Edited by: Waning_Crescents
When Sigal moved noiselessly around the corner, a slender figure with white hair shimmering in the light came into view. Sigal let out a breath of relief and put his gun away. “What are you doing?”
Without turning around, Cal stared down at the dresser in front of him. “I don’t even have any pictures of my parents…I looked everywhere.”
Sigal let out an inaudible sigh. “Cal…”
“Who even am I?”
Sigal guessed already that this bothered Cal, but how he stood there completely lost, he appeared to be worse than ever. “Give it time, you—“
“Will remember.” Cal finished Sigal’s sentence. “Just because you keep saying that won’t make it come true. It’s been almost a month.”
“Only a month.” Sigal corrected him. “You just got better; things are getting better.”
Cal remained silent for a moment. “What if I will never remember? What if I will be trapped forever in the unknown of the ‘how’ and ‘why’?”
“I—”
“Don’t worry, I am not going to ask anymore. I know you are not going to tell me anything.”
“Even if I wanted to tell you about your parents, I couldn’t. We truly have no information about them.”
Which makes no sense either. The last time he asked, Sigal said the same thing. According to him, no information regarding his parents had been recorded, which Cal found quite strange. Kristian was a professional at gathering information, getting data on his parents shouldn’t have been hard; especially, if he remembered correctly, background information was mandatory for joining the Conciliators. Unfortunately, he couldn’t remember what he wrote on the sheet back then.
“I know…”
“Come, let’s go. I will cook us dinner.”
“I will come in a few minutes.”
Sigal stared at Cal, whose back was still turned to him, and nodded. “Alright.”
After Sigal left his apartment, Cal clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. What am I supposed to do? I can’t bear this any longer.
In the middle of the night, Cal lay wide awake in bed, while Sigal slumbered beside him. Cal glanced at him, glad that no nightmares seemed to bother him, while his mind drifted off. I need to find out the truth…
He turned on his back and draped an arm around his forehead, staring at the ceiling. Just how? Sigal won’t tell me anything, neither any of the others…what is left then?
It was not like he didn’t understand that he had been kept in the dark, the ‘why’ had been explained to him by the doctor before, but that didn’t change the fact that he wanted to know regardless of the risks. The urge to find out what happened to him grew over time and regarding everything that happened during these past few weeks, it reached the point where it became unbearable to remain in this state.
I have to find out…
When Cal woke up the next morning, he blinked some before he fumbled with his fingers to the nightstand table to his right to fetch his phone. He unlocked the display, stared at the time and sighed. He had been awake for the majority of the night thinking of what he should do until he eventually drifted off into sleep but woke up a little while later. He put his phone back on the bedside table, climbed out of bed and left the bedroom. When he walked along the short hallway leading to the living room, he heard Sigal talking.
While Sigal tried to keep his voice down, the shocked manner in which he talked didn’t escape Cal’s attention.
“I will be there soon,” Sigal said to the person on the phone. “He better give us answers or I am going to force it out of him.”
Cal tilted his head slightly to the right as he listened.
“I know.” Sigal sighed, but as he lifted his head he spotted Cal, who gazed at him in confusion. “Alright, bye.”
“What was this about?” Cal asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “It sounded serious.”
Sigal nodded. “The criminal they caught the other day, he is finally willing to talk.”
“And?”
Sigal stared at him, contemplating what to answer, but then decided to tell him the facts. “He is only willing to talk to me.”
“Why?” Cal narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
“I don’t know, but I guess I will find out soon.”
Cal thought for a moment and then said, “Take me with you.”
Sigal froze at that request for a moment. “I don’t think—“
“It might help me.” Cal walked up to him. “I said I won’t ask you anything regarding my memories anymore, but if I find out myself that would be fine, right?”
When Sigal told him about the case Asher and Nowe worked on, he also revealed that the criminal they caught was the same one who had been involved in the tumult in Shuri Town, also a part that had been lost to Cal. Naturally, he thought if he saw that man it might trigger some memories, thus, he wanted to accompany Sigal.
