For Anyone But Me, Your Private Eye
Prologue; Hey, Brother, What You Thinking?

It had been 7 years since the murders of Harumi and Satoshi. A long torturous 7 years and so far nothing seemed to ease that pain. The police had been useless, having declared it a cold case without so much as attempting to find who was behind it. Years of battling tooth and nail for them to fucking do something, anything, to find the killer.

7 years too long.

It was time for him to take things into his own hands. He was a detective after all, he'd solved murders before, the only difference was how extremely personal the resolution would be this time. He'd suspended all other investigations, his focus solely on this case. He had already been through his archives, searched for every scrap he could find that could lead him to an answer. He'd even contacted a local newspaper, hoping that news of his reopening of the case would reach the masses and someone would come forward with information.

He was broken from his thoughts as the phone started ringing. It was either someone trying to hire him or someone who had seen the article. He didn't want to risk missing the call if it was the latter, so walked over to his desk, and picked up the receiver.

“Detective Hanzo Hasashi speaking,” he greeted, gut twisting slightly in anticipation.

“Hanzo...” He let out a breath when he realised he recognised the voice.

“Hello, Kenshi,” He sighed, rubbing his temple with his hand and willing himself to relax again. It wasn't the breakthrough he had hoped for, but at least it wasn't some desperate soul he would have to turn down. “Do you need something?”

“Johnny tells me there's an article in the newspaper about you,” Kenshi replied with a sigh. Hanzo clicked his tongue, here we go. “I know you want answers, and trust me you deserve them, but do you really think investigating this yourself is a good idea?”

“I am tired of waiting for someone else to start taking this seriously,” Hanzo said with a growl, running his hand down his face as he turned to look at his board again. “In one week I've gathered more information than the police got in 7 years.”

“Look, if you really want to do this, you know I won't stop you. But...” Kenshi paused, Hanzo heard the man huff in a way that indicated he was trying to think of the right thing to say. “I do worry that obsessing over this isn't going to do you any good.”

“I've been obsessing over it since it happened,” He replied, reaching to the photograph of Harumi and Satoshi he had pinned to the board. He traced Harumi's face with a finger, a lump forming in the back of his throat as memories of the day she died flooded back. There was so much blood. She had already been cold to the touch by the time he found her, Satoshi tucked in her arms. There was nothing he could have done for either of them. “I feel like I've lost my grip on my life. So I'm taking back control, and once I find the answer, I'll finally have peace.”

There was no reply, and for a minute Hanzo believed they'd been cut off, until he heard Kenshi grumble something unintelligible before he stated, “Okay. Okay, but just know I don't want you to get yourself hurt or in danger over this alright?”

“I'm in no more danger than I am investigating any other murder case,” Hanzo assured him, although the strangled alarmed noise Kenshi made told him this statement was in no way reassuring.

“Fine,” Kenshi conceded, before asking “Have you got any suspects yet?”

“Actually, I do.”

It hadn't escaped his notice that around the time of the murder, he'd been hired to investigate a crime ring known as the Lin Kuei. They were your standard affair when it came to gangsters, the sale of drugs and illegal weapons was their main source of income, and turf wars being a common occurrence. It was clear to him that his investigation into the Lin Kuei hadn't gone undetected, and they were definitely the type of organisation to use murder to send a message.

Hanzo had scoured his archives, looked through his research on the Lin Kuei to narrow who within the gang had the means to commit such an act. Then he'd worked out where those men had been the night of the murder. It had taken a lot of piecing together scraps of information but he'd managed to put together an alibi for all of them bar one. This one single person who's name he found had kept cropping up in his previous research.

Everything he'd put together so far all pointed to one man; Song Bi-Han.

“And it's about time I tracked him down.”

Kuai Liang paused in the doorway, watching as his brother hastily threw his belonging's into a suitcase. Bi-Han seemed unaware that Kuai was watching him. There was something strange about this situation, but Kuai couldn't put his finger on it.

“Going somewhere?” Kuai finally asked, getting Bi-Han's attention. He slowly sauntered into the room, observing the objects Bi-Han was packing. It was mostly clothing, but there were a few other personal belongings that Kuai recognised. Thing's Bi-Han likely wouldn't be taking unless he was going to be absent for some time.

