Tokyo: Rabbit Officer and Her Evil Partner
Chapter 131 - 53 Let’s Call Him Jun

Chapter 131: Chapter 53 Let’s Call Him Jun

"Woof... woof woof!"

The dog barked wildly inside the iron cage. Cages of various sizes were stacked together, making the facility appear a bit crowded.

The manager of the animal shelter opened the gate. He wore a tight, white coat, looking less like a veterinarian and more like a dog dealer.

Minamoto Tamako followed behind Fushimi Roku, looking tense.

In her memory, small animals should be cute and innocent. Back when she lived with her mom, there were lots of neighbors with pets, all obedient, lively, and adorably charming to death, not like the current situation, where they seemed ready to tear her apart.

The cats in the cages looked even more intimidating than she did, with several scars on their fur, red-rimmed eyes, and grim faces. Perhaps it was the Yakuza of the cat world, overseeing hundreds of stray cats on the streets, killing rats without batting an eye...

"They’re all here," the manager said, tapping the cages with a stick. "Feel free to look around."

Fushimi Roku held a thousand-yen bill between two fingers and handed it over, "Thank you, use it to buy a pack of cigarettes."

The manager accepted the money, handed the keys to Fushimi Roku, and walked away with a smile.

Minamoto Tamako looked back at the manager’s departing figure, wondering if this counted as accepting a bribe. Probably not, as the amount was so small, and Mr. Fushimi didn’t ask him to abuse his position... Hm, it was probably just a harmless favor.

Half an hour earlier, after the three left the police station, Fushimi Roku suggested going to the animal center to find the dog. He claimed that only by finding the Saint Bernard could they legally prove Kamei Riko’s mental health disorder at the time of the incident.

Kazama Tatsuya didn’t come along; he was so angry then that his head was steaming in the cold winter. Even so, he couldn’t just leave... he still had to help get Sakurako home.

Now, Minamoto Tamako hugged her arms, looked around warily, and couldn’t help but ask, "By the way, why go through so much trouble? Wouldn’t getting a diagnosis from a psychiatric hospital have the same effect?"

"You should continue studying with Sakurako; asking something like this shows you have no legal knowledge," Fushimi Roku replied without turning, inspecting the cats and dogs in the cages as they walked.

"What’s wrong with what I said?"

Minamoto Tamako followed closely, afraid that if the cage broke, a vicious dog might suddenly pounce and bite Mr. Fushimi, which would be terrible.

"A diagnosis only proves the patient had a mental illness at the time of examination. If I handled this case, I’d exploit the time difference, insisting Kamei Riko was mentally sound during the incident... If I’m lucky, I could also cast doubt on the police department, suspecting the abnormality started after entering the interrogation room."

After saying this, Fushimi Roku bent down to examine a Shiba Inu in a cage. The dog immediately quieted down, whimpering and shrinking back.

"Huh? Isn’t that just sophistry?" Minamoto Tamako widened her eyes.

"What are you talking about! Listen to what you’re saying! A lawyer defending a client isn’t sophistry; it’s a defense of legal justice!" Fushimi Roku said rather displeased.

"Uh, okay, my bad."

Minamoto Tamako apologized reflexively, then realized Fushimi Roku was only hypothesizing—he wasn’t a lawyer, so what was there to apologize for?

That guy was really crossing the line lately, not only refusing to admit his mistakes but also making her apologize in return—this wasn’t the first time it had happened!

Minamoto Tamako recalled her previous humble plea, where Mr. Fushimi had even used apathy as blackmail, demanding that she help massage his feet every night... A man can be killed but not humiliated; as a future famous detective and police chief, how could she languish under someone else’s thumb?!

The decision was made! Tonight, when massaging his feet, she’d use all her strength to attack the pressure points on his soles, making this luxurious loafer who soaked his feet in red wine feel pain, so he wouldn’t dare act recklessly again!

From now on, if Mr. Fushimi didn’t behave, she’d use strong foot massages as punishment, and even if he cried in pain, she wouldn’t hold back; if he diligently investigated cases, she’d reward him with normal-strength massages... That’s what you call fair punishment and reward! That’s how loyal dogs should be treated!

Heh heh heh, it seemed like Mr. Fushimi’s fate was already in her hands!

Minamoto Tamako felt a bit crafty as these thoughts crossed her mind.

Fushimi Roku looked at her expression and could guess about seventy to eighty percent of what was going on in her head.

He didn’t know what trouble Minamoto Tamako was planning or care about her scheming. After all, this was a person with a criminal index of just one percent, combat power equal to 5, and no matter how bad, her damage was equivalent to ’a little fist gently hitting your chest.’

The two wandered around the shelter but didn’t find the Saint Bernard.

Minamoto Tamako noticed that all the cats and dogs here seemed unusually aggressive and asked, "Are they infected with something? Or are Tokyo’s stray cats and dogs all like this?"

