Okay, then, down to tactics. I fired up the telecom again, checked the status of Naomi Takahashi's apartment. According to the leasing records, on her death the lease devolved upon her parents. If they didn't do anything to renew it, the lease would expire on December 31. Whether they renewed it or not, the apartment would be empty for about a month. That would make a perfect killing ground. All I had to do was drop a few clues that I was crashing there, then take X when he came to kill me. Simple.