Jounouchi retrieved Bakura Ryou's address, noting that it was located in an upper class district. He didn't waste time and drove to the address straight away. After he had arrived at the building, he pressed the doorbell for apartment nr. 6. He already knew his first question: how could a delivery guy afford an apartment in this posh neighborhood? A metallic voice came through the intercom.
"Yes?"
"Bakura Ryou? Jounouchi Katsuya, Domino City Police," he said. "Open the door, please."
A buzzing noise, and the door to the building slid open. Jounouchi took the elevator to the first floor and when he got out, someone was waiting for him in the hallway.
"Bakura Ryou?" Jounouchi repeated as he approached him. The young man bowed to him.
"Yes, Jounouchi-sama," he said, his voice soft and polite.
"Just Jounouchi will do." He showed Bakura his badge. In his line of work he was often addressed with the '-sama' honorific, and he had never liked it. It made him feel old and... not right. "I would like to talk to you."
"Yes, please come inside." Bakura went ahead to his apartment and showed Jounouchi the spot where he could change his shoes. After doing so, Jounouchi walked into the living room which was nicely decorated, nothing too classy or exorbitantly luxurious. 'Modest' was a fitting description. The one striking piece of furniture was a tall display case, showing all kinds of figurines from role-playing games. Jounouchi didn't recognize them and he figured Bakura had to be a collector; the number and variety of figurines was quite impressive.
"What can I do for the Domino City Police?" Bakura asked. Jounouchi turned away from the display case. In the safety of his own home, Bakura had gained a little confidence, but he still looked frail and vulnerable. Was he even capable to take care of himself?
"You work as a delivery guy for Anata no ie de, At Your Home Catering Service?"
Bakura seemed to be surprised by the question. "Yes, I do." He hesitated. "I should probably elaborate. Due to health issues, I am unable to work fulltime. I inherited this apartment from my father. I live off of the rest of his heritance and to make ends meet, I pick up hours at the catering service. Depending on how many deliveries they have, it ranges between four to twelve hours a week."
"I see." Jounouchi made a mental note to investigate Bakura's finances. "Did you deliver at the Industrial Illusions penthouse last Friday?"
"Yes, I did." Bakura smiled at him. "I was ecstatic! Crawford-sama is known for his big tips, so I made sure to be extra fast."
"Did he tip you well on Friday?" Jounouchi couldn't help but ask. Bakura nodded, then looked a little uncomfortable.
"Is there something wrong with the money? Should I give it to you?"
"No, no, the tip is yours, don't worry. How did Pegasus appear to you?"
Bakura was confused for a moment. "Appear? Well, he was rushed; he only had one hour left before he had to attend the tournament, and he wanted to eat... yet he was exited, because he was going to meet up with the Kaibas soon after."
"Wait... Kaiba Seto and Kaiba Mokuba?"
"I couldn't make much of his ramblings," Bakura said apologetically, flinching from Jounouchi's raised voice. "He was talking about some kind of invention of his that would turn the whole gaming world upside down, and he was looking forward to collaborate with Kaiba Seto. He all but threw the tip at me, uncaring how much money it was. I... I tried to give some of it back, because it was such a huge amount, but he just laughed."
"All right." Jounouchi took all the information in. "And after that?"
Bakura turned red in the face. "Ah... eh... I don't know. I mentioned the health issues, right? That is... I suffer from black-outs. I simply don't know what has happened. I lose track of time and I have huge gaps in my mind."
"Really?"
"I know how it sounds. I'm sorry, Jounouchi-sama. Please don't think badly of me. I have this since I was young, and it has become worse as of late. Sometimes I miss an entire day! That's why I can't work fulltime. Who wants to hire someone who has massive black-outs and doesn't remember what he was doing or where he's been?"
Jounouchi also made a mental note to investigate Bakura Ryou's medical files. This sounded absurd. "So, you don't remember if you left the penthouse? Or if Pegasus was still alive when you left?"
"Crawford-sama was alive when he threw the tip at me," Bakura answered. "I do remember kneeling down and picking up the money. I tried to give some of it back, like I said before. I do remember him declining and he told me to leave, as he wanted to eat. I believe I turned around to leave, but... I'm not sure."
