Page 112 of Doubts of the Egoist
Mio shot the dog? Hmm… Should I thank him or scold him now?
He wanted to ask for details, but instead asked, “Did you bond?”
A wide, crooked grin twisted Tobias’ lips, giving him the edgy look of a jackal ready to attack. “Not really. I still want to strangle him ten times a day, but the little shit is great at making me clean up his mess, so it would be hypocritical to deny it completely. I do what I have to, though.”
“Why didn’t you say anything sooner?”
Tobias laughed; a short, barking sound that grated on Yugo’s nerves. “If I called you every time he brought trouble to my door, your phone would never stop ringing.”
“Fair enough, but this time, the trouble is at my door. How the hell did he get the rifle?”
Tobias turned to Greg, wrinkled his nose mischievously, and formed a ring with his four fingers and thumb, bringing his hand to his mouth. “Be a sweetie?”
With a hmph, Greg sauntered to the bar, grabbed another water bottle, and threw it at Tobias. The blond caught it with lethal grace, twisted off the cap, and drank half of it in one go before returning his attention to Yugo.
“Since you requested his bulletproof vest and gun, I assume you know what he did in the truck.” Yugo nodded, even though Tobias hadn’t expected an answer. “I was curious whether he did it because he was scared of me or to get your attention. Either way, I thought I’d spoil his fun, so I dropped by.When I arrived, he was already in distress. Since neither you nor Puppy were around, I assumed the happy reunion didn’t go well.
“Mio couldn’t stop pacing and muttering about how you broke your word and how he hates everyone. He didn’t look well, so I had a good reason to sedate him and enjoy the silent drive home. And didn’t he hate that?” The bottom of the bottle landed on the polished desk, condensation trickling down its plastic surface, pooling where it met the varnish. Yugo’s eyes were fixed on the drops, which threatened to leave a water stain. “The next day, the doctor insisted that he start moving to prevent fibrosis. His blood test also showed improvement, so I took him off the sedatives. Once the drugs wore off, he demanded to see you. I refused, obviously. That’s when we had another fight. Things got a little out of hand, so I locked him in the panic room to cool off and left. Usually, this works just fine, but this time, he somehow got out. When I returned, my place was trashed, Mio escaped, the gun room was broken into, and the rifle was missing. You know the rest.”
That’s why he seemed so insecure and needy. He saw Kuon just as clearly as Kuon saw him.
“I’m surprised he didn’t try to kill Puppy again.” Tobias scratched the side of his neck, looking at Yugo expectantly, red lines appearing where his nails scraped his pale skin.
“What for?” Yugo heard himself ask. “Why kill Kuon and risk infuriating me when he could have driven a wedge between us? With some research, he learned that Kainz was the only person close to Kuon. Killing Kainz with your rifle was meant to make it look like I carried out the assassination. Since you already covered up for him once, he’d expect you to do it again, which would suit him just fine. That should be enough to make Kuon suspicious. I admit Mio succeeded here. He could havedone a better job, though.”
“How so?”
“With proper research, he could have tried to set you up and get rid of you both at once. Who knows, it might have worked. I called you today because of the rifle. Otherwise, I would have started investigating to pacify Kuon. That would have led me to you eventually, and I would have remembered everything you said about Kuon.” Tobias’ smile grew wry and tight. His pale eyes narrowed, pinpoint pupils fixing Yugo with a cautious glare. “You said a cop in the family is a bad omen. So why do you want Kuon gone so badly? It’s not the first time you’ve tried to make me reconsider his presence. This doesn’t look like a simple superstition, Tobias. Why do you dislike Kuon so much?”
“Oh, ple-e-ease, I don’t hate your Puppy,” Tobias droned dismissively, waving a hand.
“Then what is it?” Yugo raised an eyebrow, but when he received no answer, he pressed on, “If it weren’t for the rifle, I would have suspected your involvement and looked deeper into your affairs and motives. I would have wondered if you hated Mio enough to try and help him get rid of Kuon? A part of me still wonders if you would actually use that rifle, knowing that I’d never suspect you.”
