Page 57 of Pragma

What. The. Fuck. “It’s official, being insane is part of this family,” I declare.

“I was infesting a building.”

“Why?” As soon as I ask, I regret it.

“A job. But as soon as I saw those long, yellow teeth I couldn’t let Mr. Squishy Nuts leave. I fell heels over head for him. So now he’s my pet.”

“You fell head over heels. Not heels over head,” Aki states.

“Our heads are always above our heels, unless we constantly walk on our hands, which would be quite impressive.”

Why does he even try to reason with him?

“Is Mr. Squishy Nuts also your sidekick?” Aki extends his hand to caress the vermin.

“Still in training. He’s strangely afraid of heights, though.” Aki snorts, hearing the absurdity of Yuki’s words.

“Can we talk about the file in your hand now?” I suggest, pointing at Aki’s hand.

He opens and starts reading it. “Is it what I think it is?”

Yuki nods, zipping up his jacket again. “Yes. Opening the safe in his office was child’s play. I made copies. First are documents that prove his manufacturing company is using cheaper materials to make the products without declaring it and pocketing the difference. I also found circumstantial evidencethat suggests Ishida-san’s embezzlement with Shanghai Construction Company. And least, but not last, some disturbing pictures of him wearing a crotchless superman costume.”

“Fuck, I need to bleach my eyes.” Aki dramatically closes the file. “You earned double today, cuz.”

“Did you hear that, Mr. Squishy Nuts? More mealworms for you.”

“But you are still up for that other thing,” Aki reminds him.

What other thing?

“Got it.”

“Need me to open the window?” I taunt him.

“No, I want to browse a little.”

“You mean look at shit to steal,” Aki clarifies.

In the few seconds I spent talking to Aki, Yuki’s already climbed on the table and opened the vent grate on the ceiling. With a surprisingly high jump, he grips the edge of the vent and then smoothly pulls himself up like a circus artist until he disappears inside the narrow hole.

“Later!” he says before closing the grate.

Meeting Clover the thief always feels kind of surreal, even though I’m a mafia boss’s bodyguard. My life is already quite absurd at times.

“Let’s go.” Aki turns toward the door.

I look at the time on my phone. I need to meet Joel in an hour. I have just enough time to drop Aki and go get changed.

“What are you going to do with that file?” I ask him as I call the elevator.

“This is not enough. I need more proof that Ishida-san is working with the Chinese mafia before showing it toKumichoand then crushing them all.”

We enter the lobby, and after I grab our coats, we walk outside the hotel. Yuna and Karin are there waiting and flank us as we keep moving. Soma left with Masa, but he texted me where he parked the car. It’s in the garage on the next block.

“Where should I drop you off?”

“Oh, right you have an ice cream date.” He uses an annoying, high-pitched voice.