Author's note: Butchering of canon events to fit the story. Everyone is at least ten years older. Liberal use of the Japanese police procedure and legal system. Feedback is a great thing.
Give us this day all that you showed me
The power and the glory till my kingdom comes
Give me all the storybook told me
The faith and the glory till my kingdom comes
Hymn, Ultravox
"You really missed out on a career as a chef, Yuugi. This is the best ebi chili I've ever had!"
"You're just flattering me, Jounouchi-kun. You'll eat anything!"
"Anything garbage, that is," Honda piped up. "I have to agree, though: this is really, really good, Yuugi."
"If you want some more..."
"Don't mind if I do!" Jounouchi lifted up his bowl for a second helping. He would never say no to food. He was a lousy cook, living off of frozen meals, fast food or take-out. He only came into his kitchen for a beer or to whip up some scrambled eggs. Having dinner with friends was the perfect opportunity to enjoy a balanced meal and to catch up with each other's busy lives. He knew Mutou Yuugi since High school, though they didn't start out as friends when they first met. Together with Hiroto Honda, Jounouchi was a bully back then and they belonged to a vicious street gang. They preyed on easy targets like Yuugi, a shy kid who believed in friendship and giving people second chances. It took a while, but they managed to break free from the gang, leaving violence and bullying behind them. Honda wasn't just his friend, he was also his colleague. Both worked for the Domino City police force, having climbed up all the way from cop on the beat to detective. They never discussed the details of an investigation during dinner with friends, and Yuugi in particular. Aside from the obvious reasons, it was also nice to get away from the 'police mindset' and act like a civilian. Jounouchi considered Yuugi, Honda and the police force his family, as he didn't have any contact with his abusive, alcoholic father. The relationship with his mother was fragile and distant. His younger sister Shizuka was the only relative he had, and he adored her. She was also Honda's object of affection, much to his dismay.
"Thanks, man." Jounouchi put his bowl down and used his chopsticks to help himself to another mouthful of delicious ebi chili. Honda was also served seconds and Yuugi took, as usual, whatever was left. Both friends had stopped admonishing Yuugi for being far too polite and too modest a long time ago. Yuugi would always put his friends first and himself last; that was just his character.
"Any plans for the weekend?" Yuugi asked.
"No shift for me," Honda said. "My cousin Yoshi is getting married this Saturday. I asked for the entire weekend off, months in advance."
Jounouchi nodded. "Captain Ushio can be a real hardass when it comes to taking time off."
"Ushio-san runs an entire police corps. He has to be strict." Yuugi sipped his sake. His glass was half as big as Jounouchi's and Honda's.
Jounouchi made a face. "I'm on call this weekend." He chewed on a shrimp. "I hope nothing serious happens. Shizuka's throwing her birthday party..."
"Why wasn't I invited?" Honda complained. "If I had known, I would've cancelled the stupid wedding!"
Jounouchi stared at him incredulously. "It's for family only!"
"I'm practically family!"
"That makes it even creepier! I don't want you as a brother-in-law!"
"Yuugi, say something!"
Yuugi hid a chuckle behind his hand. "I'm not going to get involved! You're adults and fully capable of sorting your problems on your own."
"You're the shrink here, why don't you analyze his erratic behavior?" Honda protested.
"I'm a psychologist, not a psychiatrist," Yuugi gently corrected him. "Now behave, or you won't get any dessert." Jounouchi immediately looked like someone had hit him over the head with something heavy. Yuugi smiled triumphantly. "See? Works everytime."
Honda patted Jounouchi on the shoulder while Yuugi went to retrieve the anmitsu. Just as he returned, Jounouchi's cell phone rang. He took it out of his pants pocket and checked the display. "Sorry guys, I have to take this one."
Yuugi and Honda nodded in understanding. Jounouch left the kitchen and walked into the living room to keep the conversation private. He returned not a minute later.
"I'm sorry, I have to go," he said. "You too, Honda. We have a situation in the Kuwogara district." He quickly picked up his bowl of anmitsu and shoveled the delicious dessert inside his mouth. "Sorry, Yuugi."
