Chapter 1 : Arrow
Heiji's PoV
"- Can we make a detour ? It's soon Otou-chan's birthday, I'd like ta try ta find somethin' fer him..."
I turned my head to the girl who just got me out of my daydream, my childhood friend Toyama Kazuha and her usual ponytail waving near her neck, to see she was looking at me with interrogative eyes.
"- It won' be long, I promise ! " She felt the need to add.
"- Why not, then..." I accepted before stepping towards the school's exit. I hadn't anything planned for that evening after all, better hang around with Kazuha than being bored at home.
And, who knows, maybe we'd come across a case and I'd be able to settle the score with Kudô and his three cases last week, when I barely got one and kind of screw it up...
"- Hey, I said shoppin', not case-huntin' !" The girl précised as she watched me with a scolding look, having probably noticed the enthusiasm on my face.
"- Got that..." I agreed, almost bowing my head in apology at her tone.
Uhh, busted, that girl and her ponytail were getting too good at guessing what was in my head, and I didn't think I really appreciated that.
Note for myself : find a way to prevent it. Quick.
o.O.o
I rubbed the back of my neck as I felt it was like burning. That had been twice already, when we barely left high school ten minutes before, and I knew it could only mean one thing. Someone was tailing us. Years of martial arts had given me that ability to kind of feel the ones around me and there was that unknown presence just behind us, even if I wasn't able to have a glimpse of it yet.
"- Heiji ?" Kazuha asked, a worried expression on the face, mirroring mine.
"- Kazuha, sorry, but we should head home...
- But I had ta...
- We'll do that tomorrow, there's still one week left after all."
My childhood friend locked her eyes in mine.
My face was serious but I didn't want to scare her or, even worse, her to try to meddle in whatever was happening, probably because of me. Not knowing what that 'whatever' was, I couldn't take the risk.
I almost sighed with relief when I saw she gave up and shook her head.
"- Home then..."
o.O.o
I managed to keep both with Kazuha's chitchat and with our undesirable followers' surveillance on our way. I had been able to spot two men, in black suits and white shirts, and apparently used to those outfits. Yakusas ? Officials ? Just who the hell were they...
Taking the opportunity of a road mirror just around the last corner before the Toyama's house to have a better look at their faces, I stopped a second to finally sigh when I recognized the men.
"- Ya ok, Heiji ?
- Yea... Looks like Oyaji is tryin' ta play one o' his pranks on me... " I answered, bored, my eyes at the corner I knew the men were waiting behind. "See ya tomorrow !
- Don' forget ya promised ta go shoppin' with me !" The girl yelled in my back when I ran towards my followers' hideout.
"- I won' ! " I assured her, before stopping and putting my fists on my hips to face the two policemen I knew I'd find right there.
"- Oy, what's up, guys ? Since when do I need some nannies with guns ?"
Both looked at each other with embarrass, clearly not wanting to share their secret with me.
"- Ok... Let's start with the guesses... Oyaji's order ?"
The taller, Sakamoto, had a slight nod.
"- Why ?
- Sorry, Hattori-kun, we can'..." The other - Nakashima? Nakajima ? I didn't remember - finally admitted.
"- The hell... Bring me ta him !" I snapped, feeling I was already losing my temper.
Was that my punishment after last week ? I did catch the guy, wasn't absolutely my fault if he decided to grab a priceless vase when I tackled him on the floor... And the owner didn't seem to mind that much, he had already too many of those fragile and expensive things everywhere in his mansion. His wife though...
Rahhh never mind ! I gave up as I removed my cap to ruffle my hair with annoy.
Cap back on my head, I looked once again at the two officers and none had even tried to answer me. Time to play dirty, I guessed.
"- Ok... It's perhaps time fer me ta mention at home those poker games ya all have durin' the night's watch... "
I had a hard time retaining a snort of laughter when I saw how much they paled.
"- Just how...
- Never underestimate a detective, Sakamoto-keiji..." I warned him, unable to hide that smirk on my face now.
"- Oh, come on, the Boss never forbid us ta bring Heiji-kun ta him...
- Agree..." Naka-unknown letter-ima agreed as he brought his hand to his earplug. "Hey, Ikuo, could ya find out where is the Chief ? ... Ok. He's in Osaka's castle's park, they found a body there..."
Oh, was that going to be my first case of the week ? I was almost thinking about thanking Oyaji for that.
"- Let's go !" I ordered, with more excitation than needed.
Twenty minutes by car and ten minutes walk later, I recognized my genitor's tall silhouette discussing, as always, with Kazuha's father.
My hot-blooded temperament got the best of me once again and I didn't even wait for them to stop speaking before snapping at my father.
"- Oy, Oyaji, can ya explain me why do I have two babysitters stickin' by my ass ?!
- Language, son."
I almost choked with anger when I saw that he was back to his chat with Toyama, totally ignoring me.
He paused only one second when he spotted the faces of my two nannies who had been approaching, heads half hidden between their shoulders, waiting for the storm to hit.
"- Sakamoto, Nakashima, bring him back home. Unless that mission is also too much fer ya ?"
That was so unfair... I was just asking for answers and that guy was sending me back home, just like you tell some 5 years old kid to go to bed.
