Lupin III Fan Fiction ❯ Daddy's Girl ❯ Perilous Night ( Chapter 32 )

Daddy's Girl

By Bekka Mouri-Hibiki

(Lupin isn't mine.  As Ryousuke holds Zenigata and Toshi hostage, Lupin assesses the situation.  Toshiko wakes up from another nightmare after saying too much in her sleep and Jigen gets her to tell the truth.)

Part Thirty-Two: Perilous Night

" Can you see anything? " Fujiko whispered as Lupin maneuvered the remote controlled scorpion.

Lupin frowned as he worked the controls, " I'm still in the vent.  Oh, there we go. "

Fujiko and Goemon heard the scorpion as it clattered down onto the stovetop from the exhaust vent.  " I hope that did not attract too much attention, " Goemon muttered.  " That isn't the biggest apartment in the world. "

" No one is in the kitchenette so we're safe so far, " Lupin said as he guided the scorpion to the sink.  He put the spikes out and let it fall off the edge of the counter, relieved when it hit what he was aiming for.  He moved it down the grimy dishtowel and let it fall onto the mat in front of the sink.  He retracted the spikes before sending it towards the living room. 

Lupin smirked, " Looks like Toshi's been doing some housekeeping.  That place was a mess when I came through earlier. "

" She was cleaning when I came by, " Goemon stated.

Fujiko frowned, " No one is there either. "

" One room left if you don't count the bathroom and I'm not going there, " Lupin muttered.  He moved the scorpion towards the bedroom.  He ran the scorpion underneath a small table when he saw the back of Ryousuke's shoes.  " We've got company, " Lupin sang.

" He's there? " Fujiko asked as she pushed closer to Lupin to see the screen on the controls.

" Yeah.  We're going to have to be extra careful.  Let's just listen and if things get too dicey then we'll move, " Lupin turned up the volume on the speaker.

**

Ryousuke let out a frustrated growl, " What do you mean there is no phone? "

" It was turned off, " Zenigata replied.  He had hidden the revolver under the covers.  It was in easy reach if things got dangerous but he didn't want to complicate the situation further by having it where Ryousuke could see it.  He glanced at Toshi.  " I thought I paid the bill but I guess I didn't. "

Ryousuke clenched his fists at his sides, " I need to get a hold of Lupin. "

" I could go down to the corner and call him if you give me the number, " Toshi offered.

Ryousuke growled, " I don't trust you.  You will call the police. "

" My daughter's life is on the line.  You can trust me, " Toshi pleaded.

" It's out of the question, " Ryousuke shook his head.

A few minutes passed and the phone rang, surprising everyone.  Ryousuke looked at Zenigata, " Answer it but I'll shoot Toshi if you say anything about what's going on here. "

Zenigata picked up the receiver, " Hello?  I thought it was turned off.  Oh, I see.  It was a billing error.  That's nice of your company to write off next month's bill as compensation for the inconvenience.  I appreciate the offer but no thanks.  Have a good evening. "

Ryousuke watched as Zenigata hung up the phone.  " It was a billing error.  I knew I had paid it, " Zenigata shrugged.

" I see, " Ryousuke muttered.  " Now my plan can move forward. "

Zenigata and Toshi watched as Ryousuke picked up the phone.  He dialed a number, becoming angry.  " It's busy, " He slammed the receiver back into the cradle.

" At least we have the phone now, " Toshi pointed out.

Ryousuke glared at her, " Quit being so optimistic.  It's annoying! "

Toshi shrank back, Zenigata putting his hand on her shoulder.  " At least Lupin's home.  We can get a hold of him that way, " He tried to soothe Toshi's nerves by speaking quietly.

Toshi looked confused for a moment then nodded, " Yeah.  That's a good thing.  He just has to keep trying until he can get through. "

" And I intend to, " Ryousuke pushed Zenigata's hand off of Toshi's shoulder.  " Keep your hands off of my wife. "

" She was my wife first, " Zenigata snapped.

" She divorced you, " Ryousuke hissed.  He glanced at the clock, " If I do not get Lupin by three o'clock I will kill you both and find Toshiko on my own. "

**

Jigen opened his eyes as Toshiko started whimpering in her sleep.  He felt like he hadn't been asleep for long and was a little disoriented as he tried to wake up.  He went cold all over as he realized Toshiko was having another nightmare.  ~Oh damn it… not again, ~ He thought. 

" Please don't beat me!  I didn't mean to hear you! " Toshiko murmured as she started to thrash, striking out with her free arm.  The other arm was still encased in the blanket.

" Babe! " Jigen pushed her flailing arm to the bed.  " Wake up!  You're dreaming again! "

" I won't tell anyone!  I swear!  Please don't kill me! " Toshiko cried as she fought against his grip.

~Is she dreaming about that night? ~ Jigen thought as he put a little more strength into his hold.

