Beastars: A Steep Fall From Light

Chapter 30: On Break

"They just keep going, don't they?" Isoko asked. "They've been at it for an hour now."

"Must be a long report," Taki commented.

Haru couldn't believe what she was hearing. The Horns Conglomerate working for the Back Alley mobs? Did Louis know about this? If so, for how long? It didn't seem like him, but then again it had been a family business. It didn't matter what his ideology was, he was stuck in it. As the chairman and president, his name was plastered on every article and story about the company. Half of her wanted to give him a call and ask all of the questions flying through her head, but the louder half said he had enough to deal with at the moment. Well she knew what tonight's dinner conversation would most likely entail, especially with Jack planning his mayoral run.

"Well I'm back to work," Taki said, standing from his chair. "How long've you guys got?"

"Five minutes," Isoko answered.

"Ten," Haru said, still transfixed by the event on screen.

"I'll see you out there," the anteater said, leaving the break room.

"Can you believe this?" the other rabbit asked Haru.

"No," she answered. "I can't."

Louis' father had been a topic she and the deer had discussed briefly before. She got an idea of his enigmatic behavior, rarely making as many public appearances as his adopted son did. She now understood why; to avoid the attention. As powerful and influential as they were in the city, the Horns Conglomerate rarely got any media coverage. Until Louis became chairman.

Haru was snapped back to reality when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out and looked at the caller ID. She answered.

"Hi Gosha," she greeted.

"Hi Haru," the lizard greeted back. "How have you been?"

"Fine," she answered.

"That's good," he said. Legoshi's grandfather sounded worried on the other end of the phone. He was doing his best to hide it, but the rabbit could hear it in his voice.

"Is everything okay?" she asked.

"Everything's fine," he lied, trying not to worry her as well. A familial trait she was well aware of. "How's Legoshi?"

"Last I checked he was fine. Why?"

"When was that?" he asked.

"This morning, before he left for work. Why?"

Haru was starting to get a little aggravated. She didn't like being kept in the dark.

The komodo dragon was silently panicking on the other side. Not so silently as she could hear it in his breathing.

"He knows," was all he said.

"What?!" she asked, losing her composure a little.

"The Razor killer," he explained. "We have reason to think he's after Legoshi."

Haru felt her heart skip a beat.

"There's no reason to worry," she heard someone else say from the other end. "We don't believe he'll make a move in a public space in the daylight. As long as he's in the public eye, he should be safe."

"Who's that?" she asked.

"Uh, Yahya," Gosha answered. "I'm helping him...with...something..."

He trailed off, like someone was trying desperately to get him to shut up.

"Who?" she asked.

"Look there's probably no reason to worry," he said. "Forget I called."

He hung up and the rabbit lost it. She recalled the number and waited.