Lying on his stomach, eyes blurry with sleep, Kurnan crawled to the edge of the bed on Asura's side and laid his head in her lap. The fine satin of her nightgown felt soft against his skin as he rubbed his cheek against her thigh.

"Are you humming that sad song again?" Asura Rai ran her delicate fingers through his tousled black hair and peered down into his face with a smile.

"It's a love song," he corrected her.

"It's still sad."

"Some love songs are sad. It can't be helped." Eyes closed, he reveled in the warmth of her body and the flawlessness of her pale skin. As she combed her hair, the long black tresses fell over her shoulder and caressed the back of his neck.

Asura brushed a lock of hair from his forehead. Smelling like roses, her fingers lingered on his face as if she were committing it to memory through her touch. "Where do you go when you close your eyes?"

Enforcer Shinya Kogami was awakened from the dream by fingers gently running through his hair. The tousled black forelock covering his eyes was slick with sweat and clung to his feverish cheeks and forehead. Disoriented by the abrupt awakening, he blinked rapidly through his confusion, but was unable to remember his location. The back of his throat felt raw as if he had been shouting for an extended period of time. He tried to swallow, but had difficulty.

With his gray coat draped over his shoulder like a blanket, he was lying on his side. Despite the warmth it provided, Kogami shivered restlessly. His entire body ached, every muscle in rebellion, and he was having trouble breathing through his nose.

Strange. The pungent scent of roses came, unhindered, through his nostrils. For only a moment, his sinuses were clear, and then just as quickly, they were fully closed up again. The dull pressure of clogged sinuses created an itchy sensation in his head that he could not scratch, and he groaned, feeling quite miserable. Perplexed by his whereabouts, he focused his attention on Inspector Akane Tsunemori who was kneeling beside him.

Despite the concern in her face, she offered him a pleasant smile. "What was that song you were humming?"

"I was humming?"

"You must have been dreaming." Akane's smile broadened. "And she must have been very pretty."

Kogami frowned. He was not in the mood for even the slightest levity. "I don't remember."

Swallowing with difficulty, Kogami finally recognized where he was. The MWPSB had dispatched Division 1 to investigate an incident at a prominent, local theater. While his colleagues were inside the building, he was left behind, asleep on the padded seat in the back of the paddy wagon.

Kogami slowly sat up with Akane's support. Holding his head in his hands, he rested his elbows on his thighs and fought to keep down what little food there was in his belly. He was feeling much weaker than he wanted to admit and wasn't certain he would have accomplished a simple task like sitting upright without her help.

Akane brushed a damp lock of hair from his feverish face. "You look terrible."

"A consequence of breaking your fall, Inspector." Kogami squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed them until they were red and irritated.

"Me falling on you may have injured your back, but had nothing to do with giving you a head cold."

"No more desserts for you. Not sure I can handle it." He pressed his fingers into the acutely inflamed sinuses on both sides of his nose.

"Clearly your sense of humor hasn't been affected."

"Was I being funny?"

"Kogami, I'm a little worried about you," Akane said, ignoring his taunt. She tried to get him to raise his head, but to no avail. The stubborn Enforcer listlessly avoided her touch and pulled away. "Ginoza made a mistake signing you out of medical." Pushing his hand away, she forced him to raise his head and examined his eyes. "Did Dr. Iseya give you some medication? Your pupils are pinned."

"Muscle relaxant for my back. All thanks to you. And something for my cold." Kogami sat back, breathing through his mouth, and laid his head against the headrest.

"You look like you can barely keep your eyes open."

"It's a challenge. Is Ginoza looking for me?"

"Not yet. I left you out here to sleep, but Kagari heard you singing in your sleep." Akane chuckled as she draped the gray jacket over his shoulders. "He got worried and called me. Maybe you should come inside, so I can keep an eye on you."

Kogami saw movement just outside the rear of the wagon. Gulping audibly, Kagari quickly stepped out of his view.

"Don't be mad at him," Akane scolded. "He was worried, and now I can see why." She stood up and held her hands out to him. "Come on, let's get you inside. You'll be more comfortable in there."

