Chapter 3

Toshi, Klaus and Rogu were all shocked.

"Nigeria?" Klaus wanted to know.

"You heard me, fish." Roger said to him.

"First Japan and now Nigeria." Rogu spoke. "I like that Daddy is taking me places, but, why?"

"Because, Rogu, my son, that is where that no good Kondo lives and that is where we are going to arrest his sorry butt."

"You know Kondo is the culprit?" Toshi questioned. "You know he kidnapped the Olympic torch carrier? How? Did he confess over phone?"

"Nope!" Toshi was confused. "I just know."

"Without any evidence?"

"Yeah, that's how good a detective Braff Zacklin is."

"No, that just shows that you are a bad detective. A good detective should always make sure they have really good, solid evidence before they accuse anyone." Roger was insulted and angered by this.

"I AM a good detective. No offense, but I solved lots of crimes without falsely accusing anyone, thank you very much. You can stay here and Rogu, Klaus and I can go to Nigeria."

"Actually, no, Roger." Klaus stated. Roger looked at him.

"I'm sorry, but, what was that?"

"You heard me. No, nein, we can't go to Nigeria, Roger. Are you crazy?! That's another country and on another continent no less! We aren't even supposed to be here. If he's bad news like you say, he's Nigeria's problem, just like this is Japan's problem. Let them deal with them. I think we should all go home."

"Now you listen here, fish, I'm the boss of this operation and what I say goes, and I say…" He sighed. "You're right. It was a stupid idea and it was stupid to come here during a global pandamic. It took us nearly a full day to get here, so who knows how long Nigeria is. Let's just all go home like you said. We'll check out of the hotel and leave first thing." He then left.

"Wow!" Said a shocked Rogu. "Daddy just did that? Is he feeling alright? Guess he is. Shame we're going so soon. I liked Japan. I'm going to miss it. Hope this Olympics thing works out in the end and it's on." He and Toshi started walking back to the hotel.

"Roger's not going to let this go." Klaus sighed. "He is going to the private jet to start flying to Nigeria." Toshi was shocked.

"How can you say that?!" He asked. "He had a change of heart, did he not?"

"Oh, nieve, Toshi. How I wish you were right, but you're not. I know him and disobeying orders is exactly what Roger would do." Toshi looked at Rogu.

"Fish is right." The little alien said. "This is what Daddy does. This is who he is." Toshi sighed.

"Just like how I snuck on board and flew all the way to Japan in a global pandemic against my family's wishes. I now know how Papa must feel right about now, about when a kid disobeys a strict order. I did a very shameful act."

"Just let this be a great life lesson for you, Toshi." Klaus put in. "You may need it someday. So you can tell your future kids so they don't make the same mistake you did."

"Duly noted. I'll have to remember that."

Klaus, Toshi, and Rogu went to where they had hid the private jet. Toshi wanted to get their stuff from the hotel first, but Klaus told him that Roger might be gone then and that hopefully they can get them later. Toshi was highly uncertain of this, but agreed. As soon as they were on board, there was Roger….and Adumbi.

"Adumbi?" Klaus questioned. "Why are you here?"

"Your friend offered me a ride home on his private jet." Adumbi explained.

"Aren't I generous?" Roger stated. "Plus, I need to go to Nigeria anyway to question this Kondo person. I figure, I help Adumbi, he helps me. It's a win-win situation. I kill two birds with one stone here."

"Kill two birds?" Rogu questioned.

"It's a figure of speech." Roger told him.

"And he would literally kill two birds too." Klaus pointed out. Roger thought about this.

"I would, wouldn't I? But anyways, if you guys are here to stop me, I'm warning you, you're wasting your time."

"We know. But even if you get to Nigeria and it turns out Kondo isn't our guy, you'll be wasting your time. Plus, you hated the long hours coming here all the way from Virginia. It's a long way to Nigeria from here too, maybe the same."

"I'm willing to risk it." He turned to Adumbi. "Adumbi, how long was your flight here?"

"About fifteen hours and a half." Adumbi answered. Roger cursed under his breath and turned back to Klaus, Rogu and Toshi. "Like I said, I'll risk it."

"Then we're going too." Roger was shocked.

"You are?"

"Yeah, we are."