"How did you get home?" Jounouchi was curious. Bakura heaved a loud, dramatic sigh.
"I don't know. I usually end up here at the apartment, fortunately. I have woken up in different places, though. When I was younger, I would suddenly be somewhere in the city I had never been before, or at a library, or at a store. People would stare at me."
"I can imagine. Is there a name for your medical condition?"
A wistful smile. "I wish. I'm tired of the pity and strange glares I get. Either people think I'm completely crazy or they think I'm using it as an excuse for not working. That's why I won't accept any welfare money. I can make it on my own, so far."
"You mentioned a heritance?"
"My father was an archaeologist. He oversaw excavations in the Valley of Kings. That's in Egypt," Bakura added when he noticed the blank look on Jounouchi's face. "Tutankhamen?"
Oh yeah, that rang a bell. Jounouchi's thoughts went back to his high school days, when he went on a field trip with his class to the local National Museum. He and Honda had made fun of the mummies and the boring lecture on ceremonial tablets, pharaohs and priests. Of course he totally flunked the history test a few days later. "He died during his last expedition. The site he was working on, collapsed and he perished in the rubble."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
Bakura looked a bit embarrassed. "I have nothing left of him but that small inheritance and a golden ring he brought back from one of his earlier travels. Wait, I'll show you."
Jounouchi was about to say that it wasn't really necessary, but Bakura disappeared quickly into his bedroom. He emerged not a minute later. "Here it is."
Jounouchi's interpretation of a ring was a piece of jewelry to put on your finger, but this was a large circular shape with five dangling prongs, chiming like a doorbell. In the middle of the 'ring' was a triangle with a stylized eye on it, all pure gold. A piece of rope was fastened to the small loop on top of the circle to wear it around the neck. Jounouchi stared at it.
"That's quite a..."
"Valuable artifact, yes." Bakura spoke with pride. "I'd love to say my father discovered it, but he bought it at a bazaar while he was in Egypt. I cherish it to this day."
"Thank you for showing it to me," Jounouchi said. "I know enough for now."
"I'm sorry if I couldn't help you out," Bakura said. "If I can do anything..."
"Here's my card," Jounouchi handed it to him. "Should you remember more about Friday evening, don't hesitate to call me. Thank you for your time. I'll show myself out."
Slightly aggravated, Jounouchi drove back to the station. He ignored the impressive stack of paperwork on his desk and filtered out the reports that concerned the Crawford investigation. He didn't expect the autopsy report until after the weekend, which left him the rest of Saturday and Sunday to gather information and question witnesses... and the most important witness, and the only one so far, was unreliable. Jounouchi filled out the request forms to access Bakura Ryou's financial and medical data. One of his department's secretaries, Rebecca Hopkins, would process these requests and the whole legal bureaucracy that came with it. She would make sure he would get the requested information without harassing him about the procedures. Jounouchi tapped with his fingers against his chin. Who else had seen Pegasus that day, except for Bakura and Kemo? He mulled over the information he had gathered so far. No obvious enemies, no disgruntled ex-lovers and only an amnesiac delivery guy who was the last one to see Pegasus alive. This was going to be a hell of a case.
Reclining in his chair, Jounouchi stared at the empty desk across of him. Honda was at his cousin's wedding. He was glad his friend could enjoy the day off. Jounouchi couldn't remember the last time he had taken a leave of absence. Work kept him busy, not to mention distracted. He hadn't spoken to his father in years and when was the last time he had seen his mother? Shizuka was the only one he... Jounouchi shot up from his chair. Shizuka! The birthday party! He looked at his watch. Shit! He was way too late!
Shizuka was a social butterfly and lived together with two female roommates, also her best friends. She couldn't stand being alone and was abhorred at the thought of living alone, like her brother. As it was, she had invited everyone she knew, also the people she knew through Jounouchi, like Yuugi and Anzu. He could hear the music and voices all over when he approached her apartment; knowing Shizuka, she had invited everyone in the building as well.