"What's the case?"

"We're still not sure what we're dealing with, but it seems routine."

Kogami ignored her hands and stood up under his own effort to prove to himself that he could. Chilled to the bone, he shrugged into his gray jacket and zipped it closed all the way up to the neck. It didn't seem unusually cold outside, but he was freezing. Struggling to feel the tips of his fingers, he reached into his pocket and retrieved a pack of cigarettes.

"Because that's a good idea, right?" Akane took the cigarette from his lips.

Anger brought clarity. Short tempered due to ill-health, Kogami snatched the cigarette from her hand. "Allow me some small comfort." He quickly lit the cigarette before she could reclaim it.

The caustic smoke burned as it rolled across the raw tissue in the back of his throat. Kogami choked violently, staggering to the back of the wagon for fresh air. He coughed in convulsive fits that made every muscle in his body spasm in pain. Unable to catch his breath, he stumbled from the back of the paddy wagon, lost his balance, and nearly fell face first on the curb.

Kagari caught him before he could hit the ground. "Easy, Ko. Jeez, can't believe Inspector Ginoza insisted on bringing you along."

"That'll be enough of that," Akane said. She snatched the cigarette from his hand and threw it down in the street where she crushed it out.

Too busy coughing and gasping for breath, Kogami leaned helplessly against Kagari. He had neither the will nor the strength to challenge either of them. As the burning in his throat subsided, he forced himself to take slow, deep breaths through his mouth. Too weak to stand any longer, he dropped to one knee on the pavement. Kagari clung to his jacket to hold him in an upright position.

"Oh, this isn't good," Kagari said. "Akane, this isn't right. I know we're just latent criminals with few rights, but this is cruel to drag him out here in this condition. Ginoza's gone too far this time."

Hands on Kogami's shoulders, Akane wavered with indecision. "Maybe I should call for a wagon to come pick him up and take him back to headquarters."

"Don't be stupid," Kogami said. He winced, hearing the wheezing in his voice. Feebly shoving Kagari away, he stood up. Though stooped at the waist, balancing over his knees, he eventually straightened, but not without some effort. "I'm fine."

"You don't sound fine," Kagari said. "Since when did you start singing in your sleep?"

"I was dreaming."

Scratching the back of his head, Kagari grinned impishly. "Did that dream include Akane in a maid's outfit—" He cut himself off immediately when the veteran Enforcer's malevolent gaze fell across him. "I was just trying to lighten the mood."

"Funny," Kogami said, "I thought you were trying to end up in the infirmary with me when we do get back to headquarters."

"Kogami! Just because you're not feeling well doesn't give you the right to threaten Kagari. He was just concerned about you."

"Like I said, I'm fine." Shoving his hands into his pockets, he sighed and let his head fall back onto his shoulders. He was perspiring heavily and felt the beads of sweat rolling across his skin. "Are we going to stand out here all day or go inside?"

Akane rolled her eyes. "You really are impossible."

"I try my best."

"Come on, Kagari."

Wary of being in Kogami's forward field of vision, especially when the Enforcer was in a bad mood, Kagari bowed and extended his hand toward the theater entrance. "After you."

# # #

The latest MWPSB case had brought Division 1 downtown to an upscale arts district near the city center. Nestled between a museum dedicated to natural history and a modern art gallery, the Kurouma Theatre stood out on the street with its mahogany facade and crimson doors. Kogami was left with the impression that it had simply been carved from a single piece of granite. Burnished gold door handles and doorways led to a dimly illuminated vestibule with blue lights and a mosaic tile floor that depicted the deep ocean, complete with waves, colorful, saltwater fish, and coral.

The narrow girth of the vestibule opened into a large foyer with a coatroom, umbrella stands, and elegant granite counters where patrons could purchase merchandise or refreshments before the show. Much like the exterior front of the theater, the interior was also black with gold and crimson accents throughout the semi-circular room.

