Suspense in Summer

Why do I have to cook for you?

Tsukiko Kyono confronted me in an apron, her attitude prickly. She’s a classmate of mine, known for her long black hair and beautiful appearance.

It was sometime in the evening.

Despite it being summer vacation, we still attended school frequently. We failed to pass the exams for our first semester, and now had to take supplementary classes.

It was after one of those classes that Tsukiko, uninvited and still in her school uniform, came to my studio apartment. She brought with her the ingredients for a meat and potato stew.

I bet you're not eating properly, since you're living alone.

She pushed her way inside and started to prepare dinner.

A moment passed, and an odd tension grew in the air. Now, it seemed like I was the one forcing her to cook. Her knife drummed on the chopping board as she cut the vegetables. Tsukiko's expression was sulky.

You even made me wear a pink apron.

Didn't you bring that yourself?

I bet you're thinking something like, hehe, she's wearing an apron over her school uniform.

That's not really my kind of fetish . . .

I'm this embarrassed, and you don't feel a thing?!

I can’t win this conversation, can I?

Hmph.

Without another word, Tsukiko tips the chopped vegetables into a pot.

I live alone because my father was transferred to the countryside. With no high schools close enough that I could attend in the area, I chose to stay in the city where I was born and raised. As the house my family lived in was too big for just me, I moved into this apartment.

Although I enjoy my carefree life, Tsukiko comes over quite often.

Do you want me to help you?

No, it's okay. You can relax over there, Yukiji.

I sat on the sofa and turned on the television.

The evening news was on.

Political corruption, a missing elementary school student, bank robbers on the run, celebrities having an affair, an exhibition on the history of cannons at some museum, the development of a new drug turning out to be fake . . .

I had no interest in these things.

Just as I'm getting bored, my cat jumped onto the sofa. I petted her smooth, furry head.

I never thought you'd have a cat, Yukiji.

You haven't seen her before, have you?

Nope. She wasn't here the last time I came over.

I only picked her up last week.

Was she abandoned?

I found her in front of my door.

I tickled the cat's chin, and her eyes narrowed with pleasure. What a cute little thing!

What's her name?

I haven't decided yet. Wonder what should I call her?

Tsukiko placed our dinner on the table, and we sat across from each other as we ate. The amount of vegetables in the stew showed how much she cared for my health.

As I was a responsible cat owner, I didn't forget to feed the cat. I poured some milk into a dish and placed it on the floor. The cat lapped it up eagerly. Once finished, she climbed onto my lap, asking for my attention. I stroked her head while eating my stew.

After dinner, we sat on the sofa and watched a movie. It was a common action flick, but each action scene had humorous twists, making it funny and refreshing.

Gazing at Tsukiko's profile, I remembered what some of the boys from my class had said about her.

Tsukiko is seriously hot. I wish I could date her.

Idiot, you don't stand a chance. Besides, she may look cute, but she's rough on the inside.

That's the point, I want her to scold me.

Perhaps she's actually gentle when you get her alone?

A trivial boys' conversation.

Tsukiko was the kind of girl who often became the focus of such talk.

And right now, I was alone in my apartment with that girl.

Fair skin, thin lips, almond-shaped eyes, long limbs. She looked thin when fully dressed, but her gym clothes revealed more impressive proportions than I had expected.

I had known Tsukiko since elementary school. Usually, childhood friends didn't see each other as potential romantic interests until they were in high school, but for Tsukiko, things were different.

Tsukiko had always been mature and beautiful since she was little. She had been many a boy's first crush.

Is there something wrong?

Noticing my gaze, Tsukiko turned toward me.

Are you still hungry?

No.

I quickly averted my gaze, not wanting her to realize I was admiring her beautiful face. Tsukiko's prickly demeanor could be a challenge, but I was no better.

As a distraction, I stroked and talked to my cat.

Don't you get lonely when I'm at school?

Meow.

I wonder if I should get another cat. But they say it's harder to look after more.

I squeezed her tiny paw gently.

Meow.

I'd heard that many cats hated being touched, but this one seemed completely relaxed.

Amused, I started playing with the cat.

