Epilogue


     Toshiro stepped out of the cab in front of his antique store.  He grabbed his suitcase and bags
and paid the driver for the fare.
     "Thanks for the ride."
     "No prob'."
     As the yellow cab sped away, Toshiro looked over the place.  Graffiti adorned the gate
which covered the front door and windows.  Other than that, the place looked to be just as he left it. 
No one had broken in, thankfully.  Then again, who would break into an antique store?
     Toshiro walked up to the middle of the gate, took out his keys, and removed the key lock. 
He raised the gate, propped the front door open, and moved all his stuff inside.  Turning on the
lights, he noticed dust had collected on the plastic tarps which covered the merchandise.  He dragged
his stuff towards the back, inspecting all the antiques in the process.  Passing the secretary's desk, a
thousand different feelings swept over him as he remembered who the previous occupant was.  After
a moment of brief reflection, he proceeded to move his stuff upstairs to the apartment.
     He unlocked the door, pushed it open, and carried his things in.
     "Home sweet home."
     Putting his belongings down, he decided the first thing to do was to uncover all the antiques
and make sure they were okay.  So he turned around, closed the door, and walked back downstairs.
     As he neared the bottom of the stairs, he heard someone walking around the store.
     "I'm sorry, we're not open for business today."
     He reached the bottom of the stairs and looked at who it was.
     "Welcome back, Toshiro," said Ben Sproat.
     "Ben, what's up?" Toshiro said as he walked up and shook Ben's hand.
     "Nothing much, just wondering where you've been for the past year."
     "I went back to Japan, took a little vacation."
     "Ah, I see."
     "Hey, since you're here, can you give me a hand and help me take off all the plastic
covers?"
     "Of course, what are friends for?"
     Both men started the menial task of uncovering all the antiques.
     Ben asked while he took some covers off, "So what did you do in Japan?"
     "Oh, visited family, catching up on some things, and did some soul-searching."
     "And did this soul-searching involve anything like, say . . . crime fighting?"
     Toshiro stopped what he was doing and stared at Ben.
     "What?  Did I say something?"
     "What did you mean by that?"
     Ben stopped what he was doing.  "Toshiro, I AM a detective.  After what happened to
Christina, then you going off to Japan and the Kabuki Fighter disappearing at the same time, it
wasn't hard to put two and two together."
     Toshiro nodded.  "So what are you going to do?  Arrest me?"
     Ben resumed taking off the covers while he spoke.  "That would be the lawful thing to do. 
And, when you first left, that's what I vowed I'd do, to bring you in.  But after the weeks, and then
months passed by, I realized how much this city needed you.  The crimes came back full force and
things went back to how they were before you came to this city."
     "Ben, it's not my problem you guys can't handle crime by yourselves."
     "I'm not ignorant of the problems with the police force, and that's part of the reason we need
someone like you out there.  It'll be easier to concentrate on improving the police force with you
helping us out, since you'll be taking up some of the slack."
     Toshiro shook his head and continued taking off the covers on his side.  "Part of the soul-searching I did back in Japan was to ask myself whether the Kabuki Fighter was really a good thing
or not.  Did I really do the city good?  Or, did I just make things worse?  My fears about making
things worse were proved by Christina's death."
     Ben nodded.  "I thought she might have been involved in something, judging from the way
she died.  But I didn't know it was so serious."
     "It was serious, she got involved with that part of me and it ended up killing her.  I got away
and thought I didn't want to do this anymore.  But something happened in Japan that made me
realize it's a part of me, no matter what happens, and that I can't change it.  You know, war can
really change you.  It changed me.  Now, here I am, back at home and I want to lead a peaceful life. 
I've paid my dues and made peace with my demons.  And you want me to put the face paint back on
and go back to that place?"
     "The city needs you."
     "No, the city needs a better police force."
     "Would it persuade you to know I can still take you in?"
     Toshiro laughed.  "Blackmail, I was wondering if you'd resort to that."
     "I'll take that as a no.  But don't worry, I won't take you in.  Like I said, that's what I
thought before, not now."
     Toshiro finished his side, as did Ben.
     "Thanks, Ben."
     Toshiro held out his hand and Ben took it.
     "This town can still use you, you know."
     Toshiro nodded.
     Ben turned around and headed for the exit.
     As Ben opened the door, Toshiro said, "Ben!"
     Ben looked at Toshiro.
     "If you need help, give me a call.  But ONLY if you need help."
     Ben nodded.  "I will."
     And with that, Ben left the store.  Toshiro walked back to the secretary's desk and sat down
at the chair.  He reflected on the past, what he had gone through . . . the crime fighting, Christina, the
war.  And now, he was ready to move on with his life.  Whatever may happen in the future, he
believed he could handle it, no matter what.  He stood up and walked back upstairs to unpack the
rest of his things.