"How are things going at home?"
"Not bad. Soma is talking a lot more now, so there's that." Zoro said pleasantly. It had been several days since they'd started this arrangement of theirs, and so far Hitomi seemed to think it was helping the younger boy. "We're about to have lunch, after he's…H-hey!"
There was a shuffling sound, and Hitomi could hear the faint tone of Soma's own voice somewhere in the background, insisting he talk to big sis. The silver-haired woman smiled, waiting to see who would gain control over Zoro's cell phone. She leaned against the elevator as the shuffling continued, then abruptly stopped.
"Big sis! Don't worry, I'm keeping a watch over Zoro to make sure he doesn't do anything seamy! I locked your bedroom door just in case!"
Hitomi chuckled, hearing the tone of disbelief in Zoro's voice somewhere in the background. She kept her eyes on the floor number, watching as they ticked down to go back to the ground floor."That's very chivalrous of you, thank you. You're not giving him a hard time, are you?"
"Me? I've been the model of perfect behavior. Promise."
More yelling from Zoro, but Hitomi couldn't make out the words. Floor 4…Floor 3…
"Just listen to what he says, alright? Don't cause trouble. I'll be home by 6, so figure out what you want for dinner tonight. And that means both of you." She emphasized. Floor 2.
"Fine…have fun at work."
Floor 1. The elevator pinged that it had arrived at the selected floor just as she hung up the phone. Carrying her lunch bag, which was now empty after enjoying her lunch hour, Hitomi stepped out and into the hallway of the main floor. Several offices she passed by were cracked open enough to see her colleagues. Most were hard at work, heads down over files of court papers or notepads.
She nodded to Camie at the front receptionist desk with a small smile, rounding the corner and into her personal office. The door shut behind her, preferring that people didn't look in on her while she worked. It was a distraction.
Spotting a new stack of files on her desk that hadn't previously been there, she frowned curiously. Her lunch bag was put back under the desk where she always placed it. That way it wouldn't be forgotten about when leaving to go home. After taking a seat in her chair, she inspected the new additions to her desk.
The stack of files—much thicker in size and plentiful in number than the ones she was used to receiving—looked much older as well. The outsides of the files themselves were bent and stained from what she could only guess was years of time gone by.
Where on earth had these come from? She was hesitant to even touch them in the condition they were in. Some papers stuck out at odd angles, unlike the neatly paper clipped ones she worked with on a daily basis. Strange.
Carefully so as not to ruin anything on the inside, she picked up the top-most file and laid it out, examining it's contents.
Immediately, her eyes widened, settling on the first picture that stood out to her. Vergo. Perhaps a bit younger than the financial office's profile displayed, but definitely him. His signature lightning-style facial hair was unmistakable.
Hitomi grabbed the phone and dialed Camie's extension. If anyone saw who might have brought the files to her desk, it was Camie. She was posted at the front entrance at all times with a clear view on the hallway to Hitomi's office.
"Camie speaking." The girl said.
"Hi Camie, it's Hitomi. I had a question for you."
"Sure! What is it?"
"Did you happen to see anybody come into my office while I was at lunch?"
"Hmm…not that I saw. But I haven't been looking behind me all that often today so…sorry…"
"That's fine. What about the front? Did anyone happen to walk in with a stack of old-looking files in their hands?"
"Old looking files…oh, I think I know who you mean. There was a guy who walked in with some files. But he said he had an appointment with Mr. Elizabello. He left not long after coming in, though."
"What did he look like?"
"Uhh, well he had a big scarf covering most of his face. It must have been pretty cold outside. And he was really tall. Short, red hair too. Actually, he seemed really hot. I wish I could have gotten a look under the scarf." She added with a giggle.
"I see." She said, staring down at the files suspiciously. That didn't sound like anyone that she recognized. "Thank you, Camie. You've been very helpful."
"Yeah, no problem!"
Hanging up, Hitomi paused. She was dying to find out what was in these files, but a part of her wondered just who had brought them here and why. What result did they hope would come from this? Hitomi wasn't wholly sure what she planned to do either, but if she could find anything incriminating enough to build a case against, the least she could do was put in a request for an arrest warrant with the local precinct.
Who was helping her? Perhaps, if this have something to do with Law, it was the bartender himself. Sending someone in his place, maybe? Who really knew? Drawing attention back to the mysterious files, she skimmed the first page, looking for anything incriminating that could be admissible in court.