Preserved and protected behind security glass, relics from the theater's storied past lined the walls. Mounted bronze plaques beside each display explained the artifacts and their unique connection with the theater. Like honor-bound sentinels, life-sized mannequins wearing Gosuko armor from the late 16th century stood vigil in the chamber. The flamboyant red armor was a stark reminder of a more decadent, volatile time, well before the Sybil System was in place.

"Your interest in the theater's history is delightful, Mr. Masaoka. It's rare that I get to share the full breadth of this company's diverse history with anyone outside of investors or museum tours when the company is on holiday."

"It's always a pleasure to see places like this still in business," Tomomi Masaoka said. "How long have you run the place, Director Nagano?"

"I was named director when my father retired ten years ago, but the Kurouma Theatre has been in operation under my family name for over 300 years. You might say theater is in my blood." Dressed in a simple business suit vest and pants, Nagano rolled up his sleeves and then tied back his silver hair in a ponytail. "My ancestor, Daiko Nagano originally purchased the theater, which was nothing more than an inn and taproom. He later converted it into a playhouse for stage work. Believe it or not, he traded a black horse to buy the deed. That's how the theater got its name."

"You don't say," Masaoka said. Discerning eyes swept the length of the walls and the artifacts on public display.

"His daughter, Asura Rai Nagano, was the lead actress for most of the productions. She was in love with a young playwright named Kurnan Kazuya, who lived at the inn and played piano for the productions. He also coordinated the music for all of the theater's shows. Here's an original playbill, hand drawn from that era."

The back of the program showed a young man and woman bowing to an appreciative audience. Dressed in a black waist coat of the era, Kazuya carried a French-cocked hat beneath his arm. Instead of regarding the audience, he was looking at the young woman beside him, who was dressed in a simple white gown. Her long black hair was tied back with a ribbon woven into a prominent love knot.

"Nice looking couple," Masaoka said. Scrutinizing the picture, he scratched the side of his head. "You know, she looks a lot like—"

"Yes," Nagano whispered, "the resemblance to your Inspector Tsunemori is astonishing, don't you think?"

"And Kazuya looks like..." Masaoka paused, noticing that Kogami had rejoined them."Well, speak of the devil himself."

"Thanks, pops. The feeling's mutual." As he walked by, Kogami stared at the playbill at the center of their attention. Preserved behind tempered glass, its crinkled pages showed only minimal signs of decay. The image rendered appeared as fresh as it might have on the day it was printed. The resemblance between Kazuya and himself was uncanny, even he had to admit. It was as if he was staring into a mirror.

"Good, you're awake," Inspector Nobuchika Ginoza said. "You certainly slept long enough."

"Not long enough for you to solve this case without me," Kogami said. "We're still here. What's it been? An hour?" Ignoring the Senior Inspector, he hunched his shoulders and stood in the shadowy alcove in front of the main auditorium doors.

"Is it true that Kazuya was a highwayman?" Yayoi Kunizaka asked. She inspected her reflection in the glass and straightened her tie.

"The rumors about Kazuya are true," Nagano said. "It's how my ancestor was able to keep this theater operating during some of the greater hardships of that time period."

"What can you tell us about the Kurouma Curse?" Yayoi asked. "Is there truth to that, too?"

Taken aback by the bold question, Nagano maintained his smile with deliberate effort. "A shameless bit of notoriety that neither my family nor my company can escape. No matter how hard I try."

"I was unaware of any curse," said Ginoza. "I would think that kind of talk would affect your Sybil authorizations. If the public was concerned about a curse, their psycho passes could become clouded."

"All of our productions are well within the boundaries of good taste, Inspector Ginoza, as well as the mandates of the Sybil System." The director's friendly face fell away and was replaced with a stern, taciturn expression. His transformation reminded Kogami of the theater masks representing comedy and tragedy.

"Is that so?" Ginoza crossed his arms over his chest.

"The Kurouma curse grew out of the tragedy that claimed the lives of Asura Rai and Kazuya. Misfortune comes to anyone who tries to produce the one and only play that Kazuya wrote before his death. Any time the piece goes into production, some mayhem ensues. Stage equipment fails. Fires start. Props go missing. Minor mishaps that would prevent the show from going on."

