Chapter Text
Heizou had a long day. His eyes were heavy and itching in a way that coffee could no longer prevent as he picked at them with the side of his finger.
How long had it been now that he'd been on this case? Two and a half days? Three? There'd been a nap in there at some point that lasted a few hours but nothing that made up for his lack of sleep. How much he was craving his bed right now, hoping that Kazuha had turned the window air on. The apartment got so warm this time of year and sometimes his roommate could be forgetful at the most inconvenient times.
Ah well. He should be happy to have found a roommate. Most of the people living in the city were struggling to keep their place or else were commuting long hours from the suburbs. It sucked trying to afford rent downtown alone and Heizou was desperately single with a paycheck that would never have covered the bills and the monthly wages the city demanded for a roof over his head and a lock on the door.
If he was being honest, he was glad. Kazuha was a friend of a friend and the guy didn't mind the fact that Heizou had given one of the free open rooms to his cat when they'd moved in. The landlord didn't need to know and Watson deserved some space to himself.
The little gray cat, too small for his attitude and with a patch of white on his chest that he would would stick out for petting, was one of the only reasons Heizou knew he was still sane.
Kujou Sara, the lead inspector in most of division one, had decided she liked to pick on him and saddle him with the most outrageous workload — just because she couldn't find anyone else to take it. His family had all but disowned him when he told them he was going into law enforcement instead of the 'family business' and taking over for his father in their own, run down dojo that only kids still found fascinating. And Kazuha…. well… His roommate would leave out plates of food sometimes for several days before either of them notice the smell, either because he'd forgotten he was eating it or because his thoughts had taken him somewhere else and it was no longer important to him. That was just how his mind worked.
So Heizou found his life hectic and with a headache that could kill a person twice over.
Watson helped with all that. The little feline even decorated his wallpaper on his phone, giving him comfort whenever he got a nasty phone call.
It became a well known fact both in and outside the office that Heizou had a soft heart of the little lap heaters. He'd gone out of his way on several assignments whenever he noticed a poster of missing cats, making sure he had photographs of them and their information if he came across them while walking the streets.
Who better than a cop to spot a missing cat? It was basic deduction — at least to him. Those working with him never really felt the same, though they'd 'humor' him whenever he took out his phone and snapped the picture.
As far as track records went, he'd found three cats. That was three cats more than anyone else here.
Rubbing his eyes again, the papers in front of him started to blur.
This case was important. There were a few dozen people they were holding for questioning that would be let go in the next day or two if they didn't get their act together. They needed to look into alibis and it was clear that someone had another covering for their absence. Heizou was sure that they had one of the killers in the murder case of a young teen here. The boy had been in the wrong place at the wrong time and mistaken for someone else.
Innocent or not, if they had been after the right person, they had a killer in one of the cells.
To make matters worse, someone was in danger still and they couldn't do much to protect them. Gangs weren't new. Under the surface they swam like sharks, leaving trails of blood and frightening the populace. The person they had been after was the younger brother of another gang member who had fled and was currently missing. They had gotten that much, but only through inference and through the testimony of the boy who was the intended victim.
"Shikanoin, get some rest."
The hand on his shoulder made him jump.
"But, Inspector—"
"I know the case isn't closed and we're still working but you haven't had rest and you're no used to us tired like this. Go home, rest up. Come back after you've gotten some sleep." Inspector Kujou patted his shoulder where her hand sat, weight behind it. "I need a few officers who aren't running on watered down coffee and an empty battery."
She had a point. His mind was still racing as his body struggled to remain functional.
Letting out a sigh, Heizou stood. His legs were a bit weak. When had he eaten? Had he forgotten to do that too? "You have a point. I'll rest and be back in the…" What time was it? Seven? Eight at night? "I'll be back in the early morning."
"I'll see you then."
…
Driving on autopilot and knowing that was dangerous, Heizou did his best to focus and not fall asleep behind the wheel. It was a good thing most of those in the city were terrible drivers. He fit right in and the sound of the horns blaring in his ears kept him relatively focused.
By the time he got to his apparent, he was ready to fall asleep at the doorway. He took the elevator up to the twelfth floor and exited, passing all the doors that looked the same until he got to his doorway.
The door was partially open.
"Kazuha, really?" Heizou complained as he pushed the door the rest of the way open. "If Watson got out, you're finding him!"
Watson was a good cat but he was still a cat, and could be a brat at that. This wasn't the first time Kazuha had left the door open and the last time Watson got out he'd been missing for two days. Neither of them had fully recovered from the arguments that happened over that time.
To Heizou, it was like Kazuha let a kid walk out the door. Sure, Kazuha said he hadn't meant to do it and didn't realize he had when he was bringing in a package, but it didn't matter. He'd still done it and it was upsetting.
Making sure the door was closed now, he looked through the apartment. "Watson? Hey, tthhkk thhkk thhkk. Kitty! Are you here?"
A wave of relief washed over him when a small mew noise hit him and the little gray fuzz ball walked up to him from under the bed in his room. "Ah, thank the gods! Watson. I've had such a bad day."
Scooping up the little guy in his arms and petting him as the cat struggled both to nuzzle him and escape his hold, Heizou looked to the bed. It would be hard to fall onto it like he wanted. His clothes were filthy and needed to be changed. He'd also hurt the cat if he fell without being able to brace them both. His shoes were still on as well, since he hadn't been sure if he'd have to run out and find the little guy.
"Let me change and get you some food. Knowing that idiot, he didn't feed you, right?" Heizou chided. He hadn't asked his roommate to do so. He'd hoped Kazuha had enough sense but also knew it wasn't his responsibly. Like him, Kazuha worked the night shift and was often out in day. Since it was getting late, he'd probably left for work already. "Lets go see if you need anything before I pass out."
Letting Watson down, Heizou walked to the kitchen, the cat at his heels. Yeah, he was hungry. They both were.
Flicking on the lights in the darkened room, he grabbed the cat food and filled the empty bowl as the cat went at it the second he could. How long had it been empty? He grabbed a cup from the sink and did the same to the water dish.
He was too tired to make anything so he went to the fridge, looking in it at all the things that would need cooking or prepping of some kind. In the end he grabbed a few pieces of cheese, tiredly putting them into his mouth as he shut the door.
As he turned, he saw a note on the counter. Hm? Did Kazuha need something? They usually spoke through text if it was important — or not important. Who wrote notes anymore?
Maybe he needed something and was too embarrassed to ask.
Carelessly grabbing the note as he stated to the bedroom, Heizou stopped after a few steps. Something about the note was wrong.
His eyes skimmed it before he properly read it over, feeling what was left of his energy drain away and a new wave of confusion and dread take over.
What the fuck?!