"- I want ta know first why ya put me under surveillance." I growled with a defiant look, clenching my fists along my body to keep a low voice despite the fire boiling in me.
"- Not surveillance. Protection."
I didn't see that one coming and I bet that, even in the dark, he had been able to see on my face it was like a cold shower on the blaze of angriness inside of me.
"- ... What ?! Against what ? "
I searched his eyes in search for answers when he stayed silent and spotted, though it could have just been my imagination, what looked like worry.
Since when did Oyaji worry ? He was just a bunch of cold glares and hard looks. Add to that the fact he was the kind to know how exactly a game of chess would end after only five minutes playing it...
No. Way. Just my imagination then.
"- Wait here." He finally ordered to me after a sigh."I need ta finish my task here first an' then, we'll talk about it. Just stay near my men."
That was a first small victory and I hesitated a second before trying to win another one, always uneasy at the idea of asking my father to meddle with one of his case but the urge was too strong. "Let me help ya."
My old man locked his eyes in mine to finally nod. "No touchin'. An' behave.
- Roger."
I didn't know if he accepted my help because he trusted me or if he wanted to make sure I was going to stay around but I didn't mind. I really needed a case to change my mind.
o.O.o
That was fun how I always felt pretty young when I saw Oyaji at work. I was considering myself as an excellent detective but being with him in a case tended to throw me into a crisis of confidence. I was always a step ahead, and that was already quite enough to impress the passerby and solve some cases. He, on the other hand, had at least five. As disagreeable as it was, I had to admit I still had a lot of things to learn from him.
Though I'd never say it, even over my dead body. No. My problem right now, now that we were standing in the park, a bit isolated of the policemen after he solved that case in barely one half hour, was to know why I got two officers on my back.
"- So ? Why all the mystery ?" I asked with a sigh and an assorted bored look. "I'm not a kid anymore...
- Ya do act like one though..." Oyaji retorted, his face as annoyed as mine. "Just promise me ya'll behave durin' a few days.
- Once again. Why ?
- I know ya, if I tell ya, ya're just goin' ta run in the streets like an ahou.
- Tell. Me. WHY !" I finally yelled, unable to keep a control on my temper anymore, absolutely pissed off by the lack of faith my genitor had in me.
And then he grabbed my arm. I thought a second it was to hit me with the other, just like he did last time in that very same park. I knew I shouldn't have been barking at him like that, he was my father after all but I just couldn't stop myself.
He threw me on the side to the ground, face first, and stood a second, his back turned to me, before collapsing a bit further away. My ears were ringing and I was confused but I guessed easily this had nothing to do with a punishment. And that whistle followed by a squishy noise I heard when I touched the floor couldn't presage any good.
It reminded me of... Kyûdô. And indeed, when I started to get up, I saw an arrow.
"- Oyaji !" I yelled when I saw it was coming right out of his torso.
My mind started to go blank but I knew I had to go near of him, to compress his wound. But our aggressor had decided I wouldn't and, when another arrow flew close to my head, I rolled behind a nearby tree to take cover, escaping to a third one that ended in the trunk between us.
I clenched my teeth, annoyed not to be able to defend myself against that archer I couldn't see, annoyed not to be able to help my father who was bleeding and probably too much for his own sake. I had no choice, I knew I'd lose all my chances to catch that man but Oyaji was first priority.
"- Oy, officer down ! Call an ambulance !" I yelled with all my lungs, knowing I'd be able to reach the policemen's ears, with them being so close.
"- Yer father won' always protect ya, coward."
I couldn't spot where that voice was coming from but I knew two things. First. It was familiar, though I couldn't identify it. Second, the noise of broken branches indicated the man was taking his leave, meaning I could go to my old man. I hoped. I had been sure of it only when I reached him without any arrow stuck into my head.
"- Heiji-kun, what's the matter ?!" A voice asked behind me, Sakamoto's. I knew he wasn't that far away since he was the one who was supposed to bring me back home and he had been waiting for me to finish my chat.
"- Oyaji, he... Someone shoot him, the guy fled over there !" I told him, my hand towards the bushes I heard move earlier. "Call an ambulance an' send some men after him !
- Oh my... Got it !"
The man probably left, I didn't know, the only thing I knew when I kneeled by my father was that he had been hurt. And badly.
"- Oy, Oyaji, hold on, the medics are comin', ok ?" I whispered as I removed my jacket to compress his wound, trying to ignore the fact it was so bloody. So close to the heart.
My hands probably hurt him, since he flinched and opened his eyes.
"- Heiji...
- Don' talk, ya'll tell me later." I pledged him, trying to ignore that little voice in me that was pointing out that 'later' may never come.
I don't know how but I bet he heard that voice too because he nevertheless kept moving and brought a shaking hand on my right cheek.
"- I'm... proud o' ya" was the last thing I expected to come out of his mouth.
"Just ... don'... "
I didn't want him to talk like a dying man. He wasn't dying, not him. No way I could allow him to.
I started to really panic when I felt his hand leaving my face and saw his torso wasn't moving anymore.
"- Oy, Oyaji ! Stay with me ! OYAJI !"
But even with the Otemae hospital so close, Oyaji wasn't alive anymore when he passed through the automatic glass doors of its ER department.