"Cocytus -Ballerina Under the Moonlight" Episode 11

"Cocytus. A river in the underworld of Greek mythology. A frozen hell that spares no traitors."

In the image, Vittorio was a gruff-looking man with a wrestler's physique. He had a shaved head, and tattoos of a cross and the Virgin Mary on his arms and back. His eyes were slightly light-colored, his skin was pale, and he was said to be of mixed-immigrant descent.

He joined Crane Gello because his family was heavily in debt. Though he became a mobster for money, his wife fell ill with a rare disease, and due to his connection with the mafia, the hospital had turned her away. At the same time, the cost of treatment became a burden for him.

He worked for Crane Gello as both a cleaner and a bodyguard, having some occasional contact with Augusto. He was a good choice as an ally. A man who doesn’t forget his feelings of family is rare within the mafia, so if a cooperative relationship could be established, he would become a reliable ally. Shindo had given his approval.

Though Nathan had never met him, the man who devised this plan, Takamura, seemed to be quite shrewd.

— To contact a disgruntled member within the organization and retrieve the computer.

Indeed, just knowing the password would be meaningless. The information they wanted was inside the computer.

Vittorio was essential for this operation.

Nathan was finally set to make contact with him.

Despite earning a decent amount of money in the mafia, Vittorio drove a slightly battered used car. They were meeting at a store under Crane Gello's umbrella, and Nathan was aware of the spots not covered by the security cameras.

He pretended to have Vittorio bring in the items.

"Hey, it's you," Vittorio said, peeking out of the window with a mischievous grin, like a child who had just thought of a prank.

The man in the image looked quite different from his actual self. He had a friendly smile.

"Seriously? Nathan, you're the capo's favorite right-hand man," Vittorio said, surprised.

"Vittorio, sorry for the late introduction," Nathan replied.

"It's fine. I’m the kind of guy who won’t get promoted. Not seeing you is just part of the job."

"Your wife should be receiving treatment in Japan now," Nathan said.

"That's good to hear."

Nathan showed him the video of her sent by Shindo. The blond woman sleeping quietly in a hospital bed made Vittorio squint as he watched.

Seeing that, Nathan was convinced.

He could be trusted.

"I was surprised when I heard from that slender Japanese guy; I thought he was just a casino enthusiast," Vittorio remarked.

"What did he say?"

"He’s the one who wanted to swap out the actual laptop that Augusto has with a dummy, right?"

"Exactly."

Shindo had set everything up. Vittorio was just a cleaner before, but he was promoted to bodyguard. A fight was deliberately instigated at the casino bar, and his bodyguards were skillfully maneuvered to give Augusto a slight pinch. Vittorio was then introduced, making a grand entrance with a mop in front of Augusto, catching his eye and being assigned bodyguard duties four times a week.

"But how will it be done? Since you’re occasionally called to his VIP room, you could do it without me..."

"Augusto is a cautious man. I can't do it alone."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. It’s about exploiting a blind spot created by advanced technology. That’s where you come in."

"I see."

Nathan received the items from Vittorio and then they parted ways.

The contents of the box were smartphones. Though new, he put one into his chest pocket.

Meanwhile, at the Italian local investigation bureau.

Leonardo was glued to the computer screen. Though he had three bullet wounds, none were fatal. He had been found wrapped in plastic and left outside the police station, but his colleagues discovered him at dawn and transported him to the hospital. Muscle relaxants had been administered, and when their effects wore off, he was given sleeping pills. That explains why he had no memory of the shooting.

He had a USB drive in his chest pocket, which was currently being checked. As he and his team reviewed it, the footage displayed a dimly lit interior. The room was lavishly decorated, with chandeliers, glass tables adorned with flowers, alcohol, and sweets. It was definitely a night-time establishment.

A local influential figure appeared on the screen. With a balding head and a belly that seemed ready to burst out of his shirt, he sat down on a black leather sofa in front of the table and waved them over.

A pair of high heels and fishnet stockings appeared.

Since the camera did not change position, the face was not visible. It seemed to be a woman. Without caring for the leather mini skirt, she straddled him, removed his shirt, and began to caress him with the flexibility of a cat.

The influential figure mixed his laughter with moans of pleasure.

Soon, the belt was removed, and the woman tied the influential figure's wrists together. She then took something out from his trousers and inserted it into herself.

"That's prostitution."

"Wait, wait, if it's a personal connection, we can't arrest them."

"How does it not look like prostitution?"

From the computer came the deliberately exaggerated moans of the woman and the influential figure's lewd voice.

It was unbearable to listen to—Leonardo tried to lower the volume, but at that moment, the influential figure said,

"As expected of a Livia establishment."