"I know," Yuugi said, a little deflated. "I had hoped though, that we could catch up for a longer time than just dinner." He was, of course, well aware of the implications of his friends' jobs; being a detective was never a nine-to-five job.
"Yeah, you're right. You could use the company." Jounouchi regretted the words as soon as he had spoken them. He could've been more subtle, but subtlety and Jounouchi Katsuya didn't mix. Yuugi had recently lost his grandfather and was still grieving for his loss. To make matters worse, Yuugi's mother had died at a young age and his father was constantly away on 'business trips', leaving his son all alone. Honda nudged Jounouchi harshly with his elbow. Before he could apologize, Yuugi showed him his trademark thousand-watt-smile. Jounouchi saw the strain and effort it took his friend to work up that smile; they knew each other so well that it was easy to read their facial expressions.
"Sorry, Yuugi, that wasn't one of my best comments..."
"It's all right, Jounouchi-kun. I'm sorry you can't stay longer. You shouldn't keep Ushio-san waiting."
"Yeah... we'll stay in touch, all right?"
"Of course." Yuugi all but shooed them out the door. He lived above a quaint Game Shop, renting the first floor and the attic. Jounouchi stuffed his hands in his pockets, feeling bad about what he had said. It wasn't far beside the truth though; Yuugi was lonely, even if he didn't want to admit it himself.
"What's the situation?" Honda asked, switching immediately to his professional detective mode. He kept work and his private life strictly apart, just like Jounouchi, and they were both able to switch quickly. He waited with his inquiry until they were outside. "What did the captain say?"
"Murder with a capital M," Jounouchi answered curtly. "He requested both of us, urgently."
"Kuwogara district." Honda put on a pensive face. "That's serious business, man."
Jounouchi let the bad pun slide. Kuwogara district was the business district of Domino City, the economic heart so to say, harboring many national and international headquarters. It was crowded daily with numerous salarymen and office workers, creating a big commute between this district and the rest of the city.
"Industrial Illusions," he said. "You can guess where this is going."
"You're kidding me. Pegasus J. Crawford?"
"The very one and the same. We better hurry, Honda." He dug up his car keys and unlocked the Toyota Civic. Honda sat down on the passenger's seat, knowing that Jounouchi preferred to drive. He turned the keys, roaring the engine to life, and he floored the gas after one more look at the Game Shop, and Yuugi on the first floor, behind the window, waving at them.
Jounouchi had lived his entire life in Domino City. The city suited him, in a negative and positive way. In his younger years, he knew an average, common family life until his parents divorced messily, due to his father's drinking problem. His mother took Shizuka with her and Jounouchi stayed behind with his father, who sank into a deep, alcohol-induced depression. Feeling abandoned and enraged, Jounouchi ended up on the streets. He joined a gang, learning the 'tricks of the trade' from thieves and thugs, and got to know the city's streets very well, mostly the dark underbelly, not the surface. It went downhill from there and he would've become a full-fledged criminal or ended up killed by the harsh gang competition, if it weren't for Yuugi. Whenever Jounouchi was present at Domino High, he hated seeing Yuugi: a short, kind, fellow classmate with outrageous multi-colored hair and clean clothes, average grades and a smile on his face. He bullied him relentlessy, unable to cope with Yuugi's friendly nature and honest beliefs. It wasn't until later when Jounouchi learned that Yuugi was raised by his grandfather and that his life wasn't as easy and wonderful as it looked. Despite all of the hardships, Yuugi tried his best to stay positive and give people a second chance, a chance that Jounouchi needed to turn his life around.
"Not good," Honda said, next to him. He wasn't talking about the Kuwogara district.
"Yeah, he's too lonely." Jounouchi turned the siren on, rushing through traffic. "Why isn't he looking for someone to share his life with?"
"It's all Otogi's fault," Honda sneered.