"You're late," Shizuka pouted upon his arrival. She was fully aware of the irregularities of his work of course, but she couldn't help herself from admonishing him often about working such a dangerous job. He could see the relief in her eyes, the relief that he made it, even if it wasn't on time; he was here.
"I'm sorry," he apologized and handed her a large bouquet of flowers, with the gift card attached. "Happy birthday, sister."
"Thank you so much, onii-chan!" She smelled the delicate roses. "They're beautiful! I'm going to put them into a vase immediately! Can I get you something to drink? Are you on duty?"
"Yes, so soda only, please."
"I'm glad you came." Shizuka hugged her brother tightly. Jounouchi reveled in the hug and helped her to put the flowers in the vase. In the kitchen, she poured him a large glass of soda and he took it with him into the living room, spotting Yuugi close to the piano; one of Shizuka's roommates was a music student.
"Jounouchi-kun!" Yuugi raised his glass to him. "Isn't Honda-kun with you?"
"Nah, it's his cousin's wedding today, remember?"
"Oh yes, that's right." Yuugi smiled. Jounouchi didn't know how a guy could stand to see his crush stand close to him in the same room, with her boyfriend on her arm. It had to be pure torture, or rather, some kind of masochism, it simply had to be. Just as the thought went through his mind, Anzu noticed him and waved at him. Jounouchi returned the wave but ignored Otogi, her boyfriend. Instead, he gulped his soda as he was really thirsty. "Have you been working on your case all day long?"
"Yeah," Jounouchi said. "It's a tough one."
"Is it about Crawford-sama?" Yuugi asked. Jounouchi arched an eyebrow. "It was on the news that the CEO of Industrial Illusions had been murdered. They didn't name him, of course, but everyone knows who they were talking about."
"Damn press," Jounouchi said, irritated. He wouldn't be surprised if he were to find out that the bodyguard, Kemo, had tipped off the press himself. With the current social media and almost everyone disposing over a smart phone with a camera, news traveled faster and less objective. It had barely been a day since the murder, and it was already all over the news. It annoyed him, because most people didn't realize that they were obstructing the investigation, instead of 'helping out'.
"It's really strange that nothing was stolen." Yuugi kept his voice low, even though it was impossible to be overheard with everyone dancing, talking and chattering.
"I didn't know you had so much interest for detective work," Jounouchi quipped. "Your psychology practice doesn't bring that much suspense to the table?"
Yuugi blushed faintly. "Jounouchi-kun! I just can't help thinking about it. It's so cruel."
"Well, I'm working the case and as soon as Honda gets back, we'll bring it to a close."
"I'm counting on it," Yuugi said when Anzu joined their little group.
"Talking about work again, I hear?" she said with her pleasant voice. "Jounouchi, so nice to see you."
"Anzu, how have you been?" The dynamics of their friendship had changed after their high school graduation, when each of them had gone their separate way. Jounouchi and Yuugi had remained closest friends, but Jounouchi and Anzu had drifted apart, especially after she had moved on and started a relationship with Otogi. He didn't blame or fault her, and she was genuinely interested in his well-being. They caught up, but the atmosphere tensed a little, as Yuugi was still standing next to them. Jounouchi felt like the fifth wheel and excused himself, so Yuugi and Anzu could talk to each other. Otogi was next to the makeshift bar, serving himself another soda. Leaving Anzu and Yuugi where they were, Jounouchi closed the distance between him and Otogi.
"Otogi," he unceremoniously addressed him. He never cared much for honorifics.
"Jounouchi-kun," the other answered correctly. "Congratulations with your sister. What age is she now?"
"Twenty-one, and still off-limits to you," Jounouchi immediately replied. During his high-school years, his biggest fear had been that Shizuka would fall for Otogi, a notorious womanizer back then. Together with Honda, Otogi had made great efforts to get to know Shizuka better, but fortunately his sister had never returned the feelings to either of them.
"Relax, she's not the one I'm interested in." Otogi chuckled and his eyes went over to Anzu. "Ah, I see she's talking to our midget friend."
"Don't call Yuugi that!" Jounouchi immediately stood up for him. Otogi raised his hands in defense.
"You're right, that wasn't very nice of me. I apologize. So, how are you doing?"