Without even a glance back at the pigsty he'd been forced to stay in for the past week and a half, Law sauntered down the apartment's stairs with ease. There were still occasional pangs of pain in his legs when he walked but it was bearable. Even if a few days more of rest would have been more logical, he wanted out of that place now.
The swelling and bruising on his face had gone away, enough so that he felt comfortable going out in public without people asking questions. Kidd had—reluctantly—given him some cash to at least get himself back to where he should be. Just enough for a bus ticket if he wanted it and a meal. Provided by—unsurprisingly—whoever the guy worked for. Kidd still wasn't telling him that much, but at this point Law didn't really care.
He missed his motorcycle. Honestly at this point he had no idea where it was or if it was even still usable. For all he knew Vergo or Joker ordered to have it impounded or destroyed, leaving him without a vehicle to get around. That was fine. He'd gotten by on the run on foot without too many problems.
Well, besides the kidnapping but that was besides the point.
His steps crunched with fallen snow as he made his way to the nearest place to eat. He was starving for actually decent food. Kidd didn't cook and most of the time Law was lucky to be given fries and a burger from McDonalds on the man's way back from his latest sexual escapade. Thank god they weren't on very good speaking terms, because Law was spared the intimate details of his activities.
The moment he stepped inside of the doors of the small deli down the street, the smell of hot food wafted to him and his mouth watered. His steps took him further in, towards the hostess' counter to get a seat.
A court summons…witness to a burglary…no.
Jury duty papers, small-time criminal with a record…all the way back in 1992…not this either.
Several receipts for firearms…spanning over years…hell, how many guns does one man need? Assault rifles, handguns, submachine guns…This may prove useful later.
She set the pile of stapled receipts together to the side and kept digging.
Signed documents…estate sales under his name…either he has a dozen houses or he's been claiming the revenue for property he has no affiliation with. Interesting…Here we go. He owns two locations under his name, legally. A house somewhere on the edge of town, and the hospital where he used to work. No medical license that I can see, though.
Another one to the pile of things to look into. The next thing inside was a small manilla envelope. She withdrew it and opened up the metal tongues holding it closed. Her eyes narrowed, grabbing the stack of papers inside. They felt…
No, not papers. Pictures. She flicked through them one by one, growing slowly sickened by this man as she went. The first several were still-shots of Vergo walking, on the phone, talking to other people, etc. Nothing she was too interested in.
Then…the next showed what looked like an opium den. Dozens of people lay scattered around on couches and chairs and beanbags, high out of their minds. That glazed look in the eyes of the few people she could see was unmistakable. Vergo was standing off to the side, chatting with someone.
In the next, Vergo stood with his back to the camera, a gun held in his hands, pointed towards a man bound and gagged on the ground. The prisoner, whoever he was, looked angry rather than afraid. I wonder if this was a rival gang member, or a traitor within their own network. It could be either. It could be both.
Good god…
The next several photos were simply those of bodies. Brutally beaten and covered in blood, their eyes stared away with vacant, terrified expressions. They looked fresh, the flesh still colored and supple. Recent kills. No doubt moments before these pictures were taken. Both appeared to be in the same location, but there was no way to tell if they were at the same time or years apart.
Hitomi swallowed, taking a moment to steel herself before going onto the next. This one wasn't quite as graphic as the previous few, but still just as sickening. Vergo was crouched down in front of a child, his fingers to their chin in order to keep their eyes on him. The child, a girl with long black curls, looked terrified, tears streaming down her face. He only looked stern, his mouth frozen in time slightly open with whatever he was saying at the time.
For just a brief moment, Hitomi wondered who the photographer was. Whoever they were, they must have risked quite a lot in order to take these photos. Based on what she'd seen so far, murder was not above Vergo's capability.
The next made the lawyer close her eyes sadly. The same girl as before, in a similarly beaten and bloody state. This time, however, the location was different. It appeared to be an alley or some industrial area with brick walling. And there were a multitude of others surrounding her body. Mostly other children and young adults, watching and crying and covering their eyes. And watching. They made them watch. Disgusting.
There was two photos left in the stack. She almost didn't want to see what they pictured. With a steadying breath, she finally lowered her eyes to it. A park. One of the kinds the city built in the middle of new neighborhoods for any children of the residents. Plastic slides and a swing set, with monkey bars and wood chips and benches on the outside for the parents to sit and watch.
One such family sat and watched, their backs to the cameraman, as two children played on the structure. The woman, a redhead, and the man, black-haired, sat close together. The children they watched had similar features; the little girl had her mother's hair, worn in two pigtails on either side of her head. She was turned away, however, and Hitomi couldn't see the face.