Eventually, Tsukiko seemed to grow bored. She gave the cat a long, hard stare, so I picked the cat up and placed her down on the opposite side to Tsukiko.

Want to play a video game?

When I asked this, Tsukiko blinked.

Huh?

She had a look of annoyance on her face.

Wait a minute. You make it seem like I'm jealous because you're paying attention to the cat, not me? No way! Can you stop framing it like that? You couldn't be more wrong if you tried! Seriously!

Well, you looked really bored.

Your very existence bores me.

Then why do you keep inviting yourself over?

So that's how you want to play?

No one likes to have their contradictions pointed out.

Tsukiko glared at me.

I'm going to burn this place down.

Well, that's a scary threat.

Despite all of that, we ended up playing a video game together. Whenever I won, she'd say the same thing.

This is boring.

And when I lost, she'd still complain.

You're such a pushover, it's not even fun.

She always found a reason to lash out at me. This girl had more thorns than a cactus.

When I playfully punched her shoulder in retaliation, she fought back with everything she had.

I give, I give!

Things turned into an all out wrestling match. Since I’m naturally stronger, I ended up pinning Tsukiko down while looming over her. Her refined face, inches from mine, reminded me of just how beautiful she was, which made me nervous.

Suddenly, Tsukiko became docile and turned away.

I don't like this.

The expression on her face looked incredibly delicate.

I'm sorry.

I moved away from her.

After a while, Tsukiko regained her energy.

Yeah, it's all your fault.

Sulking, she playfully poked my back with her bare feet.

Tsukiko was an unstable girl.

It's my fault that she became that way, but if I told her, she would just get upset.

Seriously? Why would it be your fault? It's so annoying when you go all heroic as if you're the cause of all the world's sadness.

Still, I couldn't help think that if I had been there for her on that summer day five years ago . . .

My home was right between our high school and Tsukiko's place. She still couldn't walk home from school alone. Truth be told, that's why she took breaks at my apartment.

Do you want me to walk you home?

I offered, as it was getting late.

Nah, I'll go home by myself.

She was probably trying to get better step by step. I decided to see her off at the front door.

Tsukiko slipped her feet into her socks, then her loafers.

She would be fine walking through the market district alone. But she seemed reluctant to leave. She stood at the front door, shoes on, fidgeting uneasily.

What's wrong?

Uh, well . . .

Her scrunched up face suggested she had something she wanted to say.

Tsukiko tended to come at others from an unexpected angle. I wasn't anticipating anything, and I had sensed no hint of it, but it was possible she was about to confess her love.

If that was the case, I'd tease her for all the times she'd been prickly with me.

But I was completely wrong.

That cat . . .

Her gaze was fixed on the cat on the sofa.

Maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me, or perhaps I'm going crazy but . . .

She sounded hesitant, her demeanor reserved.

It doesn't look like a cat to me . . .

She was on all fours, wore a collar around her neck, and even had cat ears. As my pet, I treated her with affection. For her part, the cat seemed to enjoy being my pet. But still . . .

To me, she looks like a little girl. Am I losing my mind?

Not in the slightest.

Tsukiko, you're absolutely right.

You see . . .

The "cat" I was keeping was, in fact, a little elementary school girl.

The same girl who was reported missing on the national news just a while ago.

◇

First, I sit Tsukiko down on the sofa. Her was face frozen in shock.

She seemed unable to fully grasp the situation. She tilted her head in question, looking at the "cat" sitting next to her on the sofa. Well, it's totally understandable. Anyone would be confused seeing an elementary school girl treated as a cat.

Just then, a news special about the incident came on.

To be more precise, the incident concerned not only the disappearance of an elementary school girl.

The sensational headline read . . .

Midsummer Elementary Schoolgirl Chocolate Murder Case.

Since summer vacation started, two victims had been discovered. Each was missing for a week before their bodies were found. Now, a third girl had gone missing.

On the TV, they showed the missing girl's picture.

Fumika Yukimi.

A very intelligent-looking girl.

Based on the pattern so far, she would probably be the third victim, found with chocolate stuffed in her mouth. With a sorrowful expression, the news anchor made a plea for witnesses.

