It was a lovely, sunny  afternoon when Hakuba took a cab into the city. From there, he proceeded on foot to the bank, his accountant’s office, and to the court house, which was his last stop before meeting his father for a very late lunch. Business went as planned, no surprises, everything  precisely on time and as expected. 

He stepped out of the court house doors and turned on his mobile, gazing from the top of the steps down to the busy streets below. A perfect day, really. No Hattori Heiji, no overblown heists, and no violent serial killers on his tail. 

A new email message popped up on the screen once the data connection had been established. It was from his father. 

‘Saguru – going to be late. Five o’clock okay instead?’

The teenage detective sighed, but smiled fondly. He’d expected – and planned – for this. It would give him two hours to stop by the used bookshop and the little French cafe next to it. Tea, a ‘new’ book, and a halfway decent eclair? Heaven! 

He called the senior Hakuba back, assured him that it was fine, fine, perfectly fine, and then took a moment to appreciate life as he put his phone away.  

But then… Something about the way the wind felt against his skin felt off.  And there was the distinct feeling of wrong in his stomach. He frowned. Dizziness, heart fluttering, and.. What.. ?

Hakuba staggered to a column to steady himself, briefcase clattering to the ground after slipping from his sweaty palms. He struggled to pull air into his lungs without any sort of success, gasping helplessly, and then-

Shit.

Oh bloody hell, this again?

The white Turkish Angora crept out from the pile of clothing that he left behind, frowning in disdain. Wandering cats were against city ordinance, and he was without license, tags, or collar. Though the crucifix necklace clung to his chest, snugly tangled in the fur around his neck, he was fairly certain that it would not count. 

This in mind, he started the task of removing it, sitting upright to make use of both paws… all while trying to ignore the fact that it looked unnatural and crazy and that he was on government property.

So much for his perfectly scheduled plans. But at least it wasn’t raining.