Compromised by Lawrence Kelter

dantai matters. Your family name is still a trigger for the yakuza. Asking questions about your brother might raise awareness that you are back in New York, and once the word is out . . .”
    “I’d rather take that risk than die with the dishonor of knowing I did nothing to avenge my brother’s death. Please, Tiru. Please do what you can.”
    Tiru bowed his head. “As you wish, Haruki-san. It shall be done.”

~~~
    Not twenty feet away, Ryo studied the photo he’d taken of the tattoo on Haruki’s back and attached it to a message that he sent to his partner.

Chapter Twenty-Nine
    “Where were you?”
    It was late evening when Harry returned to the hotel room. He dropped his backpack on the floor and shut the door. “Visiting an old friend. You said you needed to spend time doing research on the computer.”
    “I just finished. I made a list of all the cases Yana and I worked together over the last year. I’m going through them one by one to see who might have wanted to take a shot at us.”
    “And what did you find?”
    “A couple of cases might be worth digging into—one in particular.”
    He pulled up a chair. “Show me what you found,” he said with interest.
    “Eduardo Sanchez. We collared him for the murder of a rival New York street gang member. Three-time loser—he was tried and sentenced to life imprisonment.”
    “How does he hurt you from behind bars?”
    “I remember both Eduardo and his brother, Rodrigo, being pretty menacing characters. They did their best to frighten the jury with intimidating expressions and terrifying outbursts . . . you get the picture. They showed no great love for either your brother or me.”
    “They’re both gang members?”
    “Trinitarios.”
    He shrugged.
    “Fastest-growing street gang in New York. Mostly Dominican—their trademark is the machete-style execution. The Trinitarios started in the prison system, so even if Rodrigo wasn’t acting on his own and carrying out a revenge killing, it’s conceivable that Eduardo could have reached out from prison to take his pound of flesh.”
    “You have pictures? Addresses?”
    “Sure.” A few taps on the keyboard brought up pictures of the frightening duo. They looked like a pair of mangy, flea-ridden dogs. “Imagine running into these two in a dark alley.”
    He seemed confused. The expression was apparently lost on him. “Alley?”
    “It’s just an expression. It’s a way of saying they’re pretty nasty-looking characters.”
    “Yeah. I agree. I’ll try to avoid alleys,” he said with a chuckle. “Forward their pictures to my phone along with Rodrigo’s address. I’ll take them.”
    “ You’ll take them?” I said with surprise.
    “Yes. I have friends on the street.”
    “You’re a cop from Japan.”
    “Correct. A cop from Japan with friends on the streets of New York City.”
    “Explain.”
    “Sorry, Chalice, I’d like to tell you everything, but I can’t reveal the names of my contacts.”
    “Like hell you can’t. You’re not going anywhere alone. What if you run into trouble?”
    “I’ll be fine. Look, it’s smarter for you to stay off the streets where you could be spotted. I’m free to move around any way I wish. Let me do the legwork.”
    “Um. Let’s see. Give me a minute to think about it . . . No. Not a chance, Harry. Where you go, I go. I’m not sending you out in a strange city to interrogate murder suspects. I understand that you’re a competent law officer, but—”
    He cut me off. “I’m a professional police officer.”
    I’d obviously insulted him, and it was beginning to surface in the tone of his voice.
    “I assure you I know how to handle myself. Yana was your partner, but he was my brother. So I will ask some discreet questions while you work the computer.” He offered his hand in a spirit of cooperation. “Do we have a deal?”
    I considered his offer. “For today, Harry, but I’m not committing beyond that. Let’s take it a day at a time and