"I don't exactly call what happened to your piano player a minor mishap, Director Nagano. The man is being treated for internal injuries after falling from the piano platform," Ginoza said. "You and your company claim there was no one else with him at the time." Activating his wristcom, he scanned the updated medical reports and forwarded them to the other members of Division 1.

"Inspector Ginoza, I was standing down in the orchestra pit with my tech crew, while Yoshi was running through a few numbers with our lead actress. There was no one near the platform."

"Members of your tech crew report a spike in temperature about the time the accident occurred. One of them even attributed the accident to Gorou. Care to explain?" Ginoza deactivated the holo and met the director's eyes with cold skepticism.

"Gorou's been dead over 300 years, Inspector. He was the village blacksmith and lived in the community. While respected, he was not well liked due to his heavy hand with animals and people."

Hands behind her back, Akane read the inscription beneath a metal etching of the theater from the time period. "This etching was donated to the playhouse by Gorou."

"At the time, he was one of their best patrons, but his motives were far more sinister than altruistic, " Nagano said. "He was in love with the Asura Rai, but she had eyes for another."

"The piano player," Masaoka said with a grin. "Gets the ladies every time."

"Kazuya was a brilliant pianist, one of the best of his time, if not the best. He was destined for greater things, but fate had other designs."

"What happened to them?" Akane asked.

"This is one of those rare moments, where life imitates art," Nagano replied. "It's believed that Gorou reported Kazuya to the Emperor's soldiers. They came to the playhouse in the middle of the night while he was out on a robbery. Asura Rai was waiting for him at their bedroom window, just above this chamber." He pointed to the level above them. "The soldiers held Daiko and Asura hostage in their own home. They toyed with her, tied her up to her bed, and then bound a musket to her breast, forcing her to watch through the window for Kazuya to return."

"That's awful," Akane said.

"Indeed, because by the time she heard her lover's horse approaching," Nagano said, "she had worked her hand to the trigger of that musket and pulled it to warn him of the danger. Not knowing what had happened to his love, Kazuya rode away into the night unaware that she was dead. But when he got word of the tragedy the next morning, he rode back to the playhouse to exact revenge. The soldiers shot him down just a few yards from the entrance of this building, and he died in the street like a common dog."

"A fitting end for a criminal," Ginoza said, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"That's not where the tragedy ends," Nagano said. He pointed to the detailed etching. "Gorou's betrayal was meant to get Kazuya out of the way, so that he could have Asura Rai for himself. Her death and his guilt reportedly drove him mad. He broke into the theater three days after the tragedy and set fire to it with hot coals from his own forge. Once the inn was consumed in flames, he hung himself from the rafters above the stage."

"A vengeful phantom?" Kagari slapped his hands together abruptly, causing Akane to jump. "This is a great ghost story!"

"And a curse that has plagued my family for ten generations. Father to son, we've tried to break it unsuccessfully. But that, my friends, is the heart of theater, where reality blends with illusion, and illusions become reality." Nagano pushed open the auditorium doors and extended his hands to either side as he led them into the chamber. "And this is where the magic happens. Welcome to the heart of the Kurouma Theatre."

The theatrical chamber was colossal with four sections of seats that were divided and angled to prove the best possible view for audience goers. A wide center aisle with white carpeting dividing the room with two smaller, parallel aisles that further divided the seating sections.

Expensive, brown leather seats were arranged on both sides of the main aisle. The smaller wings were comprised of cloth seats, beige in color. Above the polished, black granite floors and its carpeted walkways, the ceiling was painted a deep blue, the imitation of a night sky depicted with stars. Kogami wondered if it was a real ceiling mural or a hologram.

In the center of it was a six-foot deep, inverted well, and suspended within it was an elaborate crystal chandelier. The extravagant fixture was certainly real, he surmised, because of the way the light refracted from the quartz and onto the wall.

"This place is like the Coliseum in Rome!" Kagari said in awe. "How many seats?"