“It is.”
“Then take me with you.”
Sigal eyed him for a little while, musing over it, but when he thought of how the interrogation would go with Cal in there, he saw no way of letting him be a part of this. “No.”
“Why?” Cal clenched his teeth.
“He probably won’t talk if I take someone else along, I can’t risk that.”
Even though that did make sense, Cal just couldn’t hide his frustration. He clicked his tongue and turned around to leave the room but Sigal snatched his arm.
Startled, Cal stopped in his tracks and without looking at him, he said, “Let go.”
“Don’t be angry, I will tell you how it went. Would that be fine?”
“Just forget it, it was a bad idea.”
“I won’t.” Then he pulled him closer, which caused Cal distress because on one hand he wanted to escape his clasp, but on the other hand his body transformed into a heater, unable to cool itself down.
Sigal studied his face thoroughly as if something bothered him.
“W-what?”
“You should get some rest,” Sigal eventually remarked. “You look tired.”
“I’m fine.” Cal pulled his arms away. “You should worry about your interrogation.” Afterwards, he walked back into the bedroom and slammed the door shut.
Sigal let out an exasperated sigh, murmuring. “I am sorry.”
***
For two weeks, the CIB tried their best to get Noin to talk, who refused every time. He sat there with a condescending smile on his face as if he watched a play unfold in front of him; the performance of the police, starring Vergil and Elena. The frustration grew steadily because they had a key figure sitting right there but couldn’t get any further in the case in any way.
However, one morning this guy suddenly changed his mind and said that he was ready to talk but stated one condition: he would only talk to Sigal Crawford.
“Anything else he spouted?” Sigal glanced at Noin through the two-way-mirror with his arms crossed in front of his chest.
“No, he just said he would only talk to you and that’s it,” Vergil replied, who stood right beside Sigal.
“I see. Then let’s hear what he has to tell me.” Sigal turned around, exited the observation room before he entered the interrogation room on his own.
Noin sat in a chair with his hands cuffed to the table in front of him, smiling at Sigal as he entered. “Good morning, Mr. Crawford. I have eagerly awaited you.”
Sigal ignored his smug greeting and took a seat on the opposite side of the table. “Why did you call for me?”
“Aren’t you happy to see me here like this?” Noin moved his hands a little, causing his cuffs to create clinking noises. “I am sure since you found out I am here, you wanted to rush here the next second, am I right?”
“What is your agenda?”
“Right to the point, I see.” The criminal leaned back into his chair. “How is your partner doing?”
“What is your agenda?” Sigal repeated the question without reacting to his provocation.
“I heard he had to endure a lot of pain.” Noin eyed the investigator thoroughly as a grin formed on his lips. “Screams filling the air.”
With swift motion, Sigal removed his gun and placed it at the criminal's forehead. “You think you are so smart, aren’t you?”
In the observation room, Elena’s eyes widened at the scene that transpired in front of her and turned to rush into the interrogation room, but Vergil grabbed her. “Stay.”
“But…”
“He is not stupid; he won’t kill him. He is an important suspect and Mr. Crawford knows that.”
Elena hesitated for a moment, but then nodded as she turned her attention back to the mirror. I really hope he knows what he is doing…
“Am I?” Noin narrowed his eyes. “You won’t kill me, so put your gun away.”
Sigal ignored his demands and continued his questioning, the muzzle still pressed against the criminal's forehead. “Who are you working for? Axis?”
Noin burst out laughing at that question. “Axis? My boss? Don’t make me laugh. He just has his role in our plans.”
“What role?”
“It’s too uncomfortable to talk right now.” Noin complained, pointing one finger up.
Sigal clicked his tongue but removed his gun and put it back into its holster. “So?”
“Hmm…” Noin tapped with his fingers on the table. “What do you think his role is? I bet you are wondering why he is so obsessed with his little brother, right?”
Sigal narrowed his eyes. “Talk.”
