detective x family - HEIZOU.

[ ♣ ] -- ch 2 .. car crash

— ♣ —

"Please stop singing about those 99 buckets," Kazuha groaned quietly, focusing on the long and fast highway ahead of him一which was barely visible, hidden behind curtains of pouring rain.

"It's a long drive and you won't let us listen to music!"

"If I turn on a single satellite receiver, we are then under the enemy's surveillance."

"Gotta admit, that sounds kind of stupid," Heizou scoffed, leaning back in his seat.

Kazuha threw a glare in Heizou's direction, then turned back to the road. "Don't act like I created this 'stupid' technology, Cyclone."

"Never said you did..." Heizou grimaced, leaning his cheek against the car window and staring at the streams of water gliding across the glass. "Four more hours and we should be in town, yes?"

Kazuha didn't spare a glance at Heizou this time. "If my calculations are correct, no. Probably six at least, plus a stop somewhere in between because I would like for the rain to clear up before we reach town. Rush hour is around six to eight in the morning, which is when we plan to arrive at the borders. I've also taken into account the multiple traffic jams in our route. But if you'd like, you can hop out early and travel on foot right now in this depressing and wet weather, you might be able to beat the traffic."

"No, thank you."

The car ride was long一and with Heizou nagging Kazuha half the time, it only felt longer. The sun broke through the horizon

Heizou's face was pressed against the window. "Look, Kazuha! A bird!"

"My eyes are on the road, unless you'd like to drive instead?"

"You sure you want me to do that?"

Kazuha sighed loudly, fists tightening on the wheel as he spoke. "I'm not required to accompany you..."

"Oh一never mind. It's alright, you can drive."

The rest of the drive was silent, Heizou having run out of things to say and Kazuha already on edge. In around an hour, the rain picked up, attacking the windshield and forcing Kazuha to pull over.

"How convenient," Kazuha muttered defeatedly, grabbing an umbrella from the back and flinging open the car door to observe the outside, closing the door behind him. In the misty splash of the rain spraying the windows, Heizou could barely make out Kazuha's silhouette fading into the distance.

It would be a long time until Heizou would get to properly relax on this mission. Find the people behind this wrongdoing, and then you can slowly return back to normal, the Cyclone that sits around all day at his desk reading novels.

At last after Heizou silently thought about the 99 buckets, they arrived at the border of the town. "How gloomy," Heizou noted with a sigh. "All these people with umbrellas being tossed around in the wind."

"It's clearing up, at least," Kazuha told the detective, pointing at the windshield which was now less wet, a crack of sunlight peeking through the clouds.

"Ah, wonderful!" Heizou exhaled. "I missed seeing the sun!"

"Yes, you did." Kazuha kept driving, and began to look at his rear window every now and then.

"Is someone tailing us?..." Heizou tapped the car door handle impatiently. "Unlock the doors, we have to一"

"I'm already doing that!" Kazuha yelled, switching lanes carelessly一