“It dun sound like yer askin’ fer my help at all.” He took a few deep breaths. He hated losing his cool in front of someone he was already on thin ice with. “I jus’ know yer ways and ya ain’t foolin’ me. Dun act like ya suddenly need me fer anythin’.”
“And if anyone is doin’ the missin’ ‘round here, it’s definitely all on yer shoulders.”
“Awwww,” Hakuba crooned into the phone, though he wondered just how much of it was actually true. He had a certain degree of begrudging respect for the Osakan, it was true, and he’d at one point really, truly hoped that they could have been friends, but now… at least he enjoyed their banter. “Does that please you? That I miss you, I mean.”
A pause.
“Not that I do. Actually, and yes, I do need your help, and I believe that I’ve already outlined it. You’re in with Kudou-san, and I need to know where he is. Could you pass the message along for him, please?”