Chapter 2 On the Hunt
It was annoying enough to be stuck in a car with tinted windows and unable to roll down the windows. Minene missed feeling the cool wind running through her hair on a spring day. Even worse was the crazy girl riding shotgun with her.
"So, how long have you been married?" Yuno asked. "How many kids do you actually want? Is there one in you right now?"
"Please stop talking," Minene groaned, switching on the radio.
She drove to the local police station and drove around the lot. Nishijima's car was parked directly in front of the station. "See?" Minene said. "I told you he was here."
Yuno waved her finger at her. "Ah-ah-ah! His car is here, but is he? Park somewhere."
Minene found a space to the side of the building. There were fewer cameras there and less of a chance being caught.
"Now," Yuno said. "Where is his office?"
"I don't know," Minene said. "I don't exactly tag along to his shifts."
"Well, we better find out." Yuno slipped off her seatbelt and raced to the side of the building. She grabbed onto an exposed pipe and shimmied her way up to the windows. On the third floor, she grabbed the windowsill and shuffled down it, sticking her head up to look through the glass. Minene noted how she looked like that assassin in that M-rated video game she caught Riku playing. Boy, did he get in trouble for that.
Yuno stuck her hand out and motioned for Minene to follow her. She got out of the car and looked up at the pipe. She was hardly athletic, but she had done similar things when trying to escape the law. Slowly, she grasped the pipe and did her best to climb up. Yuno moved over so she could hang over the windowsill.
"Nicely done," Yuno said.
"How do you make it look so easy?" Minene asked. "I've had two kids. This should be nothing to me."
Minene struggled to lift herself up and rest her arms on the sill. Through the glass, she could see Kurusu talking with Nishijima and several other police. The glass was thin enough that they could hear what was being said.
"Alright ladies and gentlemen," Kurusu said. "This killer has had too many lucky shots. I want every detective working on this case to give reports at the end of every day. If you have an assignment, forget it. This take precedence. I will not have another Takao Hiyama out there!"
The detectives began to spread out and go to their cubicles. Nishijima stayed behind and sat at a desk. They had lucked out and found his office.
Another officer came up to him and put a paper down. "Hey. Kurusu wants you to get on that 'thing' right away."
"Really?" Nishijima said.
"Yeah, he thinks it may lead to somewhere."
"Alright. Let me just finish up some things first."
"Oh! A night with the special lady?" The officer nudged him with his elbow.
Nishijima smiled. "Yeah, you could say that."
Minene breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that he still loved her after all. "How long must we wait?" She asked Yuno.
"Until he leaves," Yuno said.
They waited for another hour, watching Nishijima scribble away at paperwork, before he collected his things and headed for the door. The two women quickly jumped down and got back into the car. "See?" Minene said. "He is coming home early to see me."
"Are you sure it's you?" Yuno asked. "Follow him to be sure."
Minene rolled her eyes. Her husband's car was already on its way out, so she had to speed a little to catch up. He was going the normal home. Through the forest preserve, past the school, onto the highway…
"Wait, why is he taking the highway?" Minene asked. "He always takes the residential streets home."
"Aren't you glad I'm here now?" Yuno asked.
"I can still kick you out," Minene threatened.
Nishijima drove farther into the downtown area, stopping near a small shop. It was decorated in pink, with plastic hearts and flowers outside. He parked his car out front and went inside.
"What is he doing here?" Minene asked. "He knows I don't go for that lovey-dovey crap."
Yuno held up a pair of binoculars. "I say we see what he gets."
Minene glared at her. "Really? Do you actually think I can use those?" she asked, gesturing to her eyepatch.
"Oh, right. Good thing I brought this." Yuno held up a spyglass.
"Where did you get that?"
"Yuki's world is going through a pirate era right now," Yuno said. "It's actually a lot of fun. We get to talk like pirates and raid ships and -"
"Just give it to me!" Minene snatched the spyglass away and used her teeth to extend it. Carefully, she placed it to her eye and looked inside the window of the store.
Her husband was holding a bouquet of flowers in his hand. Roses, to be exact. He was also scanning a box of fancy chocolates that were in a heart-shaped box. Picking it up, he stopped by an over-sized teddy bear before shaking his head, probably thinking it was too much. He approached the cashier and began his purchase.
"You know, maybe the spyglass is weird," Yuno said.
"Yeah, you think?" Minene asked.
"You need a hook hand to go with it!"
Minene put down her spyglass to glare at her. "What?"
"Yeah!" Yuno said happily. "It completes the pirate look!"
Minene opened her mouth to say something but decided against it and went back to watching her husband. He was just walking out to his car with his gifts.
"Set sail, Captain!" Yuno said. "He's moving!"