The boy, his hair just as black as his father's was pictured in a side profile, standing at the top of the slide and watching his sister. Hitomi wondered who they were. And then she knew, flipping to the last photo in the stack.
A set of three graves, nicely decorated with roses in each cup. They looked well cared for and clean. Their names etched in the stone for eternity, her eyes locked on one in particular. Jack Trafalgar. This couldn't be a coincidence. She didn't believe in them.
Setting the pictures aside, she rolled over just a bit in her chair to her computer, opening up her case database. She was certain she'd never encountered the name before, but it sounded so familiar, right on the tip of her tongue. Clicking the search bar, she typed in 'Trafalgar' and hit enter, watching as it turned up blank. No entries listed in her database. Damn.
"Where have I heard that name before?" She muttered to herself, sitting back and trying to think of the answer. Ugh. This was so frustrating…If only she had access to police records, then maybe she could get a bit further. But her database only went so far…ah, that's it!
Grabbing her phone, she dialed a familiar number and waited as the line rang a few times.
"CPD Requisitions, this is Marguerite. How can I assist?"
"Yes, hello. This is Hitomi Silver from Quicksilver Law Firm. Is Shyarly available?"
"Just one moment, let me find out for you." Marguerite's statement was followed by the department's hold music. The lawyer patiently waited, knowing that Shyarly could be a busy woman. In the meantime, Hitomi grabbed the picture of the three graves again, absentmindedly memorizing their details.
The hold music clicked off and a woman's voice answered. "Shyarly speaking. May I ask who's calling?"
"It's Hitomi, how are you?"
"Oh, it's been some time since I've heard from you, friend. I'm doing well. How have you been?" She sounded pleased to hear from her. Good, she was in a pleasant mood today.
"Well, things could be more ideal." She answered truthfully. It was difficult to lie to Shyarly. She had a way of knowing things, a trait Hitomi could both respect and dislike all at the same time. "But such is life."
"Hmm, I can hear the exhaustion in your voice, Hitomi. Under a lot of stress lately? More than usual?"
Ah, yes. There it was. Her uncanny perception.
"You could say that. But I'm calling on business today. It's a bit urgent, unfortunately, so I don't have much time to chat."
The woman chuckled on the other end. "You only ever call me on business. No need to tell me that. What do you need from me?"
"There's a few names I want you to run in your database. A first name of 'Vergo' and a last name of 'Trafalgar.'"
"Belonging to the same person?"
"No, separate inquiries." Hitomi said, sitting back in her chair. "Does anything show up for you?"
"Well, for Vergo, I had one hit. He's got a unique name, that one." She paused, Hitomi guessed reading through what her search brought up. "Hmm…Not much on his file, but I'll send you what I have."
"It's the last name I'm most interested in anyway." She said, waiting patiently. If she was quiet, she could hear the computer keys tapping away in the background of the call.
"As for Trafalgar…let's see…I've got four names, three deceased. Would you like me to read them over for you?"
"No, just email over what you have and I'll look over it when I have the time."
"Sure thing. If you don't mind me saying, these people don't look like the sort you'd normally prosecute. What did they do to deserve the Great Hitomi's attention?" Shyarly joked good-naturedly, and Hitomi smiled thinly.
"I'm not sure yet." Already seeing the email show up in her inbox, she smiled. "But either way, thanks so much for your help."
"Of course, call anytime. But maybe once or twice just for the hell of it? You know I don't have many friends and talking business all the time is depressing."
"I'll make an effort. Bye for now." Hitomi hung up after exchanging goodbyes and navigated over to the email. Honestly, the amount of information she'd gathered up to this point was minimal. Hopefully these files contained something more substantial that could be used in a court of law. She clicked open the attachment eagerly and began reading more into Vergo.
Satisfied with a belly full of actual food, Law made his way towards his second hideout. The first was compromised. They probably had people watching it at all times now, just waiting for him to be stupid enough to go back for any reason. Vergo was no doubt furious that he had managed to escape from his grasp. The bartender wondered just how many people on the streets were moles for Joker's network. Now that he thought about it…
Law flipped the hoodie up over his head, covering most of his features. It wasn't much but it was something at least. Until he was able to go underground again and confidently walk the streets, Law would have to keep a low profile.
The session of torture had slowed him down, but it hadn't deterred what he was doing. He'd still continue taking down as many of Joker's people as he could and, if Kidd was to be believed, he had some unseen allies providing some assistance in the background. He'd take whatever he could, honestly.
