Christmas Eve Murders

Chapter 4

Before they could go to their next destination, Vincent and Yoriko are seen in a gas station to fill gas to the delivery car. He is seen with a bag of potato chips and two orange sodas in a grocery bag. Opening the potato chips, he started eating them and gives her a soda.

"Thank you," she replied with manners to the item she got from him. Even if she is disturbed by what he is doing, she is grateful of him giving things to her. Next, he allowed her to eat chips and she accepted them without refusal.

"You know, you need to toughen up if you want to live in this country that are filled with those ghouls," Vincent said as he started to teach her how to use a gun. "Like it or not, you're using a gun. Simple instructions: line up the sight with your target, beware the recoil, here's the magazine, put it in, load, and only pull the trigger when you're ready to fire. Understand?"

"Yes, I understand," Yoriko replied with determination.

"Good, if you have one, that is," Vincent got his gun back from her. "Looks like we're on schedule. Do you like jazz?"

"Yes, I like jazz. Why?"

"There's this place at the 16th Ward I know where you can hear this kind of music."

They went to a place in that ward that has jazz music, and it's a bar called The Hap Bar. As soon as they get inside, they listened to the jazz music that the musician is doing in stage for the night. While this is happening, Vincent happens to notice a girl with brown hair and a bob cut hairstyle listening to that music as well. It's obvious that she is his third target, and Yoriko can tell that.

After the song is over and the place is about to be closed for Christmas by tomorrow, Vincent is seen buying drinks before going on the table where Yoriko and the woman are. Speaking of the latter, she is Hinami Fueguchi, and is now working for the Aogiri Tree ever since the destruction of Anteiku. She gathers them information and is known to be Yotsume.

"Well, you two seemed to get along," he commented as he took his sit between them.

"This is because she knows Big Sister," said the brown-haired girl with a smile and he stared at her as if he doesn't know who is she talking about. "It's Touka. Touka Kirishima."

"Oh," Vincent understands before he turns to Yoriko. "Is she the one I'm talking about you having a ghoul for a best friend?"

Her response is looking sad, confirming his answer.

"Well, never mind about her for a while. Hinami, can you tell us what were you doing with the Aogiri Tree?" Vincent started his interrogation with her.

"To tell you the truth, I never liked working for them, but it's the only way I can find Big Brother," was her reply after she took her drink. "Like Big Sister, I refused to believe he died after the raid in Anteiku."

"I see..." the hitman pulls out a pen as if he is asking her to draw something. In fact, the table covering they're sitting on is really paper. "Can you draw what Big Brother is like?"

Under his instruction, Hinami starts drawing what the man looks like. Good thing she is a good artist. After a few seconds, she finished her drawing.

"Yoriko, do you know who this is?" Vincent asked.

"That's the boy whom I saw Touka was with when I bought her food because she was sick at that time," the blonde-haired girl replied.

"This is Big Brother, or Ken Kaneki as you would call him," Hinami added.

"Hinami, I'm sorry to say this, but you won't be reunited with him and Big Sister at this moment," the hitman said in a calm tone as if he is ready to kill her.

"Why not?" she asked with surprise.

"Because your life ends here."

"Just when I thought you were a cool guy."

"I am a cool guy, with a job I'm contracted to do."

"Come on, Vincent. Give her a break and don't kill her," Yoriko pleaded.

"I'm working here," Vincent ignores her pleas.

"Listen, you the one talking about improvisation. Let's listen to more jazz music. Come on."

"Improvi... That's funny coming from you."

After all, he never thought of her trying to say something about improvisation regarding on the matter they're into now.

"How about I'll ask you a question instead?" Vincent suggested with a smile.

"A question?" Hinami asked.

"Yeah, if you get it right, we leave you alive. You disappear tonight," he added.

"What is the question?" she asked.

"After you found Big Brother, what will you do next?"

"That's a good question. I'm going to quit working for Aogiri after I found him. Also, if possible, with Big Sister."

Suddenly, Vincent pulls out a gun which is different from the one he uses. In fact, it has a long barrel which it is a silencer. He shoots the girl in the head to kill her, causing Yoriko to get out of her seat with surprise. Before the dead ghoul's head lie on the table, Vincent catches it and softly put it there.

"What the...?" the waitress asked. "You said you would let her go if she got the question."

"But I never said alive," the hitman said with a cold expression. "Oh, by the way, the bullets I use to kill ghouls are Q bullets, so if I can't use any food deliveries on them before using a gun with normal bullets, then it's the Q bullets I use to kill them."

It make sense. Q bullets are specialized bullets made by the CCG when bureau investigators can't use quinque to kill ghouls. Unable to tolerate anymore of Vincent's killing spree on this Christmas Eve, Yoriko storms off the bar, and the hitman followed her.

"Yoriko..." he called for her.

"No, no more, Vincent. Get yourself another delivery girl to drive for you," the girl is in despair, not wanting to do anything with him.

This doesn't stop Vincent from catching up to her and punching her in the face before pinning her by the car where he grabs her neck.

"I am not playing," he said.

"You played her," she said about Hinami. "She got the question right, so did you have to kill her?"

"I never said anything about letting her go alive."

Yoriko looked at the hitman with despair. Does he have to kill Hinami when he literally took his words about letting her go when she got the question right but not alive?

Vincent lets her go after a few seconds of her calming down.

"Vincent, may I use the restroom?" Yoriko asked.

"Just be quick," the hitman allowed the request.

After getting in the female restroom, the waitress makes an exit by a small window, and went to her car where he stole his briefcase before making a run. Vincent quickly realized something is wrong after waiting for her, so he left the place to see her running away with his briefcase. That's when he pursuits. The pursuit leads them to the bridge and Yoriko sends the item to the road, causing many vehicles to run it over. The briefcase is ruined; inside, its items like the target list, laptop, and silencer gun are all destroyed. Vincent looked at her with an angry expression, and Yoriko can only wish this is the opportunity for him to leave her alone.

However, she's wrong as he walked up to her and pin her down.

"All my prep was in there! You're screwing with my work!" Vincent ranted. After a few seconds, he looked calmed because he has a better idea than killing her for sending his briefcase in the road which vehicles destroyed it along with his things inside. He snarled at her. "Let's see what else you can do."

He drags Yoriko off the floor and into the Oasis car for an errand that he wanted her to do.