately paused and stared into Rob’s eyes.
“I was an inmate. I was in Schelger Prison as a convict.”
For the first time, a flicker of interest lit up in Rob’s eyes. He’d succeeded in piquing the man’s professional interest. But just as Yuto mentally encouraged him to bite the bait, an unexpected occurrence threw a wrench in his plan. A baby had started crying somewhere inside the house.
“Oops, looks like Katie’s awake. Wait here ― actually, just come on in.”
Yuto followed a flustered Rob as he stepped quickly inside the house. On the right hand side, a door was thrown open to reveal a spacious living room.
“What’s wrong, Katie? Hungry? Or did you go pee-pee? Hmm?”
Rob scooped up the crying baby on the sofa and spoke to her gently. She was plump and adorable, and looked to be less than one year old.
“Looks like pee-pee. I’ll change your diaper, alright? No more crying, now.”
Rob pecked the fussing baby on the cheek over and over as he took out a new diaper from the package nearby. Rob appeared to be accustomed to changing the diaper, and as Yuto watched him, he fondly remembered changing Lupita’s diaper with Paco.
“Hey, uh… Agent Lannix, did you say? Go on and have a seat. Anywhere is fine.”
Yuto took a seat on the sofa across from him. Rob, for some reason, dumped Katie into his arms.
“Can you watch her for a bit?” he said. “Sorry I can’t tell you anything, but I’ll at least pour you a coffee for your troubles.”
With that, Rob disappeared into the adjoining kitchen. Truth be told, Yuto wanted information more than coffee, but Rob seemed determined.
Katie was staring at Yuto’s face with her blue eyes, as if she knew he was a stranger. It had been a while since Yuto held a baby, and he was nervous that she would start crying. But contrary to Yuto’s concerns, Katie grinned at him. Apparently amused, she giggled, showing her small, partially-grown teeth.
“What, you think my face is funny?” Yuto said to her, poking Katie’s cheek with his finger. Rob returned holding two cups of coffee.
“Well, well. Isn’t the princess in a good mood? She’s usually shy around strangers.”
Rob placed the cups down on the table and scooped Katie up in his arms. He nuzzled Katie’s small nose affectionately.
“Already got the heart of a teenage girl, huh? You in a good mood because you got to see a cute guy?”
“Is your wife out?” Yuto asked.
“I don’t have a wife. I’m single,” Rob laughed as he sat down on the sofa.
“I see,” Yuto said as he averted his gaze. Maybe Rob’s wife had left him. Yuto couldn’t help but feel some pity. It was probably anything but easy to raise such a small baby by himself.
“…It must be hard taking care of a baby on your own,” he said, voicing what came to him for the sake of making conversation.
“I suppose. I still make tons of mistakes. It’s so hard dealing with children.”
“You should be proud of yourself, Mr. Connors. Not every man can raise a child all by himself.”
“Really? But I wouldn’t call it raising her, though. I only take care of Katie two or three times a month.”
“Huh…?” Yuto was taken aback, confused at the situation.
“She’s my sister’s baby. They live nearby. Their babysitter cancelled last minute today, so I ended up taking care of her.”
“Oh.” Yuto blushed, realizing his misunderstanding. Katie was not Rob’s baby.
“I-I’m sorry,” he stammered. “I misunderstood.”
“No worries. Anyone would make the same mistake.” Rob was looking at Yuto with a mischievous sparkle in his eye, like a child who had succeeded in a prank. He had probably noticed Yuto’s mistake from the start and hadn’t bothered to correct him. It didn’t make Yuto angry, but it left him feeling awkward. Thoroughly embarrassed, Yuto brought the coffee cup to his lips.
Although Rob responded openly to casual conversation, whenever the topic turned to Nathan, he always diverted the conversation. Although Yuto was tenacious on his efforts to glean information, Rob was unrelenting.
“I’m sorry, but nothing is going to make me talk.”
“I’m not finished yet. I need to know about Nathan. I’ll excuse myself for today, but I’ll be back again tomorrow.”
“I’ll be at the university tomorrow. I’m a part-time lecturer, so I go about a few times a month.”
“Can I visit you at the university, then?”
Rob hunched his shoulders in exasperation, apparently weary of Yuto’s assertiveness.
“You don’t give up, do you? You got me. Mind if I make a suggestion?”
“Suggest away.”
“I don’t want to give any information about Nathan to the FBI. But I don’t mind talking about him to a friend,” Rob said, smiling as he soothed Katie. Yuto looked at him with apprehension.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean I’ll work with you if you become my friend.”
Yuto didn’t have an immediate answer. He also knew that it wasn’t going to be so simple as just agreeing to be his friend.
“What do you want me to do?”
“Hmm, let’s see. First, why don’t we go to my usual club for a few drinks? By the time we leave, we’ll probably be friendly enough to joke with each other, don’t you think?”
Yuto wondered if the man was pulling his leg, but he seemed serious about his suggestion.
“Fine. I’ll do as you wish.”
“Great to hear. My sister’s coming to pick up Katie soon, so once that’s done, I’ll drive us over. Let me tell you beforehand, though, the club I go to is a little special. I’ll just have to ask you to bear with that.”
Yuto felt a slight twinge of anxiety as he looked at Rob’s honest and well-meaning face.