"We can hold 1,500, about 900 here on the first level, 400 on the second level, and another 200 in the balconies." Nagano grinned with pride. "A far cry from a humble inn with an adjoining tap house and a stage, wouldn't you say?"

"Director Nagano," Ginoza said. "I'm certain there is a logical explanation for what's been happening here the last few weeks. Once we can get your company out of the building, we can do a thorough examination of the building and find evidence that will lead to a solid reason for the trouble and bring resolution."

"That won't be possible, Inspector Ginoza," Nagano said sternly. "I'm five days from opening night on a production plagued by mishap after mishap. My company cannot miss anymore rehearsal time. You'll need to conduct your investigation around our activities. I can't possibly send the troupe home without rehearsing."

"Director Nagano," Ginoza protested.

"No, Inspector, perhaps Mr. Kurosawa was not clear when he petitioned the MWPSB for assistance. The show will go on. The show must go on. Are we clear?"

"Understood," Ginoza relented. "Kagari and Kunizaka, unload the necessary equipment we need and get a surveillance hub set up. With the exception of this one, leave the drones outside. I think we can handle this on our own. Enforcer Masaoka, you're with me. We'll see what we can find backstage and in the orchestra pit. Inspector Tsunemori?"

"Sir!"

"Take Kogami. You can start by investigating where the piano player fell during the rehearsal this morning. Keep your Dominators on you at all times."

The drone's inner mechanisms whirred, and with the hissing of pressurized air, it opened its lid to reveal an arsenal of Dominators. Kogami reached for his weapon. "Dominator Portable Psychological Diagnosis and Suppression System has been activated. User authentication: Enforcer Shinya Kogami. Affiliation: Public Safety Bureau, Criminal Investigation Department. Dominator usage approval confirmed. You are a valid user."

"Keep your wits about you," Ginoza said in parting. "Someone clearly doesn't want this production to happen and will do anything to prevent it."

Not waiting for Akane to give the word, Kogami started down the center aisle and made his way to a raised platform just downstage. The riser was nearly ten feet tall and towered above the orchestra pit as well as the audience. It was a place of prominence that allowed the piano player to have an unhindered view of the stage, the pit, and the main seating areas in the auditorium.

Scanning the file that Ginoza had sent them about the accident, Kogami struggled to focus himself and clear his head for deductive reasoning. It was bad enough that every muscle in his body felt as if he had run a marathon, but now his head joined the rebellion. Weary of seeing double, he sat down at the piano and closed his eyes. Holding his head in his hands, he leaned over the keyboard of the piano and prayed for some relief to his misery.

"The eyewitness statements say that the piano player became startled, but by what, they don't know," Akane said. "There's plenty of room here." She walked the circumference of the riser. "What do you think happened?"

"There's nothing to find here," Kogami whispered. "Ginoza sent us here to keep us, me, out of the way."

"You make it sound like he has it out for us, well, you."

"He does. Ever since I texted that picture of us from Los Angeles, he's been holding a grudge. It's one of his better qualities."

"Do you regret sending it?"

"No, and I'd do it again." Desperate to clear his nostrils, Kogami sniffed. He needed a tissue and a quiet place to unburden his sinuses, if only for a few minutes. "The only reports available about this incident come from distracted eyewitnesses. The victim isn't even conscious yet to tell his side of the story. This is busy work. Ginoza's idea of penance." He felt Akane's hands at his shoulders. She said nothing, but there was no need. She was there for him and to support him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm not myself." Massaging his temples, he paused just long enough to run his fingers over her hand. "I just can't seem to get ahold of myself."

"It's understandable. You don't feel well. Don't apologize."

Without warning, Kogami sneezed. It was a sudden, violent explosion that served only to redouble his misery by increasing the pressure in his already inflamed sinuses. Burying his face in his hands, he groaned and waited until his vision returned.

Akane leaned over his shoulder and pressed one of the ivory keys. The high-pitched note lingered in the air of the empty auditorium. "I always wanted to learn to play piano. Didn't you tell Luda that you could play?"