"Yeah," Jounouchi answered, half-heartedly. "He should move on. There are plenty of other fish in the sea." Otogi Ryuuji had been a fellow classmate, who had hit it big in America and Japan with a game he had developed himself: Dungeon Dice Monsters. Girls swarmed around him, guys admired him and he was popular, successful and not to mention, handsome. He had even wooed Shizuka for a while, evoking much jealousy from Honda. However, he fell in love with Anzu Mazaki, the girl who had been Yuugi's friend since childhood. It was no secret that Yuugi had a crush on her, but Anzu never reciprocated Yuugi's feelings and choose to be with Otogi. Jounouchi was convinced she broke Yuugi's heart, even though deep down he knew that a relationship couldn't be forced, of course. Yuugi had waited too long, he hadn't made his move and now the woman he loved was in a relationship that lasted for over five years already, and still going strong. It wasn't fair to put the 'blame' on Otogi. Yuugi still called him his friend, and refused to speak badly about him or Anzu.
"Yeah. He's still pining after her. Or has he just given up on a relationship in general?"
"Yuugi believes too much in 'wait and see'," Jounouchi said, as he changed lanes. "He doesn't realize he needs to go out there, mingle, show himself. No one is going to stop by his door and ask him to be the boyfriend."
"He's too modest," Honda commented. "Too polite. He could use some aggression, some testosterone."
Jounouchi couldn't help himself, he snorted. Yuugi and testosterone were like fire and water. "He's far too shy to approach a girl and tell her that he likes her."
"Well, if my memory serves me right, it took you quite a while to approach Mai, Mister Charming."
"True that." Jounouchi couldn't help but grin. Kujaku Mai was the most beautiful woman in town and they had hit it off, only to establish an 'on and off' relationship, which currently was 'off'. Rejection and attraction, a complicated game that didn't make for a durable, healthy relationship. Jounouchi didn't mind. He wasn't looking for commitment now anyway.
"So, what did Ushio say exactly on the phone? Is it really about Pegasus?" Honda asked, switching topic.
"Yes," Jounouchi said. "He has been murdered."
Industrial Illusions was located at the northwest corner of the Kuwogara district. The lights were on and three police officers guarded the entrance. Jounouchi and Honda showed them their badges and they were allowed to enter the building. Silently, they rode the elevator upstairs, all the way to the penthouse. Jounouchi noticed the rich interior decoration; luxury only the best money could buy. A genuine Picasso on the wall. Tall vases with huge, fresh bouquets adorning mahogany side-tables. Plush carpets, exquisite lighting. The officers securing the area nodded at them, recognizing the duo from the detective teams in Domino City. It was hard to miss their captain, Ushio, standing in the middle of the room. He beckoned them to come closer.
"Captain," Jounouchi greeted him.
"Jounouchi, Honda." The burly man acknowledged their presence. He blocked the way to the bedroom and wiggled his massive eyebrows before he started talking. "At 19.30 hours, a call came in from Kemo-san," he pointed at a tall, typical bodyguard type guy standing to the right, his face as pale as a ghost. "Crawford-san was scheduled to appear at some kind of gaming tournament, to present an award to the winner. Kemo-san came to the penthouse to fetch Crawford-san and when he didn't answer the door, Kemo-san forced his way in."
Ushio stepped to the side, so they could walk into the bedroom. Jounouchi braced himself, Honda took a deep breath. Even after all their years on the streets and as a detective, they would never get used to seeing a dead body; someone murdered in cold blood. He looked around. The bedroom was huge, his apartment would fit in it at least twice. He discarded that thought and focused. He had a job to do. The first thing that struck him, was the impeccable state of the bedroom. Nothing was out of place, nothing seemed out of order. It was so clean, you could probably eat off the floor. Even the bed was made, the sheets as straight as a ruler. No sign of a struggle. He turned around.
"Technical unit been here?"
"On their way. I wanted you to see this first."
Jounouchi grimaced. Ushio would never admit it, but the captain knew that Jounouchi and Honda were the best team he ever had. He focused again on the situation at hand.
"No disturbance at all," Honda said, amazed. He approached the body, lying on the floor, next to the bed. He clacked his tongue. "Only here."