"I should be asking you. I guess you already heard the news..?"
"Yeah." Otogi looked around and then nodded towards the hallway. "Let's go over there."
Jounouchi followed him, so the loud noises of the festivities couldn't disrupt them. He waited for Otogi to continue, and he wasn't disappointed.
"Pegasus was my business partner," Otogi said. "He was the first to believe that my store, the Black Crown, would succeed. He was the first one to give me funds to start the store, when I couldn't get anyone else to support me. I owe my success to him."
"Wasn't Industrial Illusions a game store in itself?"
"No, you couldn't be more wrong. Pegasus designed games and sold the concept of his games to the likes of KaibaCorp. to produce and manufacture the game. He would keep the intellectual property and the buyer would make the profit. He certainly wasn't the head of a chain of stores."
"Have you ever heard him talk about some kind of invention?"
"Not recently, no. All I know is, that he was completely wrapped up in Duel Monsters as of late. He had almost no more interest in anything else."
"That's a pretty popular game, isn't it? With tournaments and all?"
"Yeah. Pegasus designed the entire game by himself."
"And no one was ever jealous of one's success?"
Otogi frowned. "What are you implying?"
"I have to take everything into account," Jounouchi said. "Jealousy. Revenge. An 'accident'."
Otogi paled. "I don't know what you're thinking, but you're wrong," he said, his voice definitely an octave higher than normal. "We met only every six months to talk business. We would go out to lunch to discuss his investment in my store and the revenues, nothing more. Pegasus was a dramatic and flirty person and he tried to hit on me, despite knowing I have a girlfriend. I was never interested in anything... romantic with him."
"Maybe his incessant flirting got your blood boiling?"
"Come on, Jounouchi-kun, you don't think that I... that I could be capable of such a thing?"
"What thing?" Jounouchi asked innocently.
Otogi swallowed and lowered his voice. "To kill someone."
"I don't know, you tell me." It was delicious to have Otogi sweat like this, even though Jounouchi realized that it was actually quite petty of him to behave this way. He wasn't supposed to abuse his position of power as a detective. "If there's something I've learned in this job, it's that people are capable of anything."
"You're kidding me, right?" Otogi breathed just a little louder. "His death is a serious blow! Without his support and his funding, I'm losing my biggest investor and an exclusive contract on Dungeon Dice Monsters, the game I designed myself. Why would I kill off the goose with the golden eggs?"
"You wouldn't believe what reasons people have to kill someone, even if it was someone they loved dearly," Jounouchi said, staring Otogi right in the eyes.
"Hey guys, what are you doing in the hallway?" Shizuka looked at them both, curiously.
"We were just catching up," Jounouchi said suavely.
"Onii-chan..."
"It's nothing to worry about." Jounouchi made a dismissive gesture. Shizuka held up the tray she was carrying and Jounouchi and Otogi picked up a snack.
"Come back inside," she said. "Mingle with the guests, please? My roommates want to see the tough cop from Domino City."
Before following his sister, Jounouchi cast one more glance at Otogi, who seemed rather disturbed. He realized he'd been acting like a jerk. "Sorry. That was uncalled for."
"It's all right," Otogi said, sounding shaky but relieved. "I hope you can find out who's behind this quickly enough."
"I hope so too," Jounouchi said and went back into the living room.
The next morning, early Sunday, Jounouchi was surprised to find Honda behind his desk.
"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to have the weekend off?"
"The captain called me back in," Honda said. "All hands on deck! The Crawford case has full priority and the other detectives are tied up with the current crime spree."
Jounouchi sat in his chair, grunting. Since the last few weeks, crime rates had gone up significantly. In almost every district of Domino City, the numbers of burglaries had increased, as well as pick pocketing and robberies. It wasn't Jounouchi's department, but he had heard form his colleague Hirutani that his team was absolutely swamped with investigating all those crimes. Hirutani was the leader of a taskforce that specialized in gangs, and he had expressed his suspicions that a new gang was in town, wanting to mark their territory.
"Let's get to work, then," he said. Honda asked him to bring him up to speed and Jounouchi told about his visit to Bakura and his conversation with Otogi.
