“No, but the owner of the restaurant is,” said Beeker. “He is undoubtedly paying your organization for protection. In return, they should be making an effort to find the man who robbed him.”
“Japanese? What’s the name of the place?” asked Sushi.
“The restaurant is the New Osaka Grill on Hastings Street. A Mr. Takamine is the owner.”
“Yeah, I’ve eaten in there. Good food, even if it is a bit expensive,” said Sushi. “But how does this involve me? If the Yakuza can’t find the guy that robbed the place without me…”
“You are the head of that organization,” said Beeker. “It necessarily involves you, if someone under their protection is robbed without justice being done. Surveillance information from other businesses under their protection is likely to show the culprit: If he ate in one Japanese restaurant, he probably ate in more than one. You are in a position to obtain and analyze the information, and this will undoubtedly reveal the culprit.”
“It’ll take a lot of work,” said Sushi. “Just getting in all those vids, let alone setting up a program to analyze them…”
“I suggest you make it a priority,” said Beeker. “It works to your benefit on two fronts. First, to show that the superfamily you have invented can, in fact, deliver benefits to a local family. And second, you convince the captain that the time you spend on this project does, after all, benefit his company.”
“OK, I see what you mean,” said Sushi. “I guess I’d better get on it.” He sighed. So much for his hopes of joining the gang in the bar tonight-or any time soon.