…
"Ahoy mateys!" Yuno said. "Captain One-Eye sails with her first mate, Pinkbeard, on the quest of stolen booty!"
"I swear to God, if I didn't need your help, I would kill you," Minene said.
They continued to follow Nishijima around the city. By the time he finally parked, the sun had set. He got out of the car after straightening his tie and fixing his hair with a comb. Flowers and chocolates in hand, he walked to an apartment building and rang the bell. After a few moments, the door opened for him.
"Look, on the fourth floor," Yuno said. "The lights just turned on."
Minene adjusted her spyglass on Yuno's target. The curtains were open, allowing full view of the room. Candles were lit around the table, alongside a roast chicken dinner and full wine glasses. A gorgeous woman with blue hair and wearing a red, silk robe stepped into view. Nishijima came from the opposite curtain and greeted the woman. She immediately grabbed him and planted a sloppy kiss on his lips. Minene gripped the spyglass so hard that it cracked along its surface.
"Minene," Yuno whispered. "I'm so sorry."
They continued to watch the two dine through the windows. Nishijima gleefully drank the wine and seemed to thoroughly enjoy the chicken. The woman never stopped watching Nishijima, her eyes sparkling with interest and admiration. Once the meal was over, the two shared in the last of the wine and the chocolates. One of them fell behind the table, prompting Nishijima to bend over and pick it up and show a full view of his butt.
"AVAST! THAR BE BOOTY!"
"SHUT UP!"
After the meal, the woman extended her hand to Nishijima, but he turned it away. She smiled and whispered something into his ear. He took out a notebook and began to scribble something on it. Putting it away, he bowed before his host and left the apartment.
Yuno waited until he had driven away to speak. "Okay, now that we know who his girl is, we can – wait, where are you going?"
Minene got out of the car and walked straight to the apartment entrance. One swift kick to the hinges and it swung open like it was nothing. She stomped up the stairs to the fourth floor, stopping at one of the apartments. Her best guess was room 234.
This door gave way after another swift kick. The woman was still in her robe and washing her dishes. She dropped a glass and jumped in fear. "Who the hell are you?" She screamed.
"The wife of the man you are seeing!" Minene said. "Didn't he tell you he was married?"
"Married?" The woman repeated. "No? To you?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Minene stormed closer to her. "Am I not attractive enough for him with just one eye and one hand?"
The woman squinted her eyes. "Wait. I recognize you. The eyes, the hair…"
She gasped and grabbed onto the counter to steady herself. "You're Uryu Minene! The terrorist!"
She reached for the phone, but Minene reached out and held her by the throat. "You won't tell anyone I was here! Do you understand? You already took my husband from me! You won't take my life!"
The woman choked and focused on Minene with a fiery glare. "Maybe he found something here he can't get at home! It's not my fault he settled for a woman who doesn't know how to love him!"
Her voice caught halfway in her throat. Pressure began to build on her neck. She tried to push Minene away, but she was too strong, even with one arm. The pressure built tighter and tighter until a distinct snap was heard. The woman stopped resisting and fell to the ground in a slump.
Minene stared down at the body, anger pouring out of her. Yuno was behind her, watching the whole thing from the door.
"Um, congrats!" She said. "You got the removal of rivals part down! Now we just need to dispose of the body."
Minene slowly turned around, glaring horribly at her.
"OR I could do that for you and save that lesson for later," Yuno said. "I'll see you tomorrow? Same time?"
Yuno passed by her and grabbed the body. The glow from earlier enveloped both of them. As Yuno returned to her world, Minene could hear Yuki's voice from his godly dimension. "Hey Yuno! Where've you been? HEY! Is that a body?!"
Minene ignored them and walked back to her car.
…
A thousand thoughts passed through Minene's head. Why would Nishijima cheat on her? Who was that woman? How long had this been going on? What would she tell the kids? Should she tell the kids?
These questions became easier once she got home. It was past midnight already, and the kids and Nishijima were asleep. A note had been left on the table.
Hey babe!
Sorry we couldn't see you, but you were out. Probably meeting that "god" friend of yours again? I hope he treats you well. Anyway, we had pizza for dinner. I hope you won't mind. There's some in the fridge if you want something to eat. I'll try to wake up a little later tomorrow so I can see your beautiful face again.
Love you!
Minene crushed the paper in her fist. She was too angry and tired to think about food. Before anything else, she needed to get some sleep. After changing into her pajamas, she peeked into her kids' room. They were sleeping comfortably in their own beds.
Nishijima was fast asleep in his and Minene's bed. The thought of being next to him enraged her, but she was too tired to walk back downstairs to the couch. Climbing inside, she ignored the warmth of the covers and closed her eye. Tomorrow, there would be hell to pay.