"I did."

"Teach me. Something simple obviously."

Kogami craned his neck to look up at her with a coy smile, then he slid over to the right side of the bench so that she could sit down next to him. "Can you read music?"

"No. Does that really matter?"

"It helps," Kogami said, laughing softly. "For you, we're going to try and play a very simple version of Greensleeves."

"The song that Henry the VIII wrote for his wife?"

Astonished that she knew the song's history, Kogami looked down at her in surprise. "That's a myth. The song is really about a prostitute."

"What? Kogami, what are you trying to suggest?"

"Relax, I'm kidding. Though there is some speculation that the song is about a promiscuous woman." He grinned at her and held his hands over the keys to model for her. "Here, give this a try." Kogami played the first few notes of the song and paused as Akane made an honest attempt to follow his example. "Not bad, for your first try, Inspector."

"Really?"

Kogami feigned a smile, but didn't answer. The painful throbbing in his head had moved behind his eyes. "Let's give it another shot."

Though she could imitate the movements, Akane lacked the experience to truly play the song as it was intended. Kogami felt sorry for her, as he would for any novice. For the beginner, there were only the mechanics. The soul of the music came later when the heart of the musician had mastered the mechanics. He winced as she hit the wrong note, and the discordant key ruined even the mechanics of her attempt.

"This is hopeless," Akane said.

"Not really," Kogami replied. "With a little time, a bit of patience, and a lot of practice, you could be a relatively decent pianist."

"You play something." She scanned the sheet music on the pedestal in front of them. "Can you play any of these?"

It was rare to see paper music sheets used by modern-day musicians. Perhaps there was hope for society, Kogami thought, hidden among its artists. He examined the bundle of printed compositions.

"What about this one?"

"Always With You," He read the title. Running his fingers over the music, Kogami read over the piece and marked the notes to memory in order to familiarize himself with the piece before playing it. The music seemed vaguely familiar to him, but he could not place where he might have encountered it. Placing his fingers over the keys, he began to play.

The composition was unhurried, simple, and yet there was a complexity of unrestrained passion that was evoked in each note and with every bar. Initially, Kogami played mechanically to comply with Akane's request, but as he progressed into the heart of the music, he was inexplicably drawn into it. The composition was an elegy to love—a lost love. At the conclusion, Kogami felt emotionally exhausted.

Unexpected applause echoed through the auditorium and startled the Enforcer. He hadn't noticed, but while he was playing, the entirety of the Kurouma Theatre company, actors and stagehands, had come out of their dressing rooms and offices to listen. In various stages of costume or street clothes, they clapped from the stage, the first-floor perimeter, as well as the second- and third-story balconies.

Director Nagano swaggered down the center aisle, clapping as he walked toward the piano platform. "I don't know who you are, but that was exceptional work. Bravo!" He clapped harder and bowed his head with admiration and approval. Following his lead, the rest of the company interjected shouts of bravo.

"That's annoying," Kogami whispered. He turned to Akane and found her in tears. "W-why are you crying?"

"T-that was s-so beautiful. Kogami, it was so, so sad, and yet wonderful at the same time." Burying her face in her hands, she laid her head on his shoulder and wept.

Kogami rolled his eyes and tried to comfort her. Ginoza was glaring at them from the front of the stage. "Stop that. You're going to get us both in trouble."

"Inspector Ginoza," Mr. Nagano said, "I take it that this gentlemen is a subordinate?"

"Yes, he's an Enforcer. Why do you ask?"

"I was planning to play the piano myself for the rehearsals, but that will add at least three hours to the schedule." Director Nagano put his hands on his hips and grinned. "You want my people out of this theater, so that your people can get to work. I need my troupe to rehearse before they leave. If that Enforcer will play the piano, we can be out of your hair in just over an hour."

Masaoka pursed his lips and nodded his head at Ginoza. "Not a bad idea, Inspector. If I recall correctly, Kogami was quite the pianist in high school, wasn't he?"

"Not if my life depended on it, pops," Kogami said. "I won't do it." He buried his head in his hands. His temples were throbbing so violently that he felt nauseous.