Leonardo stepped outside to smoke a cigarette. He knew about Liviana's criminal record. She was a former model who initially engaged in prostitution but gradually moved into the brokerage business.

She had many acquaintances in the entertainment industry and a broad range of clients. She earned a lot, gained status, and eventually got arrested. However, Augusto paid her bail, and she managed to escape to Monaco.

Beautiful Livia. With her straight black hair cut sharply around her forehead and shoulder blades, she was a cool beauty with a refreshing gaze and red lipstick that suited her.

Under her black suit was either a black lace teddy or a bright red high-leg bodysuit. How many times had he longed to see her on screen?

However, judging by the influential figure's words, that establishment was undoubtedly what he suspected.

Liviana had built a prostitution empire under Augusto. If she was selling women, it was indeed a crime.

"Ah…"

He felt pathetic for having once thought of her as a goddess. Her true nature had not changed, nor had the direction of her gaze.

And the one who handed over this USB memory was…

"Nathan Blackmore… No, rather, Ando Nate… I really have poor judgment."

Nathan copied the contacts of those closest to him into the new smartphone he had received from Vittorio. Among them were contacts for Syunka Aono.

It would be good if this allowed him to avoid being caught out by Augusto, but the chances were slim.

He entered the underground parking lot of the Hotel Paradiso and contacted Shindo. He should have already arrived in Japan.

"Shindo? How's the situation?"

"I've safely returned to Japan. I’m about to meet with Mr.Takanashi."

Shindo reported immediately.

"Got it. Contact with Vittorio was successful. How's his wife?"

"Well, she's doing okay. It’s a rare disease, but it seems manageable with surgery and medication. However, she needs to avoid unsanitary conditions due to the side effects of the medication, so she’ll need to be monitored here for a while."

"...That’s good. Once the operation is complete, we’ll need to temporarily protect Vittorio and his wife."

"I’m currently selecting a location. I’ll update you once it’s decided. Also, for the current status report: Ms. Aono is reportedly visiting her family. She’s on vacation for Golden Week and after her business trip. It’s an unfortunate timing."

"What happened?"

Shindo lowered his voice slightly.

"Actually... it's hard to locate the painting."

"Isn’t that a difficult issue? It’s a painting done with Gold..."

"Yes, but the exhibition is being held simultaneously in Osaka, Tokyo, and Nagoya. The original painting is tracked by the client and Director Ohara, but the problem is that the identification number for the painting has been changed for the exhibition, and there are similar works..."

"Can’t it be identified?"

"Yes..."

"Syunka... Wouldn’t she know if you asked Ms. Aono?"

"That’s the problem—she’s on vacation."

It was a substitute for Golden Week, plus her vacation after the business trip.

Nathan pressed his forehead and exhaled. He shook his head and looked up.

"I see... And she’s lost her smartphone?"

"Yes. It seems the temporary title was also changed by the client. There’s no official title, and it’s necessary to assign one. The computer’s title was also changed. The temporary title is still in the data, but it’s said to take time to confirm. Director Ohara is cooperative and said we could check after the exhibition, but doesn’t want any fuss. Well, there is a catalog, and we can make an educated guess. It might still be manageable."

"Miss Aono’s delivery slip...?"

"As you might guess, it’s with the client. There are also privacy protection issues. Mr. Takanashi is good at persuasion, but he has other work too. Given the time, it’s faster to check everything during the exhibition. I can’t afford to make a mess for Director Ohara."

The situation had become complicated.

In other words, a small team must verify each painting that fits the description.

"The same issues are likely with you... I’m counting on you, Shindo."

"Yes. I’ll handle it. I’ll start with Tokyo, which is the closest."

"Alright..."

Nathan suddenly had a thought and continued.

"Is there any way to have Ayaka Ohara contact Syunka Aono?"

"I actually asked. But now they say they can’t get in touch."

Nathan felt a sharp pain in his heart.

"What does that mean?"

"The family is in Nagano. According to what Miss Aono’s parents explained to Director Ohara, she’s reportedly at the hospital."

"Hospital...?"

"Yes. It seems a friend was hospitalized, and she accompanied them as a supporter..."

"Has something happened to her?"

"Not at this time."

"I see... But if we could confirm the password here..."

It was a regrettable situation.

Was there really no timing for this?

No matter how much he thought about it, it was difficult. She had securely wrapped and locked it away. There was a locked locker in the room.

He might have found the key if he searched. And opened the package to check the painting... No, had he seen the key?

She was a professional. She wouldn’t just throw away a valuable high-priced item. Moreover, the Hotel Paradiso had a storage facility for guests.

In fact, Nathan hadn’t seen anything like that in the room. And,

"It can’t be helped. With the risk of not knowing where or who is watching, it’s too dangerous. There might have been risks to Aono-san too."

