I Can't Deal With These Girls! [HoloID]

Chapter 10: Can a Squirrel Drive a Truck?

The journey started out peacefully, surprisingly. Me and Sari tried to focus and keep a lookout for anything strange, but after a few hours without anything happening, we finally relaxed and simply enjoyed the ride. Thankfully, the highway was free from traffic jams, allowing us to continue on our journey without any delays.

"I still can't believe there's no sign of the thief. Is it always like this, Risu?" I asked out of curiosity.

"It's always this peaceful every single time. But the moment I reached the destination, the ice sculpture was nowhere to be seen. Ugh, I seriously don't understand how they keep getting away with this!" Risu complained while her fingers tapped the steering wheel.

"And you didn't get any kind of warning from the thief? Usually this kind of thief would gloat or provoke you with a calling card or something, right?" Sari wondered out loud.

Her point made sense to me. I recalled a case that I dealt with a couple years ago where a bunch of maniacs that called themselves "Shadow Thieves" or something would send a calling card before stealing a well-known piece of art or jewelry. The added security would only serve as a challenge for them, as those thieves gained their fame from pulling off successful thefts right under their noses. The modus operandi certainly fits quite well with the thief we're dealing with.

"Nope, nothing at all. That's why it's even more frustrating! If you're going to steal it, at least tell me why!" Risu continued to complain as her grip on the steering wheel grew stronger.

I quickly reassured her, "D-Don't worry, that's why we're here. We'll find that thief for you, so just focus on driving for now! Right, Sari?"

"Eh? I-I mean, yeah!" Sari seemed surprised at being called all of a sudden, but thankfully she responded in time.

"Hm, I guess so. I should leave worrying about that thief to you guys while I go and truck around. I'm counting on you both!" Risu replied with a smirk before focusing on driving once again.

I could finally relax after seeing Risu's expression lightening. As a detective, it's part of my job to reassure my client that everything will be alright. Seeing her in a terrible mood like before just didn't sit right with me.

'Moreover, I don't want her to drive any scarier than this!'

With a giddy look in her eyes, Risu continued to change lanes left and right whenever anything in front of her was moving slightly slower than her. Not even the express lane was safe from her reign of terror. The panicked car horns from the cars that she cut off didn't seem to register in her mind as she continued on regardless. If her mood worsened, her already reckless driving would only turn even more reckless. My quick thinking had saved our lives, if I think about it.

"D-Detective, are we going to be okay?" Sari asked, her face slightly paler than usual.

"...Just tighten your seatbelt." I offered the only advice I could give at the moment, which she followed swiftly.

However, I wasn't too worried about Risu's driving skills. Since she'd been trucking for quite some time, her reckless driving was simply proof of her experience. With that in mind, we should be able to reach our destination safely.

...At least that's what I want to believe.

Eventually, I decided to ask her, "Risu? Shouldn't you slow down a little? Driving like this seems a bit dangerous..."

"Hm? This is pretty slow, though."

"Eh?"

Unfortunately for me, her answer only caused my stomach to drop.

"I usually go way faster than this, but considering you guys are with me, I decided to drop my pace a little. If we go any slower, we'll be late for the delivery. Seriously, I'm not used to going this slow..." Risu let out a small sigh. But despite her complaints on how slow she was going, my eyes caught sight of the speedometer that had surpassed the speed limit by twenty kilometers per hour.