"But you said…"

"Forget what I said. We're a team, Braff. You're the Legman, I'm Fins. Not one of us should do this without the other, I mean, technically we can, but we shouldn't. We're a team and we have to stick together no matter what." Roger was teary-eyed about this. This got Rogu concerned.

"Are you crying, Daddy?" He wanted to know.

"I'm just so touched." He said. "That you would all fly for long hours with me during a pandemic no less." Klaus smiled.

"Of course, we'd do anything for you." He told him. Roger sniffed sadly again.

"Anything?"

"Anything within reason." Roger's expression soured.

"And there it is." He turned to Toshi. "Boy, traveling to two countries and two continents then back to yet another one, and all during a pandemic without your parents' permission too. Boy, they will be pissed. We might not see each other again after this, kiddo."

"Oh yeah." Klaus put in. "That reminds me." He looked at Toshi. "When you talk to your parents, can I talk to either your mom or dad on this? Preferably someone who speaks English?" Toshi nodded.

"Hei. They'll probably have a few choice words for you though."

"Probably, but I'm a grown up. I'd heard worse." Toshi was confused. "I'm a grown fish." Toshi then got it.

Toshi' s parents were upset by the news that their son was still far from home in a pandemic without permission, but knew it was for the greater good. They told him his punishment will be waiting for him at home. Toshi then handed the cell over to Klaus, and just as he said, Klaus did indeed hear a few choice words. But Klaus promised them that he'll help keep Toshi safe, and they had to trust him on that. Fifteen and a half hours later, they were there.

"Okay, we're here, folks." Roger said to everyone as they got off the plane. "Now remember, we're here to catch a bad means no safaris or anything fun until the culprit is caught and our business is done, understand?"

"Aw, but, Daddy…." Rogu began to wine.

"No buts, Rogu! If you're ever going to be a detective, you're going to have to concentrate. No distractions!"

"I can't believe I'm saying this," He began. "But, bravo, Braff! I applaud on your parenting skills. Don't let your child win; show them whose boss!"

"Fins, you focus too!" Klaus frowned.

"Yes, Braff."

"You guys follow me to my car." Adumbi told them. "Then I'll take you to where my brother lives."

"Wow!" Said an impressed Roger. "You'd do that for us, Adumbi? Thanks! I don't know what we'll do without you. I literally don't." Adumbi smiled at the disguised alien.

"Will we all fit in your car?" Klaus asked.

"Of course." Adumbi answered.

"PSAs on TV tell me not to get in a ride with strangers." Rogu put in. "But Adumbi is no stranger anymore."

"That's right, Rogu." Roger agreed. "He's not. He's an asset to our investigation. We need him."

Adumbi was driving Roger, Rogu and Klaus to his friend's house, Roger was up front with Adumbi in the passenger seat. Rogu, with Klaus in his bowl on his lap, and Toshi sat behind.

"My friend is finally going to have it when I get through to him!" Adumbi said madly. "We might not talk for years after this, especially if he gets arrested!"

"Just focus on your driving, Adumbi." Roger said to him.

"Sorry." He apologized. "It's just that I'm so gosh, darn angry with him, you know?"

"I know. He betrayed you and treats you like crap. Who does that?"

"Exactly."

"I know who." Klaus spoke. Before Roger could react, a speeding car rammed into Adumbi's car. He and the passengers screamed as their car slammed into the barriers. Both of Roger's and Adumbi's airbags activated. Klaus' bowl shattered into a million pieces and he fell to the floor. Everything went black.

Roger opened his eyes.

"Everybody okay?" The alien asked.

"Rogu okay." Rogu answered.

"I am too." Toshi answered. He and Rogu gasped as they saw a flopping Klaus on the floor.

"But…I'm….not! He wheezed, trying his hardest to stay alive. "I…need…water…mach…schnell!" Toshi and Rogu quickly looked around, trying to find something to put the helpless fish in. Rogu noticed a frantic lady outside of their car talking on her cellphone. In her other hand was a water bottle. "Rogu has idea!" Rogu quickly unbuckled his seat belt and got out of the car.

"Where are you going?!" Toshi wanted to know. From outside, both he and Roger were shocked as he took the lady's water bottle from out of her other hand; They watched as he went back in, grabbed Klaus and put Klaus in the water- filled bottle.

"Wow!" Said an impressed Roger. "You did that, Rogu? I'm impressed!" He began to get teary-eyed. "You just made your ol' man proud!" Rogu beamed.