" Ryousuke!  Stop!  I won't tell!  I didn't mean to! " Toshiko started sobbing as she stopped fighting.

Jigen patted her face lightly, " Babe.  Wake up.  You're with me.  You're safe. "

Toshiko's eyes opened slowly, her face full of confusion.  She then looked ashamed, " It happened again.  I'm sorry. "

" It's okay, " Jigen brushed her bangs out of her face.  " Why do you have those nightmares anyway? "

Toshiko looked puzzled, " I told you.  My stepfather abused me. "

" I think there a little more to it than that, " Jigen said quietly.  He looked into her eyes, " If you want to talk about it, I'll listen. "

" I've told you everything that I can, " Toshiko whispered.  " Please don't make me tell you anything else. "

Jigen arched an eyebrow, " So there is more? "

Toshiko sighed and shut her eyes, " Yes but… "

" No buts.  I want to know, babe.  I want to hear your side of the story, " Jigen brushed her cheek with the back of his fingers.  He wasn't about to tell her about the tape Lupin had played for him.  He didn't want her to feel like they had been nosy.

Toshiko cracked her eyes open slightly, " What do you mean by my side of the story? "

He sighed, " I'm going to be straight with you.  I don't think you were beat like that over bad grades and some wet laundry.  I think you did something that was much bigger than that. "

Toshiko sat up and looked away from Jigen, " You're right.  I made all of that up. "

Jigen sighed, " I know you did.  Tell me what really happened. "

Toshiko shut her eyes, " It was by accident.  I never meant to… " She whispered as tears came to her eyes.

" It's okay, " He whispered as he sat up and pulled her to him.  " I won't be mad for you lying because you were scared.  What really happened? "

" I went to the kitchen for a snack after coming home for a sleepover, " Toshiko whispered as tears started dripping down her cheeks.  She took a breath, " I didn't know he was on the phone.  He was telling somebody to kill someone else.  I couldn't move I was so scared. "

" He caught you listening, didn't he? " Jigen murmured.

" I tried to get away but my cat meowed at me and Ryousuke turned around, " Toshiko sniffled.  " I tried to tell me I didn't hear anything but he didn't believe me and he took off his belt.  I tripped over my own feet as I tried to get away.  He hit me harder each time and my shirt ripped. "

" Oh God babe, " Jigen murmured.  He knew Ryousuke had to have been hitting her pretty hard if her shirt gave way under the attack.  He didn't even want to imagine the welts and bruises that had been inflicted.  The thought of what she must have looked like afterward made him want to leave her and go back to Tokyo so he could kill Ryousuke with his bare hands.

" I finally got to my feet and made it to the front door, " Toshiko continued.  " It was raining but I didn't care.  I grabbed my rucksack up from where I dropped it when I came home and ran out into the street in spite of the pain.  I don't know how I did it but I knew I had to get away. "

" So the part about him slipping in the puddle was true? " Jigen asked.

Toshiko nodded, " Yeah.  Mom said he ripped some ligaments.  She said he was in a soft cast for almost three months. "

" Served him right, " Jigen muttered.  " What did he tell your mother? "

Toshiko sniffled, " He told her we had an argument and I ran away.  I hid from her for a couple of months before I contacted her.  I kept my probation appointments and my therapy dates so I had her meet me at therapy or at the probation officer's office to bring me my stuff a little bit at a time.  I kept in touch with letters otherwise and told her never to bring Ryousuke along but never told her why. "

" Wasn't she suspicious at all? " Jigen arched an eyebrow.

" She was busy on a big case at the time.  Mom gets like that sometimes.  She gets a big case and nothing else matters.  She'd come and see me on her breaks and didn't have time to contact Ryousuke. "

Jigen brought a hand under her chin and tilted her face up, " I guess all your moving around was because of him. "

Toshiko nodded, " Yes.  When I thought I had lingered in one spot too long, I would leave and go to another. "

" So why did you decide to contact Lupin? "

Toshiko wiped her tears away, " I thought if I caught up with him I would catch up to my father.  I thought I'd be able to tell him about Ryousuke and his link to those murders. "

" Why didn't you try to find Pops first? " Jigen was perplexed.  " Wouldn't he have been easier to find? "

" Not really.  I had been looking for him for a few months but with no luck.  I decided to contact Lupin after I ran away from my apartment because my roommate's brother forced me to… " Toshiko's voice trailed off.

" What did he do? " Jigen was seriously thinking about adding another name to his 'shit list' if the roommate's brother had hurt Toshiko.

