Nemesis, Vol. 4

High Stakes Poker

She's a... She's a detective..., The lackey thought as the sole word froze him solid like an ice statue.

"Are you gonna take my gun or what?" Maria said as she still held her firearm out for him to take it.

"Oh, right... Yeah..." The lackey said before snatching the gun from Maria's fingertips.

It was clear the man had an attitude, who likes to be reminded of their job anyways?

"Follow me." The eyepatch said. 

It didn't take long for Maria to make her way up the steps and into the home just behind the assumed important mob member. 

The entrance of the home is a room on both sides and a hall that leads to the back of the house. The inside of the home was shaped like a U from the entrance, with the hall being what contained it into a closed oval. 

The room to the left had multiple suited individuals sitting around as if they've been expecting her. 

Goketsu Ishikawa, the don of the Ishikawa family, sat in front of the window and at a small round table in a more casual look compared to the mobsters. He had a mustache with a somewhat receding hairline, as he appeared in good shape for his age. 

His area also held a gap between himself and the mobsters within the room, as if his personal space was so important that they knew to respect it.

"Sit." Ishikawa softly said. 

The vocal chords of the Ishikawa don was clearly damaged enough to be distinguished. The raspy voice somehow brought chills to whoever may hear it.

An empty chair just across from the don welcomed Maria into the exclusive company.

"Alright..." Maria said, then thought, This shouldn't be hard...

Maria sits down across from Don Ishikawa.

Just as she sat, Ishikawa waved his knuckles twice towards the mobsters sitting across from the table. 

They all begin to get up and walk out of the room. 

Somehow the room felt filled even though there was now only Maria and Don Ishikawa left within it.

"Now, I can ask you why you're here, detective?" Ishikawa asked. 

He knew why she was here, but this wasn't a truth or dare contest. 

No, it wasn't, and nor was it even a more complex game of rock paper scissors. 

It was a high stakes poker game, both going all in here, and waiting for the dealer to give the hands of the victor.

"How did you know I was a detective?" Maria asked. 

She was fully prepared to play this game, who wouldn't be if they were invited by a world champion?

"I saw you when you arrived, no normal person carries a gun to their hip like that except detectives." Ishikawa said. 

He dropped crumbs for her, telling her that he spotted her as soon as she exited her vehicle, giving away his very cautious personality. 

But that wasn't nearly enough to predict where the whole pie was kept.

"Ok, well I'm here to ask a few questions... I've been called here to investigate the recent attempt on Princess Chrysta's life, I'm sure you've heard of that by now..." Maria said, but sadly, her words didn't leave any reaction of guilt on Ishikawa's face, simply a blank one that slowly transitioned to pity.

"Tragic, still don't know why someone would attack that poor innocent girl." Ishikawa said.

"We've already found two people that were involved with your family behind this incident..." Maria said as she began to release the two spiders from her pocket. 

This was crucial, and if she was caught, this could lead to a hot bullet steaming from her head. She didn't want that outcome, nor would any sane person, so failure simply was not an option.

"I came here to ask if you know anything about that?" Maria asked, she was quite good at beating around the bush, but the both of them knew this question was pointless.

"Heavens no, I don't control the people who are involved with my family... I don't even know who you could possibly be talking about." Ishikawa replied with the words of a preacher, pure and innocent.

"He'll just play coy with all my questions..." Maria thought, then said, "Alright... Since you have no knowledge of this, do you at least know who Kama is?"

"I don't know everyone who associates themselves with me or my family, if that's what you're asking." Ishikawa said, completely disassociate himself from anyone that has ties to his organization. 

It's like asking the owner of a bank if he knew every teller who worked for him, very unrealistic odds at him giving an answer.

"Alright, so you're gonna sit there and say that it's just a coincidence that two members who are associated with you were involved with this and you don't know anything?" Maria asked, it was common sense that he was involved, but she needed more than her poor hand of a pair of twos.

"Well, what are you implying, detective?" Ishikawa asked, clearly his poker face won him many matches.

"That you have to know something..." Maria said.

"Well, unless you have proof to back up that theory of yours, it means nothing, right?" Ishikawa said, happily pouring lemon juice and salt in the already opened wound.

"Correct..." Maria said.

"Well, is there anything else I can help you with?" Ishikawa asked, he's won, and they both know it, and there is nothing harmful in a victory lap.

He's not the leader of this family for no reason... He knows what he's doing..., Maria thought, then said, "No..." Maria finished as the sour taste of defeat overwhelmed her tongue, although she did come away with a victory from this. Nonetheless, this still burned.

"Well, would you like some tea before you depart then?" Ishikawa asked, somehow rubbing in this little victory. 

The both of them knew Maria wouldn't stay for tea, but Ishikawa couldn't hold back from having the defeated stay longer than she needed to.

"I'm good..." Maria said.

"It was a pleasure detective." Ishikawa said. 

Maria then walked out of the house and back into the eyepatch and his lackey.

"Did you get what you came here for, detective?" Eyepatch asked.

"No, but I'll be back." Maria said. 

The lackey then hands her the gun back as she declines from the staircase. 

Goketsu watched Maria depart from his window, and as soon as she was out of his view, the Eyepatched man walked in.

"Should we be worried?" Eyepatch asked.

"No, but I have something for you to do." Ishikawa said.

"Ok, what is it?" Eyepatch asked. 

Meanwhile, Maria got into Toshiro's vehicle, who was curious about how Maria was even able to walk out of that home alive in the first place.

"How was it?" Toshiro asked as Maria shut the car door.

"He clearly knows more than what he's letting on but I need more than my own hunch..." Maria said, then thought, And we can possibly get more with our plan in place...