Page 110 of Doubts of the Egoist
“I’ll find out.”
“Good. I’ve alerted Internal Affairs, but don’t get your hopes up. I’ll be in touch.”
The call ended, leaving Kuon staring at the white, cracked plaster on the bare wall. His mind whirled, urging him to drive to the crime scene, conduct his own investigation, see Rick, and ask questions. But it was still dark outside. Even if any clues remained, they’d be flooded, and he didn’t know where to look. Going behind Yugo’s back again could lead to misunderstandings and terrible consequences, so giving him a heads-up sounded reasonable.
He pocketed the phone, rubbed his face with both hands, and glanced out the window. Spongy clouds crawled away, revealing a freshly washed sky and twinkling stars. A pale lilac band stretched above the forest, heralding dawn. Nature called to him, promising freshness, calm, and coldness—just what his inflamed mind needed.
He went to the bedroom, put on a pair of running shoes, and jogged out of the mansion. He hoped that a few miles and the night freshness would clear his mind just as it had cleansed the sky, allowing him to piece together the seemingly inconclusive evidence.
Hiscell phonechimed, alerting Yugo that Tobias’ phone had entered the coverage area. His fingers instantly hit the call icon. The car clumsily veered off the highway onto a narrow country road, jolting Yugo’s shoulder hard against the door. He scowled, looking up to catch Greg’s eyes fixed on his own smartphonedisplay. Yugo glared, but Greg looked up before he could reprimand him.
The loudspeaker barked, “What?”
Yugo glared at Tobias’ name on the display. “Don’t ‘what’ me. Where are you?”
“Why, Daddy, am I late for dinner?”
Snide, lazy, and mocking, Tobias snuffed out any flimsy desire Yugo had to be polite. Through gritted teeth, Yugo squeezed out the order, “Drop by in two hours. Don’t make me wait.”
“I’m kinda busy.”
Sensing Tobias was about to drop the call and vanish again, Yugo said, “Nice job redecorating your place.”
After a moment of silence, a short laugh followed. “Oh, you appreciate it? I’ll send the designer over when I’m done with him so you can have something similar.”
“Don’t bother. It’s a tad too grungy for my taste.”
“Seriously, why waste my time if you know what this shithead did to my place? I’ll let you know when I find him.”
“It’s not just about Mio; it’s about the rifle.”
“Fuck, you’re quick.” Tobias laughed.
“Come over. Don’t make me look for you, or we won’t be talking.” Yugo hung up and turned to Greg. “How long have you known?”
“About what, Boss?” Greg’s face remained expressionless, but a slight shift in his tone betrayed discomfort.
“Mio.”
Greg confessed with a grimace, “Since yesterday. Tobias asked for help but wanted to keep it quiet. It’s nothing out of the ordinary, and it’s only been two days.”
“How sweet. Are you girls besties now?” Yugo hissed, massaging the pulsating vein in his temple with two fingers.
Greg gave him an unimpressed look, then returned his attention to the road.
“And the rifle?”
The square jaw with its five o’clock shadow shifted to the side. “Had no idea.”
Yugo turned to the window. Black, wet trees blended into the night, barely visible against the dark sky. Occasional droplets dripped from soaked foliage, hitting the window before being blown aside by the wind. He watched the shimmering trickles for a long moment before calling out, “Greg?”
“Hm?”
“If you two motherfuckers hide anything about Mio from me ever again, I’ll castrate you with pruning shears. Is that clear?”
Greg grunted and glanced at him askance, but his grin faded and he nodded. “Crystal, Boss. Sorry, Boss.”
Water squished inhis running shoes as Kuon exhaled a stream of misty air, shaking off a bead of sweat that quivered on his brow. The fresh air burned his lungs, urging him to sprint, but he forced himself to stay in the low-intensity cardio zone during a fifth lap around the mansion’s perimeter. His T-shirt had long since soaked through and clung to his torso, but it still felt drierthan his skin. He pulled up the hem to wipe away acrid sweat just as a low rumble drifted through the woods.