"Inspector, if your man can play the last six songs for the last six scenes, I'll have my people vacate the premises immediately, leaving you in peace."

"He'll do it." Ginoza looked over at the piano platform. "Inspector Tsunemori, a word?"

Feeling faint, Kogami groaned and let his head fall to the piano keys with a discordant pinging of notes and chords. "This is a nightmare."

Kagari jogged up the platform steps and playfully drummed his hands across Kogami's back and shoulders before throwing himself down on the bench next to him. "Inspector Ginoza's been trying to get Nagano to evacuate this theater all morning. Nice work, Ko." Grinning with mischief in his eyes, he ran his fingers over the piano keys near Kogami's ears until the veteran slapped his hand away.

"Can't believe the MWPSB is here investigating a ghost story? Since when did we become ghost hunters?"

Kagari unholstered his Dominator and pointed it toward the back of the theater. "Wouldn't that be awesome! Just like those banned movies from the 20th century. I totally dig that!"

"Don't be ridiculous. It takes a lot of weight to bring a fully-sanctioned MWPSB investigation onto a case this thin."

"Thin, huh? It was the piano player today, and he got lucky. He'll live to play another day. Last week, a standby was killed on stage when one of the lights came loose and fell on her. Turns out that the actress who was supposed to be on stage that day was Mr. Kurosawa's daughter. You remember Mr. Kurosawa, don't you?"

"Don't start, Kagari, or you're going to need that Dominator." Kogami coughed into his hand until tears came to the corner of his eyes. His sides were sore from the wracking cough.

Kagari laughed off the threat. "The tech crew tells me the dead standby was not doing a very good job and that her death was a punishment from the phantom."

"Kagari?" Kogami leaned heavily into his hands. "Just stop talking."

Eavesdropping on the Inspectors, Kogami raised his head above the keyboard just enough to see Akane talking with their superior. "I need these people out of here before anything else can happen to them," Ginoza said. "Chief Kasei was quite adamant about that. Kogami needs to do this."

"That's not a good idea. He's really not feeling well," she protested. "It was a mistake bringing him—"

"Perhaps I'm not being clear enough, Inspector Tsunemori." Ginoza crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back while glaring at her.

"Do you think that's wise, Inspector?" Masaoka asked. "Kogami can be a handful on his best day. Might be asking for trouble."

"He can rest after the rehearsal," Mr. Nagano interjected. "There's a couch in my office here on the first level. He'll be quite comfortable, and you're welcome to anything you find in my refrigerator or the theater kitchen. Please, just make him play."

"Inspector Tsunemori?" Ginoza peered down at her from over the rim of his eyeglasses.

Akane relented beneath his fierce gaze. "He'll do it if I ask him." Then returning the Senior Inspector's fierce gaze, she said, "When it's over, Kogami is going back to headquarters."

"That's not going to happen."

"Inspector Ginoza!"

"Director Nagano's offer is too kind. When the rehearsal is over, Kogami can rest in his office while we complete the investigation."

"Excellent!" Nagano exclaimed. He turned to the tech crew and signaled for them to begin setting up the stage.

"Kagari," Ginoza called. "Get down here and help Kunizaka set up the surveillance equipment."

Nagano followed Akane back to the piano platform. "Mr. Kogami, is it? Everything you'll need for the fourth and fifth acts is in my office. If you will, please follow me."

Nagano's spacious office reminded Kogami more of a college dorm room during exams than the office of a professional. Discarded clothes were carelessly strewn about the floor and furniture. Costumes, many draped in dry cleaning paper, were hanging from pictures and alcoves in the walls. Empty food containers were piled up on the desk and overflowed from the trash.

With an embarrassed smile, Director Nagano darted through the room to tidy up as best he could. "Forgive me. This is the result of being married to the job," he said.

"Trying to run a successful theater production company, especially with all your recent troubles, cannot be easy," Akane said. "I can't imagine the stress you must be under."