"So we've got nothing so far," Honda concluded sourly. "An unreliable witness, barely any forensics... Man, this case is cold before we even get started."
"Do you think we should look into the person who has leaked to the media?"
"We could inquire, though I doubt it was the bodyguard." Honda folded his hands. "He didn't mention anything about the eye. Or did he miss that entirely? He saw the blood on Pegasus' face and panicked immediately?"
"I don't know, but it's too big of a detail to leave out." Jounouchi stared at his laptop, at pictures of Pegasus. "What's weird though, he keeps his hair in front of his right eye. Was there something special about it?"
"What do you mean?"
Jounouchi turned his laptop around. "I collected these pictures from gossip sites. Pegasus at tournaments, Pegasus signing autographs, etc... His hair is always in front of his right eye."
"Maybe a stylistic choice?" Honda frowned. "Can you enhance the pictures?"
"Sure." Jounouchi hit a few keys. "Like this?"
"Yeah, zoom in on his face."
"What do you see?"
"It looks like a shimmer of gold," Honda said, squinting his eyes. "I can't make it out very well, but that's not a real eye, behind that hair."
"Let me see." Jounouchi studied the magnified picture. It was a long stretch, as the picture was taken in daylight with a huge amount of sun on Pegasus' skin. The shadows of the strands of his hair blurred the spot where his right eye was supposed to be. "I'm not sure."
"We can ask the bodyguard."
"I've heard of a glass eye before, but a golden eye? And if Pegasus really had a golden eye, the bodyguard surely would've known? He told us that nothing was missing from the apartment."
"No, nothing was missing from the apartment," Honda snorted, "something was missing from the dead body! We should talk to him again; after all, he was the first one to find Pegasus."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Kemo closed the suitcase on his bed. "I've lost a good job, and now my employer sends me back home. Do you know how it looks like on your resume when the guy you're supposed to protect, ends up dead?"
"Back home?" Honda asked, ignoring the question.
"The United States. I came with Pegasus to Japan."
"All right, just wait a minute... your employer sends you back home? Pegasus wasn't your employer?"
Kemo pointed at an embroidered logo on his shirt. It was quite small, and Jounouchi took a step forward to take a closer look.
"Zorc Security," he read out loud.
"Yes," Kemo said. "They decide my jobs, where and who I work for. Pegasus was my second customer, so to say; I worked for him for four years, but seven years for Zorc Security in total."
"I get it," Jounouchi said. He wasn't interested in Kemo's employer. "You do realize that pending the investigation, you aren't allowed to leave the country?"
Kemo heaved a sigh. "I told the office everything I know and they told me to return to the United States. I'm packing my things just in case; when Zorc Security tells you to go, you go. I don't want to be out of a job."
"Your attachment to your job is touching," Jounouchi said sarcastically. "Now, about Pegasus' eye..."
"He had two normal eyes," Kemo said. "I don't know what you mean with 'a golden eye'."
"Look man, you were his bodyguard! You were glued to him 24/7!"
Kemo straightened himself. "I was his bodyguard yes, not his personal stylist. I don't know why he kept his hair like that! I don't know if he had something to hide, if there was something wrong with his eye or not. I don't care! I wasn't paid to look at his face, I was paid to protect him! And now he's dead!"
"Fine, then tell us if you noticed something differently about him last Friday, or the last time you saw him. Surely you were close enough to notice that, weren't you?"
He looked offended. "Pegasus always had dinner alone. He liked to have a glass of wine and read his Funny Bunny comics while eating, and he didn't want to be disturbed. When Pegasus had dinner, I had time on my own to get something to eat."
"Where did you have dinner? Can people verify that?"
"I was at the Donburi Steak house," Kemo said. "You already asked me that, and I have shown you the receipt."
"Fine," Jounouchi said. Kemo had been cleared as a suspect, but Jounouchi liked to ask the same questions at different moments, just to check if the stories or alibis still held up. "You're not answering the question, though."
"Nothing was different about him," Kemo said tiredly, as if talking to two very dense kids. "Something must've happened in that hour when he was alone. The only thing I can say is that Pegasus was even more excited about the gaming tournament than usual, because he was going to meet the Kaiba brothers afterwards."
