"Crap Crap Crap!" The inspector shouted, running down the hall. We could hear his loud footsteps. He came in, looking at Goemon and I, adjusted his hat and sat calmly down behind his desk, suddenly very professional. It was odd not to see him running after us trying to put us behind bars. "Miss Ishikawa," he said, looking through some messy, unfilled papers that looked like they had jelly and powdered sugar spilled on them. "We got the analysis of your blood tests back, and it seems that their was the slightest traces of poison on the bullet. Not a lethal dose or anything, though. It should be out of your system by now…" He paused looking through the papers. Now, I need your account of what happened that night."
I sighed, having given the report over a dozen times. "Pops! Not again!"
"Sorry, Ari. I need it again."
"Jigen, Lupin and I went to The Club. Lupin went to talk to Fujiko. The lady was dancing on stage, and I said that she had a gun. Jigen told me to stop making a scene, went back to making goo-goo eyes at the lady, and then she pulled out the gun, smiled, and fire. I must have jumped in front of it, and the next thing I know I'm in a puddle of blood. I woke up in a hospital bed with my brother about to kill me. Any questions?"
"Calm down, Subari," Goemon said in his monotone voice.
"Miss Ishikawa, may I speak with you alone?"
My brother glared at him, then finally nodded, relinquishing his place next to me for a new one outside the office door.
The inspector stared at me with sympathetic eyes. "Miss Ishikawa"
"Please, it's Subari, Inspector"
"And I'm Koichi." We both laughed a bit, then quieted into an uneasy silence.
"What was it you needed to talk to me about"
"I want you to do something for me." The inspector rested his feet on his desk. "I want you to give me a call if you ever need anything…. Anything at all, alright" He held out a business card to me.
I took it. "Alright." I stood and left quietly.
The bench I sat on was cold as my trembling fingers dialed the numbers typed up on the inspector's business card.
"Zenigata, please" I told his secrtary.
"May I ask who's calling"
"Subari. Tell him it's urgent."
A few seconds later, Zenigata's gruff voice came over the line. "Where are you? Are you in trouble"
"Koichi, we got in a stupid little fight, but I got scared and ran. Can you help me find a place to stay"
"Of course I can" his voice as soft. "Where are you, Ari"
I quickly gave him my location and hung up the phone.
About ten minutes later, his tan Oldsmobile pulled up in front of the bench I sat on. He didn't look at me as I got in, keeping his eyes focused on whatever was ahead of him.
"Thank you" I said quietly.
"It's fine" he replied, pulling off of the curb. He drove for a few minutes in silence, then finally pulled into a drive way. "Here's the deal" he said. "I have an apartment over my garage. You take good care of it, make sure everything's dusted and whatnot-and you can stay there. Good"
I nodded eagerly, resisting the urge to hug him tightly. He grabbed my duffel and led me up the stairs into my new home.