Yuki spoke about the mayor as if she were someone important. Maybe she was. But to me, it just sounded like another name on the list of people who disappeared without a trace. I looked at her with my usual weariness and said:

— That’s not my problem?

— What?

I tried to close the door, but she held it. More annoying than a cockroach at midnight. I saw that stubborn glint in her eyes and knew there would be no peace.

— What do you mean it’s not your problem?

— I’m no longer a police officer, Yuki. So get off my back, girl.

— I’m not a girl. We’re only ten years apart.

— But calling me old, you can, right?

She opened the door easily. I won in logic, lost in physical strength. Again. It’s been years since I could lift more than my own body—and even then, with effort.

— You’re coming with me, yes.

— Why would I?

— Because I have a gun.

— You think you can threaten me with a gun? Look at my face and tell me if I’m scared.

— Then you’re under arrest.

— Arrested? Why?

— You’ve got a pervert’s face, so you must be a suspect for harassment.

She said it with that childish little smirk. Sarcastic, as always. I put my hand on my forehead, already tired of the theater.

— You’re not going to leave me alone until I go with you, huh?

— Exactly, old man.

— Fine, I’ll go. But there’s no need to handcuff me for it.

As we left, Yuki asked if I wasn’t going to close the door. I looked back at the empty apartment. A coffin of memories and mold.

— There’s nothing important in there. Let’s get going.

She closed the door. We went down.

I would have preferred staying with the apartment cockroaches. At least they didn’t talk.

We got to the car. I got in silently. She started the ignition and blasted a J-pop song that sounded like it came straight from hell. I turned it off immediately.

— Going to this case is already torture. Don’t torture me more with this crap music.

— You should relax a bit. Or just turn into a corpse already, less work that way.

She put her hand to her nose.

— And also take a shower. The shower sends its regards.

— We’re going to the police station?

— To the mayor’s house. The case isn’t in the media yet.

— Are there a lot of cops at her place?

— It’s just the two of us, like the old times. As I said… the case hasn’t reached the media. When there are lots of cops there, the media will definitely make a fuss. You know how it is, right?

I ignored her. Stared at the city sliding by the window. People coming and going. Some laughing, others looking like zombies—the majority just pretending life made any sense.

I lit a cigarette. She didn’t think twice: grabbed it from my hand and threw it out the window.

— No smoking in my car. I don’t want to breathe that. It gives you cancer.

— I don’t care about that.

We arrived.

The mayor’s house wasn’t really a house—it was a mansion. Surrounded by tall walls, an automatic gate, a perfectly trimmed garden. That grass probably cost more than my rent.

We climbed the steps to the entrance. An elderly man waited for us. Impeccable, gloves and suit. Deep-set eyes. Rigid posture. He seemed part of the furniture.

— This is Mr. Shiba Taizou. He’s the mayor’s butler — said Yuki.

I nodded. Went straight to the point:

— How did she disappear?

The old man thought for a moment. His gaze wavered—fear, perhaps. Or shame.

— Last night. She was wearing a robe… left the bedroom around two in the morning. I found it strange, as it wasn’t her habit. She headed toward the garden. I thought she wanted fresh air. But… she didn’t return.

— That’s really strange. Did she sleepwalk?

— I’ve worked here 25 years. Never seen her sleepwalk.

I noticed he held a little chain, like a rosary, quite tightly. He looked worried.

Yuki asked if we could come in. The butler nodded.

Inside, the mansion was like a museum. Thick carpets, golden frames, furniture that looked straight out of a period movie. Everything smelled of expensive perfume and old loneliness.

We climbed a wide wooden staircase. Not a creak. Polished enough to slip and break your neck. We arrived at the mayor’s bedroom. The luxury was suffocating.

There was a notebook on the desk. Black screen. I tried to turn it on. It asked for a password.

— Do you know the password for this computer?

— I’m sorry, sir, but no.

Yuki called me over. She was holding a small photograph. A village in the middle of the forest. People dressed like it was still the past century.

— She grew up in the countryside. This is the village where she lived. It was somewhat isolated from the world — said the butler.

— She must have worked hard to get where she did.

— Yes.

I kept searching. Found her cell phone. Also password-locked. Great.

— I think we should take the phone and computer to the station. Could have clues — said Yuki.

I nodded. That was the little we had.

But then… I felt something.

Like a chill starting at the nape of my neck and trickling down my back. I turned and looked out the window.

And I saw.

A man. Standing, still, outside. Looking directly at me.

Something about him… was wrong. Black goo dripping from his eyes and mouth. An empty face, as if the soul had left and only the body remained.

— Does he work here? — I asked, pointing.

— No. Never seen him before, sir — replied Shiba.

I jumped down the stairs. Yuki followed. The man was still there. Standing. Looking at the window. Didn’t react.

She drew her gun. I approached slowly. He didn’t move.

Until he ran.

We started running. Yuki caught him before me. She threw herself on him and immobilized him with the technique of someone who’s done this a thousand times. He started screaming:

— No! Don’t pull like that! It hurts… it hurts, it hurts!

Crying. Like a child. An adult crying like that is always wrong. Besides, it was clear Yuki wasn’t holding him with force.

— Do you know anything about the mayor? — I asked.

He stopped struggling and slowly looked at me. A crooked smile tore across his face. Black goo dripped from his mouth.

— She disappeared. She disappeared. She disappeared.

He showed his tongue. More goo.

I was in shock.

Yuki too.

No one knew the mayor had gone missing.

How did he know?