“I am sure you already thought of many possibilities of why he needs him, right?” Noin played with his cuffs, moving his hands as far as he could from one side to the other. “You are not dumb; you probably already have a theory, or you actually wonder: Do drugs play a major role here?”
Noin looked from his cuffs up at Sigal, “Am I right?”
Sigal tried to suppress his anger, but his pulse sped up. He indeed had this in mind, but at the same time he was afraid of the answer. “Axis is your drug manufacturer, isn’t he?”
Noin gave a meaningful smile.
So I was right. Everything makes sense now. Sigal clenched one hand to a fist.
***
Cal rested on the couch while he stared at an empty piece of paper in front of him. Why did I have to start this argument? He bit his lower lip, burying his forehead into his palm. I have made up my mind, haven’t I? All kinds of thoughts rushed through his mind; the time when he joined the Conciliators, the time when he met Sigal for the first time and the time how things changed…how Sigal changed. He lowered his hand, his chest tightened as he picked up the pen.
“I’m sorry.”
***
“Why did you really ask for me? You never intended to really give us any information. So why?”
“That is correct.” Noin chuckled. “I just wanted to tell you that you are wasting your time and effort. You might have stopped the cartel last time, but this time is different.” He leaned a bit forward, a grin spreading over his lips. “Mr. Crawford, this was just the beginning. You won’t be ready for what’s to come.”
“I see.” Sigal got up from the chair and walked to the door, but before he went out, he turned around, his lips curving up slightly. “Neither will you.” Then he opened the door, walked outside, and closed the door behind him again.
When he entered the observation room, Vergil and Elena turned to him.
“Arrange for him to be transferred to us.”
Vergil stared at him for a moment. “You think you will be able to get him to talk?”
“You know our methods,” Sigal answered.
“I do.” Vergil turned back to the two-way-mirror, gazing at the criminal. “Well, guess he brought this on himself.”
***
After Sigal recounted to Vince what happened during the interrogation, he went back home. With exhaustion visible in his eyes, he stood in front of the door. I wonder if he is still mad, but considering how the interrogation went, I made the right decision. But... The shock that he had been right about his theory still ran deep and his worries about Cal grew even more. Would he really be able to handle it?
He let out a sigh before he opened the door and walked inside. “Cal, I am back.”
Only silence greeted him.
I guess he is still mad… Sigal hung his jacket on the coatrack in the hallway before he walked into the empty living room.
Did he go to sleep? He walked to the bedroom and carefully opened the door, but when he peeked inside, no one lay on the bed. Then he recalled that Cal went back to his apartment the day before; thus, he thought he might be able to find him there.
However, after he closed the door and walked through the living room, he suddenly spotted something on the side table near the couch. He narrowed his eyes and walked up to it where he saw a letter lying on it. He picked it up and started to read.
[Dear Sigal
I have been thinking the last couple of days and not knowing where I come from or why this happened to me makes me feel so lost and useless. I am not blaming you for not telling me, I know why, but I also know that I have to find out.
But there is something else that bothers me, I also feel like my presence only caused trouble for everyone since I joined and mostly to you. If I think about it, you may have been right all along, I don’t belong here.]
Sigal’s eyes widened, and his heart skipped a beat as he kept reading.
[I am sorry to tell you all this in a mere letter, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell you in person. I left my letter of resignation on the coffee table, please hand it over to Vince.
I hope you can understand my decision. Don’t get me wrong, I am really very grateful for what you have done for me. I just can’t, no, I don’t want to burden you more than I already have. You shouldn’t put your life on hold for someone like me, your focus should be somewhere else right now. However, if there is something I don’t regret, then it is that I have met you. You gave me a home, a feeling of security, a warmth I will never forget. I am truly thankful, Sigal. Thank you for everything.
Please, take care of yourself.
Cal
PS: Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine.]
As if lightning had struck Sigal’s body, he froze up, staring at the letter with shivering hands and heavy breathing, unable to comprehend what he had just read.