Toshiko cast her eyes to the bed, " I was desperate when I wrote that letter.  I never thought I'd actually meet him but when I saw him in that alley, I didn't know what to do.  I had found that starter pistol long ago and decided to use it then.  It looked real enough and I thought I could scare him. "

" Babe, " Jigen tightened his grip on her chin just slightly.  " I asked you a question.  What did your roommate's brother do to you? "

Toshiko looked at him, " I… he… "

Jigen knew the jerk hadn't raped her or at least it seemed that way.  " He did something bad to you, right? "

Toshiko nodded, " He… I couldn't stop him.  He's stronger than me.  He shoved my head down and said he'd strangle me if I didn't do it. "

" He made you go down on him, " Jigen said.  Toshiko nodded and he let out a low growl.  " You should have bit him. "

" I was too scared, " Toshiko whispered.  " He wouldn't let me up until he sure I had swallowed.  He laughed at me when I threw up afterwards and said I needed to get used to it. "

" That bastard, " Jigen muttered as he devised a slow painful death for the roommate's brother.

" As I ran out the door, he vowed he'd take my virginity if he ever saw me again. "

Jigen scoffed slightly, " It seems like I fixed him didn't I? "

Toshiko put a hand on Jigen's cheek, " That's not the reason why I asked you though.  I asked you because I couldn't think of any other way to thank you for being so kind to me and for saving my life. "

" It was my pleasure to save you, " Jigen murmured and kissed her brow.  He still wished she had gotten him flowers or a new lighter to say 'thank you'.  That kind of thanks wouldn't have made him feel so bad and like he had taken advantage of her.

Toshiko leaned her head onto Jigen's shoulder, " You've done me more good than the therapy.  I couldn't talk about this stuff to my therapist. "

Jigen rubbed his hand along her shoulders, " A fancy doctor with degrees and all that bullshit wouldn't understand the crap you've had to put up with so it wouldn't have been worth it to tell her what you've told me.  She would have called the cops and thought she was doing you a favor until you were found dead somewhere or went missing and never turned up again. "

" I'm afraid you're right, " Toshiko murmured.

" I've seen it too many times not to know what would have happened, " Jigen rested his chin on the crown of her head.

Toshiko sighed, " Jigen? "

" Yeah babe? "

" When this is all over, " Toshiko stopped.  She paused for a long moment and it worried Jigen.

" Go on, " He urged her.

Toshiko took a deep breath then started again.  " When this is all over, will I see you again? "

Jigen was knocked for six by her question.  He wanted to say 'yes' but he didn't know if it would be true or not.  " I can't say yet. "

" Would you want to see me again? " Toshiko whispered.  Her voice trembled just like it did when she was unsure.  He knew that a second wave of crying was in the cards just by the way she sounded.

Jigen pulled back and put his hand under her chin again, " Why wouldn't I want to see you again? " He asked after he made her face him.

Toshiko shrugged, " I just wondered. "

" I think it's safe to say we're friends and pretty good ones at that, " Jigen smiled slightly.  " You'll always have a place in my heart until you feel like leaving it. "

Toshiko looked at Jigen as a slow smile curved her lips, " That's so sweet.  You really are a nice guy even though you don't look like it. "

Jigen chuckled, " Don't let it get out though.  Fujiko would die from shock if she found out. "

Toshiko giggled then looked away from Jigen and yawned.  She looked a little embarrassed as she glanced at him again.  " I think I'm ready to go back to sleep now. "

Jigen patted her on the back, " Me too. "

Toshiko pulled out of Jigen's embrace and settled back down in her spot.  Jigen got comfortable again then he kissed her forehead.  " Sleep tight, " She murmured.

" You too, " Jigen replied. 

**

Ryousuke slammed the telephone down again.  He had been trying for nearly an hour to get a hold of Lupin but the line had remained busy.  " Whom in the hell could he be talking to? " He growled.

" He could be talking to anybody.  He is very busy you know, " Zenigata shrugged.

Ryousuke looked at the clock again.  " If I can't get a hold of him in the next ten minutes, you both will die. "

" Don't you think you're being hasty? " Toshi asked.  " Maybe he's got the phone off the hook because he's sleeping. "

" I've waited eight months to put a bullet in that brat, " Ryousuke said.  " I'm not going to wait any more if I can help it.  If I can't get Lupin's cooperation, I'll go at it alone. "

" I don't know what my daughter did but do you really have to kill her? " Toshi pleaded.

" She overheard something she had no business hearing, " Ryousuke pointed the gun at Toshi.  He then pointed the gun at Zenigata, " If he hadn't interfered, I would be the richest man alive and have the world in my pocket. "

" I'm not following you, " Toshi said in an exasperated cry.

