“You’re certain it’s him?” he asked.
“I can’t be certain until I get my hands on him to sense hisreiryoku, but he fits the profile.” Shinji looked over the files he had managed to grab before walking out the office. “He’s twenty-seven, a year younger than our victims. Same high school. His physical traits fit the guy we saw outside the restaurant, arguing with Yamato. He has a fancy nickname on the spiritual medium website, but his personal address is listed as his business address.”
“That’s a dumb thing to do,” Teruo snorted.
Shinji nodded and pulled out his phone to check the website again. “Huh. It’s down.”
“He knows we’re onto him. What if he hurt Kojima? Poisoned her like Suzuki? And the new M.E.? Kojima said he was taking too long in the restroom. What if he’s dead? Fucking hell.” Teruo tapped his thumbs against the steering wheel. “That piece of shit killed Ishida and then came to examine his body like it was nothing.”
Shinji pressed his lips together and reached for Teruo’s shoulder, squeezing lightly. He couldn’t imagine what Teruo felt right now knowing the criminal had been right next to them this entire time.
A thought struck Shinji. “When I ran out of Ishida’s apartment, looking for the killer, Taniguchi pointed me toward a person he claimed he’d spotted outside.”
Teruo’s throat bobbed, his hands tightening on the wheel. “He wanted you off his scent.”
“Yeah. And he was just returning from the restroom citing sickness.” Shinji leaned back in his seat, feeling like an idiot, and sighed. “That’s when he grabbed Ishida’s ghost. I should’ve…” Shinji trailed off, dropping the files on his lap.
“You can’t blame yourself. You couldn’t have known. The bastard planned out everything, including being on the forensic team.”
Shinji arched a brow waiting for Teruo to elaborate.
“At our last victim’s house, Kojima said something that I find odd, now when I think about it.” Teruo overtook a car then continued, “She said Suzuki shouldn’t have accepted Taniguchi in this investigation, that he should’ve remained on lab duty. Heaskedto participate.”
“Or Suzuki is in on it.”
“She’s not. I trust her.”
“Well, how much—”
“She’s innocent,” Teruo insisted. “Taniguchi tricked all of us, including Suzuki.”
Shinji raised his hands in resignation. Suzuki, indeed, didn’t match any of the criminal’s characteristics; too old to be part of their generation, too young to be the parent of a bullied student. But, since he’d been attacked in the parking lot, Shinji had become quick to blame everybody. Being taken by surprise like that still irked him. He should’ve paid better attention to his surroundings.
“Call for backup,” Teruo said.
“I’ll call my other job,” Shinji said, then raised a finger as Teruo prepared to protest. “This isn’t up for debate. Your team of officers can’t handle Taniguchi.” He couldn’t involve non-supernaturals in the arrest of an unhinged supernatural.
Teruo threw him an incredulous look. “Should I be worried?”
“I won’t sugarcoat this: yes, you should. Frankly, I’d like you to stay back—”
“Fuck no!”
“Yeah, figured.” Shinji smiled, despite it all. “Chances are, Taniguchi will use his spiritual energy to fight us.”
The road cleared up and Teruo accelerated. It was late afternoon and the last dark clouds of rain dispersed letting the sunrays bathe the buildings in an orange glow.
“Can you fight him?” Teruo asked.
“Sure. The more pressing issue iswinningagainst him. I’m counting on the fact that he’s exhausted after using hisreiryokuso much.”
As a supernatural, Shinji had trained to be able to fight back if need be, but his training had focused on fighting spirits, not fellow supernaturals, much less other Shinigami. He was only a part-timer and had never been involved in fights without the aid of other supernaturals. The image of Haruna and her disfigured body came back to him. He’d been ill prepared then and worried he wasn’t prepared now either. If something happened to Teruo because of him…
Shinji closed his eyes for a second, pulling himself together. That wouldn’t happen. He’d met Taniguchi and the ghosts lined up at the medical center. He knew what to expect this time.
“If you go one on one with Taniguchi,” Teruo said, “how much will it affect me?”
“Technically, it shouldn’t, since I’ll be dealing with a living person. But before I even get to him, I have a feeling his ghosts will be waiting for us. They are my main concern. Spirits have the power to affect everyone.”