“I'm... Going away for a while,” Bi-Han stated. Kuai observed him for a few seconds, Bi-Han was refusing to meet his gaze. Something's really wrong here...

“Where are you going?” Kuai asked. Bi-Han ignored the question. “Is this a Lin Kuei thing?” He tried instead. Bi-Han opened his mouth as if to reply before stopping himself and then just shrugging instead. “Well, how long are you going to be gone?”

“I... I don't know,” Bi-Han admitted, closing the suitcase and finally looking at Kuai. “Look, I can't tell you where I'm going, how long I'll be gone or even why.” Kuai had an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.

“Bi-Han, what's going on?” He knew his brother, usually Bi-Han didn't keep secrets from him. If it was Lin Kuei business, Kuai would have been informed about it. This was something else. His brother looked panicked, his vague answers as to him leaving only adding to the sense of urgency. “Bi-han?”

“I'm sorry, but the less you know, the safer you are.” Safe? Safe from what? Bi-Han wasn't making sense, and Kuai was trying so hard to not let it show how distressed it made him. Bi-Han reached into his pocket and pulled out a photograph. “I will warn you though, in the next few months, you may be approached by this man.”

Bi-Han handed him the photograph. The man in question looked fairly inconspicuous if Kuai was honest. Good looking though, if Kuai met him in a bar he'd definitely invite him back to his room for the night.

“You're telling me a handsome man might approach me, and that's somehow a bad thing?” Kuai replied, trying to act upbeat about the situation, even as he felt a part of him breaking inside.

“He's a private detective,” Bi-Han explained, “Name's Hanzo Hasashi, and he might come sniffing around to ask you questions. Like I said, the less you know, the safer you'll be.”

“A detective? Why the hell is there a detective after you?” Once again, Kuai's question went unanswered. Yes they were criminals, but they usually dealt with the threat of cops after the entire organisation, not private detectives after a specific individual. Frustrated, he reached to touch Bi-Han's shoulder. “Bi-Han, what the fuck have you got yourself into?”

“I can't tell you,” Bi-Han growled, grabbing Kuai's wrist and pulling his hand off him. Kuai froze. Slowly a hint of regret shone through in Bi-Han's eyes. Bi-Han hesitated, letting go of him, before sighing. “Please, understand that this is not what I want, but I need to get away and the easier it is for you to plead innocence the less likely you are to be dragged into this shit.”

Kuai felt his mouth go try, his throat constricting as he asked “Is it really that bad?”

“Yes.” Such a simple blunt answer that really did not help with Kuai's growing fears.

He shook his head, trying to think of things that had happened lately that could make Bi-Han want to bolt like this. “Is... This related to that argument you had with Sektor? Or... Or that thing you did for the White lotus? Or that Sareena woman... or-”

“Kuai,” Bi-Han warned, and Kuai stopped.

“Sorry,” He whispered his eyes dropping to the floor. “I just... Don't understand.”

“I know.” Bi-Han reached forward, gently tilting his brother's chin upwards. “And I'm sorry that it has to be this way. I'll be back for you, I promise, I just need to get away for a while until things have calmed down.”

“Okay,” Kuai agreed softly, any other questions he had dying on his tongue. It was clear now that Bi-Han would not answer them anyway. “When do you leave?”

“I'm going tonight, under cover of dark, hopefully slip away before someone notices,” Bi-Han explained, his hands reaching to grab Kuai's shoulders instead. “Just, promise me you'll stay safe, alright?”

“Only if you promise the same,” Kuai said back, knowing it wasn't exactly a promise either of them could keep. Bi-Han's resigned sigh indicated he realised that too.

They said no more, even if there were so many words Kuai wanted to say. Even if he wanted to beg Bi-Han to stay and find another way to deal with whatever was happening, or to plead with him to at least take Kuai with him, not leave him alone in the Lin Kuei. He kept those desperate thoughts to himself, instead allowing his brother to continue packing.

That evening, he shared one last drink with Bi-Han, trying to keep the illusion that nothing was wrong, so not to draw suspicion to themselves. The word goodbye never left either of their lips, just a brief hug and wishing the other sweet dreams before parting ways.

By the time the next morning came, Bi-Han was gone.

And Kuai Liang was stuck with the fallout his brother left behind.

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