Ryousuke shut his eyes; " I almost had the secret in my hands. "

" What secret? " Toshi asked as her confusion grew.  " Have you gone insane? "

" I'm not crazy! " Ryousuke snapped.  " I was trying to get the secrets on how to make the artificial metals.  It would have made us stinking rich and you would have been able to quit your job.  We could have been happy. "

Toshi blinked, " The artificial metals? "

" Holy shit! " Zenigata gasped.  " You're the one that was trying to get the scientist?  I thought it was that Chamberlain guy. "

" He worked for me, " Ryousuke narrowed his eyes.  " I couldn't take care of all of that and keep my students in line.  We were going to get the process and the two of us were going to rule the world. "

" You ARE crazy! " Toshi gasped.  " How could you think of doing something like that?  How many people died for your greed? "

" What does that matter? " Ryousuke gripped the gun tighter.  " If I had succeeded, I would have been able to give you everything you wanted.  Doesn't that matter to you more than the insignificant lives of a handful of nobodies? "

Toshi was horrified, " How long have you had this insane dream? "

" Since my father died nine months ago and left me in charge of his syndicate.  It was his plan and he asked me to carry it out for him as he died.  I realized how fantastic everything could be if I succeeded, " Ryousuke looked like a man possessed as he spoke.

" Gang? " Toshi gasped.  " You?  You're a gangster? "

Ryousuke nodded, " I was one long before Toshiko tried to kill herself using that tree behind my school. "

" You never told me, " Toshi shook her head.  " I would have never married you if I knew that. "

" I know.  That's why I never mentioned it, " Ryousuke reached for the phone.  " Lupin better be off the phone now or I'll kill you both now since you know everything. "

" I know everything too, " Lupin said.  He startled Ryousuke, Zenigata and Toshi.  None of them were aware of when the thief slipped into the apartment.

Ryousuke turned to face him, " Where did you come from? "

Lupin pointed to the ceiling, " I've been up there long enough to know just what a fucked up bastard you really are. "

" Watch your mouth, " Ryousuke leveled the gun at Lupin.

Lupin smirked, " Watch where you point that thing.  If you even twitch like your going to pull that trigger you'll be sorry. "

" How so?  I don't see anyone else here to back you up, " Ryousuke glanced behind Lupin.

" Who said you have to see my back up right away? " Lupin said coolly.  He ducked quickly, Goemon leaping over him with Zantetsuken drawn.  In a flash, Ryousuke's gun was in pieces on the floor and Zantetsuken was back in its sheath.

Toshi scrambled onto the bed and into Zenigata's lap out of fear, screaming as she moved.  Zenigata put an arm around her waist as she buried her face in side of his neck.  He decided it was time to make his move and pulled out the revolver.  He aimed it at Ryousuke's back, " Don't move… The tables have turned, " He said as Ryousuke started to recover from the shock from Goemon's attack.

" Oh? " Ryousuke asked.  He lunged at Lupin, grabbing the thief and getting him in a chokehold.  He swung around, putting Lupin in front of him as a shield and snatched the Walther out of his hand.  He smirked coldly as Lupin tried to register what had just happened to him.

" Ah damn.  I wasn't expecting this one and here I am without a plan 'B', " Lupin hissed.

" Let him go, " Zenigata growled.  " He's on my side in this! "

Lupin narrowed his eyes, " I'm on Toshiko's side! "

" Either way you're on the wrong side, " Ryousuke tightened his arm around Lupin's throat.

" I'll kill you, " Zenigata aimed the gun.  " You've given me more than one reason to do so. "

Ryousuke leaned over Lupin's shoulder, " Then do it.  Do away with us both.  Don't you want Lupin dead for everything he's put you through?  Remember that he destroyed your family. "

" That's bullshit! " Lupin and Zenigata shouted at the same time.

Lupin growled, " He was the one that chased me. "

" Exactly, " Zenigata agreed.  " I destroyed my own family.  Don't blame it on Lupin. "

Ryousuke furrowed his brow, " What's wrong with you?  If you kill him, you can get your family back! "

" I can't kill him, " Zenigata said.  " Chasing and catching him is my purpose in life! "

" Now who isn't making any sense? " Ryousuke said.  He put the Walther to Lupin's head.  " I'll just have to kill him myself. "

Goemon reached to draw Zantetsuken from its sheath when there was a loud hard thud then Ryousuke yelped in pain and crumpled to the floor.  Lupin broke away from him, snatching the Walther from his hand as he turned around to find Fujiko standing in the doorway.  She smiled, the Browning clutched in her hand by the muzzle.  " He should be asleep for a while, " She purred before putting the gun back in the top of her thigh-high.

Lupin sighed, putting the Walther back in his jacket, " Damn.  That could have gotten ugly fast. "

" Is it over? " Toshi's meek voice attracted everyone's attention.  She had pulled away from Zenigata and looked at the three people before her in bewilderment.  She blinked a few times then looked at Zenigata.

" Honey, " Zenigata sighed.  " Can I introduce you to Lupin The Third and two-thirds of his inner circle? "

" Oh my God, " Toshi muttered as the color drained from her face and she fainted.