Mika stared at Tanaka, unblinking. Thomas knew Yuki…before he ever got involved with Jo, Thomas knew Yuki Torino. Why did Tanaka keep this information from him? Better yet, he could have stopped all of this from happening if he had just told Jolene when she started dating the bastard. Mika was sure he had mentioned Calhoun’s name to him at least a few times over the years. If Tanaka knew there was a connection, especially one like this, why didn’t he intervene?

The entire conversation they had was in Japanese, Mika interpreting it for Gen later.

“With all due respect, Mr. Tanaka, but what the fuck? Why didn’t you say something about this earlier? Like say, I don’t know, when Thomas started fucking my mother!”

“She knew, Mika. When you first told me his name, I confronted her and told her but she laughed it off.”

Mika’s eyes widened. “What?”

“I understand she would have a hard time listening to me since she didn’t know me outside of being a friend to your father.”

“Yes, because she would have believed you easier if you had told her you were Yakuza?”

“Mika, it wasn’t that she didn’t believe me, she just didn’t care.”

Mika’s jaw dropped. “What do you mean she didn’t care? Her husband put her then-boyfriend in jail for child sex trafficking! Did you tell her that part?”

Tanaka nodded. “And she didn’t care. She said that an arrest proves nothing. He was released and no charges were further pursued, therefore ‘who gives a fuck’, is how she put it.”

“Why weren’t charges pursued against him? I don’t understand! Are you saying they just let him go?”

Tanaka once again nodded, this time more slowly. “The DA he had was corrupt and worked with Calhoun’s attorney to let him off with no charges.”

Mika leaned back into the pillows, his eyes blank. So if Calhoun had been prosecuted by a legit DA, Mika wouldn’t be in this bed, covered in cuts, scars, burns, bruises, and broken bones.

“The justice system is so fucked up,” he said in English.

The others had looked between them as Mika and Tanaka had their heated conversation, understanding very little outside of their names, Calhoun’s name, and the word Yakuza.

“Mika,” Gen said, his low voice soothing in his ear. “We can get him now. If you tell them everything, there can be enough that he never sees the light of day again and you’ll be safe.”

“He knew my dad, Genya,” he said softly, fighting back tears. He was so tired of crying… “If he knew my dad, what else did he know?”

That was actually a very good question and the two cops and the gangster all exchanged a telling look. Doug made a note to go back through the old evidence and murder book for Yuki Torino and check out all the former suspects. He didn’t recall ever seeing Calhoun’s name, but he also wasn’t looking for it specifically.

Right then, there was a light tapping at the door. Dr. Hart opened it for the two officers who raised a hand in greeting.

“This is my cue to leave,” Tanaka said. He reached out and put his hand on the top of Mika’s head. In Japanese, he said, “Your father was a good man, the only cop I ever respected. Whatever I can do to help, call me, young Torino Mika.”

Mika lowered his head in respect. “Arigatou gozai masu.” Tanaka bowed, then left.

“Remind me to learn Japanese,” Gen said in Mika’s ear. Mika smiled and chuckled softly.

The first officer introduced himself as Sergeant Dean and the second officer as Sergeant Wiles, and explained what they would be doing. “This isn’t going to be very comfortable and you may feel somewhat humiliated by what I have to take pictures of. I promise I’ll do my best to make it as less discomforting as I possibly can, okay?”

Mika nodded. When Dean asked everyone to leave the room, Mika’s hand grabbed Gen's, pulling him back. 

“Gen stays,” he said.

“Mika, it’s fine, I’ll just be–”

“Gen. Stays,” he said again, more forcefully. Dean and Wiles exchanged a glance and looked from Mika to Gen. They usually had to deal with difficult parents, not difficult victims.

Gen shrugged. “You heard him. Gen stays.”

Dean sighed and gave a small smile. “It may be a lot more helpful if you did, honestly. He’ll be more calm and relaxed knowing you’re here to support him. Figuratively and literally.” He went over to the plate glass window and drew the curtains, the room darkening slightly. Wiles closed the blinds on the main window that looked out on the courtyard below. “Okay,” Dean said and raised the camera while Wiles prepared to document everything on paper.

Dean was right, it was uncomfortable and absolutely humiliating. Gen held him the entire time, supporting him when they had him stand or lean against the bed, covered him when they took pictures of his inner thighs, untied the back of his gown so they could take pictures of his back and buttocks. He gripped Gen’s shirt, the tears starting to escape when those pictures were taken. They took pictures of his arms, his legs, the stab wound, his neck, head, face, chest, and stomach. While the word that had been carved in was by-in-large gone, the flash did illuminate the faint traces they couldn’t see. Dean gulped when he dictated that evidence to Wiles who bit his lip.

With each snap of the camera, Dean described the scars and wounds for Wiles to take down. Gen held a trembling Mika, neither of them realizing just how badly his body had suffered. And that was just on the outside. When Mika had managed to get back into bed, he pulled the covers up to his chin and laid his head on Gen’s stomach, trying to make his body stop shaking and for the tears to disappear.

Gen held him, stroking his hair. It wasn’t very comfortable for him either to have to hear every cut, burn, and scar called out, even the ones on Mika’s rear he never talked about.

And the statement hadn’t even been made yet. 

Wiles opened the door to let Don, Doug, and Dr. Hart back in while Dean opened the shades and the curtain. Don looked upon Mika’s shrunken frame, his heart sore for what this kid had endured, and for what he was about to endure for the sake of his own freedom and security.

Gen pulled his bed up next to Mika’s and propped the back up into a sitting position while the police officers and detectives took seats, Don sitting at the foot of Gen’s bed. Teresa took Mika’s casted hand in hers and kissed it. 

“Everything is going to be just fine, honey,” she said. “This is the hard part of the process, but it gets easier.”

“How do you know?”

Teresa’s eyes went from Gen to Don and back to Mika. “Because you have someone with you who loves you deeply, and a family who cares about you strongly.” She touched his cheek and smiled. “I’ll let your cousin know she can come see you later, okay?” She winked at him as his eyes widened.

Once the door was shut firmly behind her, all eyes turned back to Mika.

Wiles leaned forward, his arms crossed over his folded knee. “Are you sure you want to do this, Mika? The pictures were bad enough; having to talk about it isn’t going to be much easier.” Dean was setting up a video camera near the foot of the bed and Don had an audio recorder placed on the small moving table used for Mika’s food trays and water.

“But it will help, right? It will help put him in prison?”

Wiles grinned. “It absolutely will.”

“And…” Mika swallowed, “will this be the last time I ever have to talk about it? I really don’t want to keep doing this over and over?”

“Don't worry,” Wiles said, “There’s been changes in procedure regarding child abuse statements. We will record via written documentation, video, and audio so everyone else that gets involved can look to that instead of making you talk about it and relive it a thousand times over. I’m pretty sure you’d like to put all of this behind you and move on with your life at this point.”

Mika looked up at Gen who smiled encouragingly, taking Mika’s small, warm hand into his large one, and kissed it. “I’m here.”

Mika swallowed, took a deep breath, and nodded. Dean pressed the record button, and for the very first time in eight years, Mika Torino told his story to the police.

-*-