"Yay!" He cheered. "I made Daddy proud! Such a good feeling!"

"Yeah!" Klaus agreed, who got his breath back and was fine again. "You saved me, Rogu! Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You're a hero! I only wish your father was the same way." Roger was going to snap at him when he realized something.

"ADUMBI!" He yelled. He looked at him. "Adumbi, we have to go. We have to get out of here and find your brother." But there was no response. "Adumbi?" He felt his pulse and gasped. "He's dead." Everyone was sad. Roger cursed loudly and got angry. "We needed you and you had to go and die on us! Now, how are we suppose to find your brother huh?!"

"It's not his fault that he died." Klaus began. "It was that lunatic who rammed into us. It was no accident. He wanted us to all perish."

"Why would that lunatic want that?" Rogu asked.

"Because he's crazy and evil." Klaus explained. "Evil people have no heart. They don't feel remorse. Und unfortunately, he's not the only evil person in this world."

"Fins!" Roger snapped at him.

"I'm sorry, but it's the truth!" Klaus snapped back. "It's the world we live in. It's messed up."

"Let's just get out of the vehicle." Toshi suggested. "We shouldn't be in here with a dead man. The police may be coming."

"You're right, kid." Roger declared. "Let's get out." And so, that is what they did. But as they did, they noticed that the car that rammed into them was gone. Roger cursed loudly again.

"That coward just did a hit-and-run on us!" He said. When Rogu asked what he meant, Klaus explained.

"Are you okay?" They all turned and saw a lady standing in front of them. It was the same lady that Rogu stole from.

"No." Roger said to her. "We were in a deadly car crash and the car that rammed into us drove off!"

"I know. My husband and I saw everything. Don't worry. I alerted the authorities and my husband is driving after that lunatic right now as we speak. The police should be here momentarily."

"Good. Glad that you are on our side."

"Someone has to be. I'm Alka by the way." Roger and the others introduced themselves. Rogu apologized for stealing her water bottle and that it was to save Klaus. Roger thought about slapping his son and scolding him for doing so, but thought better of it.

"It's alright." Alka assured him. "You were just saving your crime solving pet. I understand. After all, he can't help to solve crimes when he's dead." Rogu laughed a little.

"Right." He agreed.

"I have more water bottles at home that I can use." Rogu was about to say more when Alka looked at Roger and Klaus.

"You're detectives?"

"That we are ma'am." Roger told her. "We had solved a few crimes in the past and we are hoping to solve this one as well."

"What crime is that?"

"The one on the Olympic torch carrier who's gone missing."

"Do you think you know who did it? Was it the person that rammed into your car?" Roger shrugged.

"I don't know. Anyone can be guilty really at this point. Heck, even you could." Alka laughed at that.

"Anybody is right, but it wasn't me. That's a fact. Gosh, I hope you catch the person responsible. Justice must be served for this crash and for the touch carrier."

"You're right, and it will. Mark my words." Alka changed the subject.

"Now this might be inappropriate of me to ask, but I'm a crime author and I'm looking for the right story to write about, and I think you and your friends could be just what I need. While we wait, you don't mind me interviewing you guys on what had happened to all of you so far?"

"I'm sorry. No, that is wildly inappropriate. We don't know you and you don't know us. You should mind your own business." Alka sighed.

"You're right. I should. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked. It's just that I thought this will let people in on your story. Then they would know your names and what you guys are all about." Roger beamed at this. He looked at Alka.

"Wait, this might not be a bad idea!" He said. "It might be brilliant in fact." Alka couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Really?! Oh, thank you guys! Let me just get my pen and paper and we can all sit in my car. It's too noisy out here." Alka led the way to her car.

Perfect! Klaus thought to himself. Maybe before the story can get published, I can sneak in and write down my real life backstory and everyone will know just how messed up the CIA really is for placing an innocent man's brain into a body of a goldfish. This opportunity is just too perfect to pass over. It might take a while, heck years maybe, but it'll all be worth it!

As Roger, Klaus, Rogu, Toshi and Alka talked in her car for a bit, there was a knock on the car window. Everyone looked up to see a police officer. There were also medics behind him.

"I'll tell you the rest later." Alka told them. She put away her stuff and opened the car door. The officer asked Alka a question in a foreign language.