“What a nice theory, Yugo. I’m flattered you think so lowly of me. Sadly, I’m not that immoral yet. I’m working on it, though, learning from the best.” Tobias mock-saluted Yugo with the water bottle, his fake smile failing to reach his eyes. “You missed the part where I can kick Mio out whenever I want. It’s a deal we made, not an obligation.”
“Yeah, I figured it wasn’t substantial. Besides, youranimosity toward Kuon started developing long before Mio moved in with you. What other reason could you possibly have had besides helping Mio?”
“As I said, I have nothing personal against your Puppy. It’s all in your imagination.” Tobias smiled again, but it looked tense, even angry. His next words confirmed that Yugo had struck a nerve. “Also, you give Mio too much credit for doing such a sloppy job. It’s not that difficult to find out where Puppy is registered. If I can access the security footage from Kainz’s district, he can too. You don’t need to be a genius to figure out what happened there between the two of you. Yes, using my gun to kill the man who laid his hands on your property wasn’t a bad idea, but the execution?” He waved his hand from side to side.
“Be careful, Tobias.” Yugo’s honeyed baritone deepened and grew vicious. “Your assumptions may inadvertently offend someone. Take some good-natured advice and keep it to yourself.”
“The same goes for you, Yugo.”
The air of hostility rose between them, and Yugo nodded slowly. Fighting Tobias wasn’t in his best interest. He needed him to talk, not snarl, so he explained, “Fair enough. But it’s hard to understand you. You hate Mio, yet you cover for him. You say you have nothing against Kuon yet you never pass up an opportunity to mess with him and me. You don’t seem eager to explain what’s going on. What’s bothering you, Tobias?”
“Many things. I’m amazed nothing bothersyou.” Tobias twirled a forefinger at his temple, and his hissing voice, filled with drawn-out sibilants and nasal sounds, rustled through the room. “Wasn’t Puppy ssstraight?”
“What are you trying to imply?” Yugo did his best tosuppress his irritation, but his voice rattled with rusty metal.
“Oh, I’m not implying anything; I’m pretty sure I’m very ssstraightforward, just how you like it.” Tobias wrinkled his nose in a mischievous grimace, obviously pleased with his pun. “We all know the story behind your ‘meet cute’. It’s hard to call it romantic. And Puppy… How many times did the doctor check on him during your ‘honeymoon’? So many injuries. Even a seasoned masochist would struggle with such… passssion. He doesn’t strike me as someone who’d easily forget such an experience. He doesn’t look like a masochist to me, either. He tried to kill himself to get away from you, so it’s only natural to wonder why such a righteous man would sssuddenly change his ways all over a… well,” he wrinkled his nose, “no offense,youand whatever you have to offer.
“I’ve heard about your… erm, bedroom talentsss, but I don’t think they’re magical enough to work such a miracle.” Tobias’ face lit up with a smile so wide that Yugo wanted to slam it against the desk to dim it. But instead of confronting his guest, Yugo sank back into his chair, thinking that Tobias’ words echoed his own fears and what Kuon had told him in the small surveillance room. “What’s his agenda, Yugo? Please, don’t start with the love crap. Love between men is already a very ephemeral, fragile, and rather fruitless thing. Besides, people like him don’t change just like that.” He snapped his fingers to emphasize his words. “So you see, I don’t hate him. I’m cautious and want him out of my quiet, well-ordered anthill. I’m a very territorial and private person. I don’t like not knowing, not understanding.”
“Are you saying he’s here for revenge?” Yugo managed a small, condescending smile. Whether Tobias’ words had any ground or not didn’t matter at the moment because Kuon wasYugo’s business, and Yugo hated it when someone interfered.
“I didn’t say that. You did.” Tobias lifted a shoulder in a lazy shrug and took a small sip from the bottle.
“You’re being paranoid again. Anyway, how do you know about Kuon’s injuries?” Yugo glanced at Greg, whose face darkened with Tobias’ every word.