Jounouchi scanned the room and went into the adjacent bathroom. Nothing but the same perfection; all the toiletries were arranged with military precision. He took a quick look at the medicine cabinet: nothing but aspirin. Finally, he went over to Honda, crouched down and carefully studying the body.
"Talk to me," Jounouchi said. Honda didn't beat around the bush.
"His eye has been ripped out." He pointed at the right side of Pegasus' face. The man was dressed in his business suit, impeccably clad to attend the gaming tournament. Even in death, Pegasus looked undisturbed, when you ignored the gaping hole where his right eye was supposed to be. The blood loss was minimal and only his face was marred with blood, no spatters on his clothes. Neither Honda nor Jounouchi could discover any other injuries; they would have to wait for the results of the autopsy. Ushio whistled at them.
"The technical unit has arrived," he said.
"Yeah." Jounouchi straightened himself and tapped Honda on the shoulder. The technical unit, led by a guy named Mako or-something-like-that, entered the bedroom already, kits in hand.
"Hey, Jounouchi," Mako said. Jounouchi returned the greeting. He had the sinking feeling that Mako and his team wasn't going to find much. How much trace, threads or fibers would be left in such a clean environment? Heaving a sigh, he scanned the room once more. His attention was drawn to a huge painting on the wall, of a woman in a rather old-fashioned dress. Jounouchi went over to look at it and found Pegasus' signature at the bottom. So the man had painted it himself. Not bad, if only a bit... dramatic. Jounouchi slapped on a glove and tilted the painting just a little. Just as he thought, there was a safe behind it.
"What did you find?" Honda appeared behind him.
"A motive, perhaps," Jounouchi said. "Pegasus was wealthy. Something could be stolen from this safe."
"I'll go get that Kemo guy," Honda said. "He might know the combination."
Jounouchi waited until Honda returned with the bodyguard, who demonstratively looked the other way.
"Do you know the combination to this safe?"
Kemo nodded, his hands slightly trembling. "I'll open it up for you." He reached for the lock, but Jounouchi stopped him. Kemo wasn't wearing gloves, and he didn't want the bodyguard to add more fingerprints.
"Just tell me the combination."
Kemo understood and related the combination to Jounouchi. The safe opened smoothly.
"Take a look inside. Is something missing?"
Kemo stared at the safe's contents: a wad of cash, a package of gaming cards, paperwork... but nothing of excessive value, like jewelry, gold or silver. "No, everything's there."
Honda told Kemo to wait outside the penthouse and the man left. There wasn't much they could do now; the technical unit would bag and tag everything, and Jounouchi and Honda would get the results after the materials had been processed.
It was way after midnight when they left the crime scene. Honda hadn't mentioned his weekend off and Jounouchi knew he was very good at his work, but he needed some family time as well. He dropped Honda off at his apartment.
"Hey man, I don't want to see you tomorrow," he said. "That ugly face of yours is going to keep me up all night anyway."
"They'll understand," Honda said and yawned. "It's the life of a cop, after all."
"I'm totally serious," Jounouchi replied. "I don't want to see you tomorrow. Go to your cousin's wedding."
"What about Shizuka-chan's birthday?"
"I'm not going to miss it, don't worry. Leave it to me. See you on Monday."
"All right, if you're sure..." ...but Jounouchi had already sped away.
Jounouchi lived in a dinky one-bedroom apartment, located in a poor-ish neighborhood. He didn't make enough as a detective to be able to afford a more expensive apartment. He was a bit jealous of Yuugi's apartment, the first floor and the attic of the quaint building that housed a Game Shop on the ground floor. It was much better than this... shoebox-sized dwelling Jounouchi rented. It was a mess inside: clothes and junk scattered everywhere, empty coffee cups and breakfast plates forming a pile of dirty dishes in the miniature sink, a few empty boxes of take out food strewn over every piece of furniture. He didn't mind; he made sure no one visited his apartment, not even Mai or his sister, Shizuka. Jounouchi checked his home phone and noticed that she had called. He hadn't given her his work phone number on purpose; he couldn't afford distraction in his line of work, and Shizuka would be a distraction, no matter what. He was tempted to call her back, but it was past midnight. It was probably not something very important, perhaps about her birthday party... He indulged her always, no matter what. Jounouchi booted up his laptop and in the meantime, changed into an easy shirt and sweatpants. He made himself a cup of instant coffee and sat on the couch after he shoved a few empty boxes and other grody stuff on the floor.
