MIKANI OBSERVED, AS RITSUKO strode into the duty room the next morning. It was nearly noon, and he’d been at work for over an hour already. Actually, I was about to go check on you. “I had some errands.” Her brow was a bit damp, as if she’d been running up and down flights of stairs. “They took longer than I expected.” “Problem?” He was a bit surprised to hear she’d managed to do anything but sleep, but that was Ritsuko. She hadn’t risen to inspector by failing to exceed expectation. “Just personal business. What do you have there?” Mikani had found a report waiting in his bin; he scanned it while Ritsuko checked her messages. “Two of these girls aren’t in House holdings . . . but it seems they’re keeping better track of their errant daughters these days. One of them’s renting a studio not far from here. Shall we check on her?” “Certainly.
