Yakuza Boy: Or the Man with Painted Flesh (~Unedited~)

Chapter 37

(Yuji's POV)

All I had was a first name but I had not lost hope. I planned on hunting down every Hikaru in the vicinity. My fist clenched painfully as I thought back to what the bastard had been fired for. My wife was at the mercy of a violent pervert... I didn't want to waste anymore time... I relayed the info back to the Boss and he tried to talk me out of trespassing into the man's home and skinning him alive... I didn't reveal my plans for Hikaru... His death would be agonizing and I hoped that I wasn't too late...

The young sous chef had documented how many times this Hikaru character had loitered around the property in hopes of putting together a very lengthy police report along with other things. I confiscated all of her notes and agreed that the police should not be contacted for any reason. Stalking laws were not very solid in Japan. Hikaru would most likely spend a few days in a cell before being released to the public because he hadn't physically hurt any of the staff. Only I could grant him the punishment he deserved...

There were a few shady neighborhoods within walking distance of the restaurant that I wanted to search but it was starting to get late so I reluctantly drove home going straight to my bed. I had another long day ahead of myself and I needed to be fully alert when we started.. Tomorrow I would find Maggie... I would not return to an empty bed. Maggie's mother was another story... She called every hour, her hopes stacked so high that I had finally brought her daughter to the safety of her arms. And each time I had to tell her no with the heaviest heart.

My suit was switched out for a track suit so I could blend in more but I kept my gun close. Two other men were assigned to accompany me and I gave them each an apartment complex to search to the east and west. A detailed map of the area was also handed over to each man as we strapped up. The last thing I did was show them a picture of Maggie on my phone.

"Commit this image to memory and study it well. I know you are both aware of the person we are trying to find. This isn't a drill.. This is a real high stakes search. Keep your eyes open and force your way inside these apartments in you have to. If anyone asks, we are maintenance men. All of these apartments are shitty with a list of health code/ building violations. The tenants will most likely let you in without argument. If either of you locates her first, I am to be called immediately. Let's be quick about it..."
I finished.
************
For the next two hours I ran around the complex, drawing large x's over the prosperities that left me empty handed. Exactly 100 apartments had been searched and although I had not found Maggie, I had seen some bad things. The living conditions were bordering the line between unlivable and mildly ok with mice scurrying under ever surface, extremely humid bedrooms, green tap water, starving children and floors that seemed to cave in certain areas of the small space.

I was bombarded with questions of when the toilets and AC units would be fixed. My answer was the same for everyone, six days. That was the total number of days that Maggie had been missing.. Some of the more desperate tenants tried to offer me other services in exchange for a shorter wait time.. some even offering their children. My stomach was in knots; I was thoroughly upset and I left without a word.

I searched the remaining fifteen buildings in thirty minutes and was happy to find that none of the homes had a second level. All I had to do was a quick walkthrough, checking underneath the beds and inside of the closets. There wasn't a lot of room to do anything with the apartments being so small. I got messages from the other men telling me that they were just about done with their properties as well. I was irritable all over again and leaned against the railing of the top floor when my eyes landed on a house.