The next hour he spend searching for information on Pegasus J. Crawford. The man had build his fame and fortune in the gaming industry, especially with a children's card game called Duel Monsters (Jounouchi had never heard of it, but then again he didn't have any children), featuring his own artwork. He had been briefly married to a woman named Cecilia, and Jounouchi recognized her in the wedding pictures: she was the woman from the large painting. Apparently, she died very young after a brief disease and Pegasus never remarried. He had founded Industrial Illusions in America and branched out into Japan after the Duel Monsters game had become popular in particular. Strange. Apparently, Crawford was fairly eccentric, but it didn't look like he had made any enemies. Moreso, his collaboration with Otogi Ryuuji was named in several articles, which brought a sour grin to Jounouchi's face. What were the odds that Mister Perfect, Otogi, would become a suspect in a murder case? He sipped his coffee. How could anyone remove an eye without making a huge mess? One would need excessive surgery skills, he thought. He'd have to wait for the pictures of the crime scene. Jounouchi browsed more sites until fatigue crept up to him. He shut down the laptop and went to his equally disheveled bed, flopping on it and wrapping himself in the sheets.
The next morning, Jounouchi send his sister a text message to wish her a happy birthday, as soon as he woke up. He already had bought her a gift card and he was adamant to visit her birthday party later this Saturday. First, he swung by the police station and sat down at his desk, booting up his computer. The desk opposite of him was empty; Honda was probably at the wedding right now. Jounouchi opened his email and as he expected, the technical team hadn't been able to find a thing. Their provisionary reports were scary short: no prints, no fibers and no threads. Nothing that indicated the presence of another person. The few pieces of evidence that had been recovered could be attributed to either Pegasus or Kemo, not to a third party. Kemo had been eliminated as a suspect right away; he had an airtight alibi that had been confirmed by several witnesses. Jounouchi frowned. Who else had been in Pegasus' penthouse? He studied the pictures and the lists that Mako and his technical team had send him so far. The contents of the safe didn't yield any new information, but at least now he knew where the deck of cards came from. It had been Pegasus' personal deck, as he enjoyed playing and demonstrating Duel Monsters, the game he had designed himself. Apparently, it was based around Ancient Egypt mythology?
Jounouchi discarded the information about the deck and the game and read the other reports. Pegasus' schedule had been very hectic, but between six and half past seven he had been alone in his penthouse, with dinner scheduled for half past six. Jounouchi leafed through the pictures. He couldn't recall if he had seen food in the penthouse anywhere. The pictures of the kitchen showed him a couple styrofoam boxes on the dinner table, with a logo printed on it. Jounouchi enhanced the pictures so he could read it: Catering service Anata no ie de, or At Your Home. A quick Google search showed him that it was a high-end caterer who used the best (and expensive) ingredients, for a fee that would buy Jounouchi food for at least six months. It didn't surprise him. Anyone who could afford a real Picasso, could pay for an overpriced meal of blue fin tuna, fugu, caviar and matsutake mushrooms. The food seemed untouched, the boxes neatly stacked on top of each other. Jounouchi grabbed his phone and dialed the number.
"Moshi moshi?"
"Is this Catering Service At your Home?"
"Yes, it is! How can I help you?"
"This is Jounouchi Katsuya from Domino City police. I want to know if you delivered to the Industrial Illusions penthouse yesterday?"
He could hear the typing on the keyboard. "Yes, Jounouchi-sama, just a moment... yes, we delivered to Crawford-sama at Industrial Illusions. He always orders the same meal when he is in Domino City."
"Who was your delivery man?"
More typing. "Bakura Ryou," the helpful employee supplied. "He's always on time and very polite."
Jounouchi thanked the employee and hung up. This timely and polite Bakura Ryou was the last person to have seen Pegasus J. Crawford alive.