"No." Alka answered in English. "But these poor people and their German talking fish were. I'm just the caller." The officer looked at Roger and the others.

"Where's the body?" The officer just asked.

"Still in the car." Roger told the officer. "Sorry, we didn't know what to do with him. Sorry, not this car." He pointed to Adumbi's car. "That car over there." The officer looked at where he was pointing at, then back at Roger.

"Did you know the victim?"

"His name was Adumbi." Roger answered. "And he was taking us to interview his brother. We're detectives you see. Maybe you heard of us? Fins and the Legman? I'm Braff Zacklin."

"Sorry, never heard of you guys." Roger looked disappointed. The officer talked to a medic. The medic came over to them.

"You guys ok?" He wanted to know. "Any injuries?"

"Nope." Roger told him. "We're all good, right, guys?" His friends nodded.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure, guys?" Roger's friends all nodded again. The medic looked at Toshi.

"How old are you, young man?"

"14." Toshi told him. Next, he looked at Rogu.

"And how old are you?"

"I, uh…."

"Asking us how old we are isn't necessary." Roger interrupted. "What is necessary and extremely important is that we find Adumbi's brother asap." The medic was confused. "You don't know what asap is? It's as soon as possible."

"Sorry." The medic stated. "You all were in a fatal car crash. You can't go until you get permission to leave."

"But he may be a criminal."

"Sorry, not my rule. I just don't think it's a good idea." Roger sighed.

"Where is the car that crashed into your guys?" The officer questioned Roger.

"He or she drove off in a hit- and- run." Alka explained before Roger could respond. "My husband is trekking him or her down as we speak."

"Good. Although this driver could be dangerous, Your husband should have left that to us, the police."

"Oh, I'm sorry, but the car drove off as soon as the accident happened. I wasn't going to let the driver off without any justice like that, so I told my husband I'll call your guys and the medics, he agreed, and he let me out as he sped after the other vehicle."

"Well, hopefully, he'll get the culprit safely. I'll send help just in case. Do you remember the car's features?"

"It was a black sedan with the license plate number JNA 003 CK."

"Thanks for that. Anything else?"

"No problem and that's it." She looked at Roger and the others. "Anything you guys like to help out the officers trek the culprit down?" Roger and the others shook their heads. "No, I guess not." The officer talked to dispatch.

"You kids must be pretty shaken up to go through a traumatic experience like this." The medic said to Rogu and Toshi. "I'm sorry you have to go through this, but it'll all be over soon."

"Hello?!" Roger said, obviously offended by this. So was Klaus.

"What about me? It was traumatic for me as well. Just because I'm an adult doesn't make it any less so."

"Me too." Klaus agreed. "I almost died because when the car crashed, my bowl broke, causing me to fall and flop around on the floor like crazy trying to stay alive."

"I saved his life!" Rogu proudly stated.

"Anyways," The officer continued. "We have to interview you all since you are all witnesses." Roger groaned.

"Fine!" He said. "But make it quick." The officer looked at Alka. "And my men are helping your husband right now as we speak. We need to go to the police station so I can interview your guys."

"Why can't you interview us here?" Roger wanted to know. "You'll get the same answers here as you would at the station, so why…?"

"Roger!" Klaus warned. Roger sighed.

"Whatever. We'll come with you people to make you happy. But that's it. Then we're leaving to continue our search for Adumbi, the dead guy's brother." And so Roger, Klaus, Rogu, Toshi and Alka all went to the police cars.

As soon as all of them were interviewed, the police chief gave them permission to go.

"Finally!" Roger said. "I mean, I hope your other men catch the person behind all of this."

"Thanks." The police chief said, shaking Roger's hand. "I'm sure they will." Just then, the doors opened. They all looked up. More police officers came in with two other men. One of the men was in handcuffs.

"We caught the drunk driver!" One of the officers told the chief.

"I can see that." The chief said. "Very good." With hands on hips, he glared at the man like a disapproving father. "Do you know what you did, sir?"

"Yes." The cuffed man answered sadly. "And I'm truly sorry. I was drunk and I admit I have a problem." Roger realized something.

"Hey!" He piped up. "I know you, well I don't, but I recognize your voice on the phone, you're Adumbi's brother." He realized something else. "Oh my gosh, you crashed into your brother's car, you killed your own brother."