Tokyo: Rabbit Officer and Her Evil Partner
Chapter 54: The Pigeon Cages of the Harbor City

Chapter 54: Chapter 54: The Pigeon Cages of the Harbor City

It’s about twenty to thirty kilometers from Tokyo Haneda Airport to the Sugamo Station front Patrol House, and it takes about half an hour by taxi. Having finished drawing verbal pies for each other, the two found the remaining journey too boring and went back to chatting about the murder case at the airport.

"I don’t get it, why did the driver kill that uncle? Weren’t they partners?"

Minamoto Tamako didn’t sympathize with the murderer; she just thought it was a pity to miss the murderer’s confession. According to the typical plot of novels and TV dramas, after the detective solves the case, the murderer would usually kneel and confess, tearfully admitting why they killed...

"That’s how it is in the underworld. You never know when a subordinate might stab you in the back," Fushimi Roku replied casually.

"Huh?" Only then did Minamoto Tamako realize something: "How do you know they’re gang members?"

"You’re not pretending to be dumb, are you? You can notice so many details in murder cases, yet you can’t understand the obvious?" Fushimi pointed to his collar and said, "Their suit linings are embroidered with gang symbols, and their exposed wrists have tattoos. Isn’t that obvious enough?"

"What does that prove? They could just be tattoo enthusiasts," Minamoto Tamako scratched her head.

Her mother had always taught her not to judge people by appearances. Due to her family’s status and background, no one dared to raise their voice at her. Even gangsters with full-back tattoos would ask her politely if Lady Tamako wanted some candy.

Growing up in such an environment, her personality should have turned into that of a spoiled and willful lady. But her mother was strict, and whenever Tamako showed signs of arrogance, her mother would come down hard on her... It was unclear if it was beaten in or criticized harshly, but it ultimately created Tamako’s current awkward personality.

"Fine, let’s just assume I misunderstood," Fushimi couldn’t be bothered to explain.

Minamoto Tamako squinted, her ahoge on her head twitching like a radar as if catching a special signal. She thought to herself that Fushimi indeed had some extraordinary abilities!

This guy keeps saying there should be no secrets between partners, yet he hides his skills... Hmph, he’s clearly wary of my deduction abilities, isn’t he? He’s so afraid of being surpassed by me that he guards himself at every turn!

Minamoto Tamako was still hung up on losing the deduction game in art class. Counting it all up, she had lost to Fushimi Roku three times! Once in art class, once during the graduation exam, and now the airport murder case, making it the third time!

This was exactly why she hadn’t dared to promote her deduction skills to Fushimi Roku recently.

Three strikes is enough, there mustn’t be a fourth!

Sooner or later, I will uncover your little secrets, secretly learn your tricks, and surpass you in every way. I’ll make you kneel before my reasoning abilities!

Minamoto Tamako plotted in her mind about her big plan of learning and reforming Fushimi Roku, unintentionally showing a sly grin on her face.

Suddenly, the driver hit the brakes, the car slowed down. She thought they were arriving at the Patrol House, raising her head to see the car stopped near a railroad crossing, with not a soul around.

"It’s not convenient to go on from here," the driver turned and said with a wry smile, "You’d better get off and walk. I can only take you this far."

"What happened?" Fushimi Roku rolled down the window, "Isn’t the road open in front?"

At this moment, it was a red light, with police bells clanging. Beyond the yellow-black barrier, he could see a street cutting through a series of densely packed residential buildings. The sidewalks were crowded with standing signs, the dense network of wires blocking the sunlight, making the road appear increasingly overcast and cramped.

For a moment, Fushimi Roku thought he had taken a taxi to one of Hong Kong’s cage homes.

The driver explained, "Generally, you can’t park inside because the security isn’t great... You two should be careful when going in."

Fushimi Roku suspected he had heard wrong. If he remembered correctly, this was supposed to be a gathering place for seventy to ninety-year-old grandpas and grandmas, right? Even if you roll it back thirty years, they’d still be forty or fifty! Could they all be part of a rampaging elder gang?

"What do you mean by ’security isn’t great’?" He frowned, "Isn’t this a shopping center? How could a shopping center have bad security?"

"Are you folks from out of town? You sound like you’re from Hokkaido. If you’re heading to a shopping center, there’s no need to go down this street. It’s really messy and dangerous inside, so it’s generally not recommended for out-of-towners to walk this route."

The driver said this while pointing to the towering building at the end of the street, "There used to be a prison in Sugamo, holding many political prisoners and war criminals. It was torn down a few years ago and redeveloped into Sunshine City, which is probably the shopping center you’re looking for. It’s now the tallest building in all of Tokyo. Crossing this district will take you there, and security over there is better. If you don’t mind, I can drive you around, and I won’t charge extra for the detour."

Fushimi Roku felt an increasingly ominous feeling in his heart: "Then where’s the Sugamo Station front Patrol House?"

"It’s just down this old street," the driver helpfully reached out and pointed, "Cross the tracks, go straight for five hundred meters, and you’re there."

With the conversation reaching this point, Fushimi Roku had to face reality. He paid the fare and got out of the car with Minamoto Tamako, retrieving his luggage from the trunk.

As they were about to leave, he was still a bit reluctant, sticking his head in the window to ask the driver, "When you say bad security, do you mean there are often elderly folks staging accidents? Is that why out-of-town drivers don’t dare park there...?"

"There’s that, but more often it’s about car theft, car smashing, and highway robbery. At least those staging accidents have some knowledge of the law, but the Yakuza won’t reason with you." The driver finished, rolled up the window, and waved goodbye to Fushimi Roku through the glass.

"..."

Minamoto Tamako sensed an astonishingly strong resentful aura, and when she looked up, she was shocked. Fushimi Roku’s face was so dark it was terrifying, as if the whole world owed him 500 yen, and he clicked his tongue in displeasure right in front of her.

"Wh-what’s wrong?"

Minamoto Tamako wondered if he was distressed over the taxi fare. It can’t be, before this job they lived and ate at school, and she had paid him a large sum while at the Great Snow Mountain. Fushimi shouldn’t lack money... Could it really be that his desire for money has reached such insane levels?

If it continues this way, he’ll end up becoming a miser. How can he become a diligent and motivated good partner then?

Thinking of this, Minamoto Tamako patted him on the back to comfort him, "Don’t worry! The driver said that the security here is bad, so the going rate for assignments would definitely be high, maybe even extra bonuses! If you work diligently from now on, you won’t need to worry about money matters anymore!"

Fushimi Roku felt like a knife had been stabbed into his heart, making him feel even worse.