Buffalo. Monet. Dellinger. Machvise. Earlier in the week his contacts had told him that Jora had also been taken out. And right after that Viola. He hadn't known who she was but apparently she'd been the reason for his capture, somehow. A snitch in the right place had nearly cost him his life, but a bullet in the right place had certainly cost hers.
One after another, Joker's elite fell to Law's plan. One by one, it weakened Joker's hold on the underground just a little more. A few more pillars and the whole could collapse, as far as he could tell. And when it did, there's be many a competitor looking to claim the throne from the rubble.
He didn't care who ran things after that, so long as they left him alone. After all was said and done, at the very least, he'd be owed that much.
After several minutes of searching through his file, Hitomi found little else that she hadn't already known on the mysterious man. He was elusive, and it seemed all of his files were wiped clean of any wrongdoing. Just how many connections did he have? There was no way the average citizen would have records as clean as his, especially when put together with the pictures she received in the envelope. This man, she was certain, had committed serious crimes.
She closed out of Vergo's file and clicked on the first of the Trafalgar family's. They were labelled with the last name in all capital letters, followed by a series of numbers for each one. The first was for a woman named Susan. The mother. No criminal record, a few speeding tickets on file, and an infraction for running a red light. Simple stuff.
From what she could tell, she was a licensed pediatrician. Susan had been working in the same hospital that the lawsuit had mentioned. A family of doctors perhaps? Because when she navigated over to Jack's file he was also listed as a medical professional. A husband and wife team of doctors, then.
The next file was for a little girl named Lami. 8 years old at time of death. Tragic, Hitomi thought morosely, clicking through a few more of her pages before backing out and opening the last file. It entered full screen on her computer as the others had, but this one made her still.
Trafalgar Law. That's how she knew the last name. That's why it had seemed so familiar. The bartender's neutral expression, most likely from a driver's license photo, stared her in the face, along with his basic information. Now that she'd seen the others, there was a distinct resemblance in him from both parents. The face of his father, but the eyes of his mother.
Oh…oh no…
Things began to connect together in her head, but she wanted to know more before coming up with a conclusion. No use in assuming facts before she read all the information. A part of her was hesitant to read the rest of Law's file, simply because it felt…wrong. She knew him. Her best friend's boyfriend. At the same time…it may answer some of her questions about just what he'd done in the years before meeting them.
Telling herself it was all for the safety of those she loved, she began going through his information.
Unsurprisingly, the first thing in his file was the police report of his parents' and sister's murder. The documents showed that he was brought in for questioning as a witness for several days after the incident. They had even attached his witness statement, and Hitomi suffered through his heartache and confusion as barely a teenaged boy losing his family. She swallowed past the sympathy and kept reading.
A picture of a young Law, looking dejected and without purpose, was attached to a record of admittance to a state-run housing program for orphaned children. He still had that unruly set of black hair, but lacked his facial hair.
Certain details and events of what was going on began to connect in Hitomi's brain. The date of Jack's lawsuit was a mere week before the family was killed. Motive, if she ever saw one. Law was sent to live with the state after his family was killed off, but after that she didn't know how Law was connected to all of this. How did he become affiliated with Vergo? Because at this point she was certain it all fell into the same realm.
There was a missing person's notice posted next in Law's file, just a few months after he was sent to live with the state. Perhaps he ran away? That was most logical. In terms of a timeline to go by, the trail stopped at that point. Besides his employment at The Heart Seat, the profile ended there.
Hitomi exited out of the file and sighed, lowering her head into her hands. Things were so complicatedly entwined together, she couldn't hope to try unravelling it all by herself. There was years of pain and crime and murder in these files that she would have to sift through. There were still two full folders to go through in the original files she'd been given.
Of all the cases she's tackled in the past, this seemed so much more important. As if it carried so much more weight than others. Well, sure it did. The life of her friend. No, scratch that. Friends. Law had earned her respect too. She would consider him a friend, given how much happiness he provided for Summer. As much as she wanted to loathe him for bringing Summer into this whole mess, she also knew it was never his intention, nor was it his fault.
There was so much to do. So much to go through. Her lunch break had helped to clear her mind of a few things, but now? Her thoughts were swirling in confusing streams, trying to focus on too many things at once again. She could feel a migraine coming on, too. Just great.
Could she do this? Could she really pull this all off? Of course she fucking could.
Hitomi didn't like to lose, and she'd be damned if she did now.
ns 15.158.61.12da2