"Half and half," Fushimi Roku said.

After browsing, he didn’t leave immediately but stood in the corridor, looking at the animals in the cages.

"So, does it mean Mrs. Kamei’s dog had rabies?" Minamoto Tamako asked.

"Probably not, that Saint Bernard was healthy; at least I couldn’t see anything wrong with it. Saint Bernards drool a lot in general. When I shone a flashlight on it, I didn’t see any diseased ringworm," Fushimi Roku said, squatting down.

"Then why did it attack people?" Minamoto Tamako knitted her brows, starting to deduce various possibilities.

Fushimi Roku didn’t answer but countered with his own question, "Have you ever had a dog?"

"Nope, I wanted to, but mom wouldn’t let me, saying it’s a hassle to take care... Don’t change the subject, why did the dog bite people? Maybe it ate something bad?" Minamoto Tamako said, biting her fingernail, thinking it over.

With a click, Fushimi Roku opened a lock with the key and unlatched a rusty cage.

Minamoto Tamako was startled, shivering as she remembered almost being mauled by a dog last night and hurried to stop him, "What are you doing! Watch out for bites; these are all bad dogs..."

She realized something was off while speaking.

A Border Collie was inside the cage, looking quite small, with black-and-white fur and a tuft of white on its forehead, like a dot. After Fushimi Roku opened the cage, it didn’t bark or fuss but wagged its tail, spinning in place.

"Huh? This one seems well-behaved..." Minamoto Tamako said and reached out to pet it.

Fushimi Roku swatted her hand away, picked up a stick, poked the food bowl inside the cage, and the Border Collie immediately started snarling and biting, barking fiercely, scaring Minamoto Tamako half to death.

"For example, this is a food-guarding pup; just a little provocation makes it act erratically and bite the stick until there are teeth marks... If you stick your hand in, it might bite your fingers off."

Saying this, Fushimi Roku put down the stick, squatted again, and continued, "But actually, this behavior is induced by a person."

Minamoto Tamako held her breath, watching as Fushimi Roku hushed at the Border Collie, calmly extended his hand, and the previously restless dog relaxed. Moments later, Fushimi Roku moved the food bowl, and the dog turned its head aside, sitting and panting.

"Did you see that?"

Fushimi Roku petted the dog’s head and explained, "A pet dog’s mental state is closely linked to its owner. Dogs are pack animals, and if the leader is too weak, they’ll become anxious and restless. Over-attention to one’s pet can lead to guarding food, excessive barking, and biting..."

He paused, adding, "If a pet dog is under prolonged pressure and can’t find security from the owner, attacking strangers is a normal reaction."

Minamoto Tamako found it incredible. She now looked at Fushimi Roku as if he were a fairytale princess with a natural affinity for animals.

"But, but aren’t Saint Bernards rescue dogs? They should be very gentle by nature..." She pointed out a flaw in Fushimi Roku’s reasoning.

"This isn’t restricted by breed; you’d know if you spoke to a professional dog trainer."

With that, Fushimi Roku stood up, indicating that today’s investigation was over. It was time to rest and have dinner.

"Huh? Fishing again? We haven’t found anything yet!" Minamoto Tamako protested loudly.

"How can we work without eating? Besides, aren’t you moving today? Or are you planning to delay until tomorrow?" Fushimi Roku retorted.

Thinking of the humanoid biochemical weapon in the dorm, Minamoto Tamako realized moving was urgent. If delayed, she’d have to manage another night in the dorm, which was unnerving.

The two agreed to postpone the investigation. Fushimi Roku clicked his tongue at the Border Collie, guiding it out. Then he said ’sit,’ and it obediently sat down.

"Why not keep a dog?" Fushimi Roku said, touching his chin, "Since we’re both frequently away, a dog would be good for guarding the house."

"Huh?" Minamoto Tamako was taken aback.

Ordinarily, she’d agree wholeheartedly, but recent events made her wary of dogs, leaving her hesitant.

Besides, if they wanted a dog, wouldn’t they typically buy one from a pet store? Dogs caught from the animal center felt unsafe, as if they might bite anytime...

"It’s decided, you’ll be called Tamako-chan!" Fushimi Roku said with a grin.

"Woof!" The Border Collie tilted its head and wagged its tail happily.

"Hey! That’s not funny; no way, that’s too much!" Minamoto Tamako said, annoyed.

"Then we’ll call it Tatsuya-kun." Fushimi Roku went for plan B.

"You can’t use a senior’s name for a dog, it’s disrespectful! That’s rejected!" Minamoto Tamako crossed her hands in a firm gesture.

"This isn’t good; that isn’t good, so what do you suggest?" Fushimi Roku clicked his tongue, "If nothing else works, let’s call it Jun."

"That one could... Wait!" Minamoto Tamako snapped out, realizing they were somehow naming a dog.

She hadn’t even agreed to keep one!