Jounouchi pursed his lips. This was the second time they were mentioned. Kaiba Seto had attended Domino High in the same year as him, Honda, Yuugi and Anzu, but at his young age already, he was the CEO of KaibaCorp.. What could a high school teach him that he was learning from experience, leading his company? Jounouchi thanked Kemo for his cooperation and he left with Honda, muttering under his breath.
"What's that?" Honda said.
"What if Pegasus' invention had something to do with Kaiba?"
"We can't go over to Kaiba and interrogate him," Honda said, almost shocked. "The captain would kill us!"
"Relax, we have no reason to look Kaiba up," Jounouchi said. "Pegasus was about to meet him, that's all. Bakura mentioned it and Kemo did too. That doesn't mean Kaiba is involved."
"Yeah. So where do we take it from here?"
"Back to the drawing board," Jounouchi sighed. "We have to take a deeper look at his finances, his family, his business associates... maybe we're overlooking something. Everyone has enemies. There has to be dirt somewhere."
Back at his desk, Jounouchi found that Mako had delivered the definitive autopsy report on Pegasus. He started to read the documents, while Honda got them some coffee and a bento box from the vending machine in the hallway.
"Well, take a look at this," Jounouchi said when Honda returned. He handed his colleague and friend the file. "Pegasus died from a heart attack, not from the gaping hole in his head."
Honda, who was just about to eat his sandwich, grunted and then took a bite after all. "The blood loss of removing the eye wasn't enough to kill him?"
"Mako writes that the stress and terror of having his eye removed caused such a trauma, that it resulted in a heart attack. Don't forget that someone was gouging out his eye without anesthetics. Mako comments that it was removed with chirurgical precision. He couldn't find any toxic substance in Pegasus' blood work."
Honda munched on his food. He had seen as much as Jounouchi and they had both known from the start that Pegasus was still alive when his eye had been removed. The huge amount of blood had been a silent, but very strong witness.
"Who in the world would take a man's eye?"
"If it was really made of pure gold, well, that's a good reason."
"No." Honda shook his head. "Have you read the inventory list of his safe?"
"Yes, I did. I can't recall exactly what..." Jounouchi retrieved the list from his stack of paperwork. "Oh, now I see... yeah, I get it." The document showed him numbers of foreign currency, credit cards and cash, all together of much more value than a golden eye.
"Okay, so now we can narrow our list of suspects down to an idiot who peels eyes out of people's sockets, cleans up obsessively afterwards and doesn't care for cash, apparently."
"He was probably torturing Pegasus for the combination of the safe? He didn't tell him, not even after his eye being gouged out."
"Perhaps Pegasus surprised his attacker by dying on the spot from the trauma?"
"In any case, his attacker must've known about his golden eye, if that was his only goal."
"We have to interrogate his employees, his relatives, his business associates," Honda said, frustrated. "We can't let the trail go cold!"
"I'm tempted to visit Bakura again," Jounouchi said, "and threaten him with incarceration if he doesn't get his memory back somehow."
"I'm not sure if he could give us any more information." Honda doodled on a piece of paper. Jounouchi nibbled on his pencil. Bakura Ryou had seemed so... helpless.
"Pegasus was a tall man. Bakura would never be able to overpower him and get his eye. The autopsy report says that Pegasus doesn't have any defense wounds; Bakura is far too frail to keep Pegasus pinned to the floor. Pegasus could've easily swatted him away."
"What if there was something else going on?" Honda allowed his thoughts to run free. "What if they were lovers and something went horribly, excruciatingly wrong?"
"No, I don't believe that. Nobody in Pegasus' direct vicinity knew about a lover, let alone someone like Bakura."
"He was an international, flamboyant businessman. I'm sure he knew how to keep things secret and discreet. With all that money of his, he could buy everyone's conscience and silence."
"I'm not buying your 'secret lovers theory'," Jounouchi said. His cell phone rang and he picked up. He listened briefly before disconnecting. "We have another situation," he said. "Another CEO. We have to go, now!"