This was the main reason for his frustration.

"I understand. That’s why I thought of sending it to Japan, but... it turned out this way."

When the call ended, Nathan felt a heavy weight on his body.

But there was no time to collapse.

He couldn’t miss this opportunity, and if there were mistakes, not only would he be in danger, but Syunka’s safety would be at risk as well.

Augusto knew her.

The next day, Nathan headed to the church. It was a small church he had visited with Syunka.

He sat in the third row of pews and assumed a pose of praying to the Virgin Mary. From behind, a hand reached out and slipped a piece of paper into his jeans.

“This is the schedule you asked for.”

It was Vittorio’s voice. He took a seat behind Nathan. His relaxed posture did not look like that of a devout believer.

“Ah, well done.”

“By the way, what kind of instruction is it to monitor the Capo’s activities for a week?”

“With this, you’ll be able to know when and where he is at any given time.”

"Ah ...... that's what you mean. That's when he have sex with a woman, right, and even when he go to the bathroom."

“I didn’t give that instruction.”

“I’m just kidding!”

Vittorio grinned broadly.

“He’s currently only sleeping with a specific woman.”

Although Nathan wasn’t keen on discussing this, Vittorio seemed to want to. To increase cooperation with him, Nathan decided to nod while keeping his back turned.

Moreover, depending on the content of the discussion, Nathan could gauge Vittorio’s abilities.

“It’s a woman named Caterina. She’s blonde, tall, and smart. And surprisingly, he’s also having a threesome with another person via video call.”

“Oh… the black-haired woman with green eyes?”

“Yes, how do you know?”

“The woman on the screen is Livia. She and Augusto have hidden cameras in each other’s rooms.”

“What?”

Vittorio made a dumbfounded sound. Though his expression was hidden, his eyes were likely wide open.

“Why go through the trouble? Why not just call Liviana over here?”

“Augusto… uses Livia’s indecent acts to show his superiority to his subordinates. By demonstrating that he controls the once-coveted high-end call girl, now the queen of a prostitution empire. She, too, cannot easily open her legs for Augusto due to her vanity. That’s why they are showing off to each other. Augusto shows her his affairs with other women, trying to tarnish her self-esteem… They’ve become entangled, each holding onto the other’s weaknesses to prevent any betrayal…”

It seemed less about mutual affection and more about a desire for control. Above all, mistrust always lurked.

“So, they don’t trust each other? It sounds like a disgusting relationship.”

“Yeah…”

However, Augusto’s personality might have actually benefited Nathan.

Augusto hadn’t instructed Nathan to extract the password from Syunka.

What reason could there be for that… Perhaps he thought he could secure complete control by doing it himself, or maybe it was to prevent Nathan from getting the password.

Vittorio stood up, and Nathan took the paper from his pocket.

The schedule for Augusto’s immediate plans, an approximate weekly routine.

Also, Augusto usually places that laptop on a small shelf in the grand hall of Rocca di Luce.

The locations of surveillance cameras, hidden cameras, and wiretaps. There were a total of seven. Vittorio had discovered them while cleaning.

He had even managed to secretly observe Augusto and Livia’s covert maneuvers.

It was an excellent result. Vittorio seemed to excel when given clear instructions.

Next, a man approached.

He spoke to Nathan in a low voice while facing forward.

“You did well. It’s going to be quite painful.”

Nathan didn’t recognize him at first due to the absence of glasses. His hair was neatly trimmed, resembling a capable banker.

It was Leonardo.

“You’re alive.”

“You wasn’t planning to kill me.”

“yeah.”

Nathan handed over the documents. They contained information about Vittorio and his family.

“Protection for him and his family. And also, an alibi.”

“What will you do?”

“He will tamper with the cameras. While that’s being done, we’ll replace the laptop.”

“When will that be?”

“While he’s at Rocca di Luce. Here, Vittorio will be with Augusto and won’t be suspected. However, we can’t guarantee Vittorio won’t get lost.”

“Since he’ll be betraying them.”

“Yeah… The way I put it might sound harsh, but his wife is like a hostage. I don’t think Vittorio will abandon her… But I need you to support him. Betraying his trust is not allowed. He’s a man who acts for his family.”

“Understood. I’ll take his family to a safe place.”

Leonardo left.

Nathan bent over and pressed his forehead against his clasped hands.

The bracelet slid down his wrist, and the metal clasp tapped against the ice scars.

(Syunka…)

The time spent together was brief.

Yet, for Nathan, those days with her were vividly colored.

He remembered the warmth of her skin.

He hoped she was safe.

If she was safe, that would be enough.

"To be continued"→"Cocytus -Ballerina Under the Moonlight" Episode 12