"I assure you, Inspector Tsunemori, my psycho pass is checked monthly, and I adhere to a strict regimen of mental care supplements."

"Smooth move, Inspector," Kogami whispered under his breath. "Way to shame the man under his own roof." He scanned the lit alcoves in the office, which held artifacts similar to those in the antechamber beyond the main auditorium. The Enforcer's attention was drawn to a rapier cradled in crimson velvet within a sealed glass container. The rapier was in meticulous condition except for a few lines of tarnish on the blade closest to the haft. "This was Kurnan Kazuya's sword?"

"Indeed, it was, Mr. Kogami," Nagano replied. "Given to my many times great grandfather as Kurnan lay dying in the road. His final words to my ancestor were: 'I go with you.'" Admiring the blade, the director stood beside Kogami. "It was then, at least in my mind, the Kurouma Curse was born. Out of a need to comfort a dying man or out of his guilt for the death of his daughter, my ancestor swore to Kazuya that he would produce his play for the world to see."

"And after 300 years," Akane said, "it's never been brought to the stage?"

"No," Nagano replied sadly. "Any attempt has been met with incidents that grew into disasters the closer they got to opening night."

"What if Kazuya never intended for the play to be produced?"

"I do believe in ghosts, Mr. Kogami, but I am undeterred to bring this production to fruition. I have one son, and unlike my predecessors, I will not hand over this curse to him. So it falls to me to make good on an old debt. Ah, here we are. Do you have a preference for digital or paper sheet music, sir?"

"Paper, if you don't mind," Kogami replied.

"A traditionalist! Always a pleasure to see someone who appreciates the finer arts of what has been and gone." Nagano rearranged the sheet music in the proper order and handed it to Kogami. "I cannot thank you enough. You're doing me not only a great service, but a great honor."

"Are these from Kazuya's original sheet music?"

"Meticulously scanned from the originals before they were sealed into glass displays to preserve them." Nagano stepped into the center of his office and beckoned for Akane and Kogami to join him. "The entire score and the lyrics were rescued from the fire set by Gorou and passed down from one family member to another. They eventually came to my great-grandfather who had them carefully preserved along with other relics that survived the fire. These items have been on display ever since the theater was renovated,"

"It's so fascinating, but so sad at the same time," Akane said. "What is the name of Kazuya's play?"

"Until Death...Do Us Part? And yes, that's with a question mark," Nagano said with a playful wink. "Kazuya was not only rumored to be a highwayman, but a sharp-witted satirist as well. The play itself is a stinging reproach of the Emperor and the heavy tariffs imposed on the citizens of the empire, but it's also a testament of his love for Asura Rai Nagano. If I have my way, the world will know of that love for generations to come."

"A noble goal," Akane said.

Nagano clasped his hands behind his back and rocked back and forth on his feet. "You should be all set, Mr. Kogami. Follow my cues, and we'll get through this, hopefully, without further incident."

"Unless your phantom takes exception to my playing, right?"

Nagano smiled at Kogami. "As they say in the business, break a leg. Is there anything else I can get for you?"

"A caramel latte with an extra shot of caramel and whipped cream," Kogami said.

"Miss Kobuto!" Nagano called.

"Yes, Director Nagano," said a young woman. Dressed in a simple black dress, she came to the door and bowed respectfully to Akane and Kogami.

"Please get Mr. Kogami a caramel latte with an extra shot of caramel and whipped cream. Inspector Tsunemori?"

"Oh no, no thank you. Nothing for me," Akane said, glaring at Kogami. "Smooth move, Enforcer," she mocked him.

"I was kidding," Kogami whispered. He flinched as Akane jammed her fingers into his ribs.

"Right away, Mr. Nagano." The receptionist bowed and left the room.

"Are you ready for your theatrical debut, Mr. Kogami?" Nagano asked.

"Doesn't look like I have much of a choice," Kogami said. He tried to keep his distance from Akane.

"No, you don't. For a caramel latte with an extra shot of caramel and whipped cream, you're now on the clock." Akane glared at him, taking the Enforcer by the sleeve, and leading him out of the office.