That very girl was in this room, wearing a collar and a gothic Lolita outfit.

Tsukiko somehow grasped the situation and . . .

Burst into tears.

Unbelievable!

She cried uncontrollably, her beautiful face crumpled and her nose running.

I know I'm kind of hard on you quite often, Yukiji, but deep down, I didn't really think you were a bad guy. I trusted you. But now, doing something like this . . . ?

Tsukiko, calm down.

You're horrible, Yukiji, just horrible!

It's not like that, I can explain . . .

What do you mean ‘it’s not like that’?! This is the very girl that has been reported missing! This is kidnapping or confinement or whatever! And to top it all off, treating her like a pet . . . ?! That’s so inhumane. I mean, when we were having dinner . . .

I gave the cat some milk in a bowl on the floor. Which meant the little elementary school girl was on her hands and knees, lapping milk from the bowl.

You do this when I'm not around as well, don't you?

Well, yes, I guess I do.

Urghhhhh!

Tsukiko screamed, seeing me as a monster born from the darkness of modern society.

It's no good. Fumika, say something.

And yet . . .

Meow.

The fifth-grade girl, Fumika Yukimi, continued to meow like a cat. Her posh face looked as innocent as ever. Of course, this is just metaphorical, she is only a cute little human girl pretending to be a cat.

Gross . . .

Tsukiko gave me a judgmental stare.

So you've trained her to be like that . . .

That's not true!

I guess I have to execute you myself . . .

Why is your conclusion so far-fetched?!

Well, you're going to have to make amends then. I'll ensure you're properly punished.

Teary-eyed, Tsukiko whipped out her phone. She only needed to press the call button, having already tapped out the three-digit number.

That's really not a good idea! Hey, Fumika!

It was at this point that Fumika finally said something other than meow.

Tsukiko, this is, uh, the fifth landing . . .

Okay. I’ll have the officers come directly to this room on the fifth landing.

What?! No. It’s not ‘uh, the fifth landing.’ It’s ‘a misunderstanding’! Fumika, please, stop joking around!

Tsukiko could call the cops on me anytime, and yet Fumika casually made jokes. What’s with elementary schoolers these days?!

Yes, sorry, I was tongue-tied. I meant to say it was a misunderstanding, not give directions to the fifth landing. Everything is consensual.

So you consented to this pet cat and her owner thing?

Yes, that's correct.

Her saying all this was consensual kind of made it sound more suspicious.

This is all because of certain unavoidable circumstances. Fumika would be in danger if I didn't keep her here as a pet . . . I know this isn't easy to understand but . . .

Tsukiko stared at me with a frosty stare.

I don't think Tsukiko's going to trust me. Fumika, can you explain this to her?

Everything Yukiji said is true. In fact, I asked him to do it.

You've brainwashed her . . .

No, Yukiji just disciplined me a little bit.

What are you saying? You're clearly adding on to her misunderstanding!

Well, you scolded me quite a bit last night.

You were trying to stay up late.

You tell me to eat this and that like you're my mother.

That's just how caring I am!

He even made me roll on the floor and spin round in a circle!

That's just part of our cat-owner playtime getting a bit out of hand . . .

The kind of tail-chasing, running in circles that cats enjoyed.

I felt so dizzy. It's was terrible!

Fumika turned back to Tsukiko, her face now serious.

So, all that aside, it's not what you think.

She tried to explain, but . . .

Fumika, you've been through a lot, haven't you?

Tsukiko's imagination ran wild, bringing tears to her eyes.

That's called Stockholm Syndrome.

Hey, Fumika isn’t experiencing any sort of fear that would twist her heart living here. In fact, she’s enjoying newfound freedom. She can even watch late-night shows that her mom doesn’t approve of.

It's okay. In time, you'll come to realize just how terrible this guy is.

I wondered what Tsukiko thought of me. Sure, when looking at this situation from the outside, what I was doing seemed pretty perverted.

But if the police arrested me, Fumika would be the one who'd suffer.

Fumika had a serious glint in her eyes.

You might not believe me, but . . .

Her expression became mysterious, and she turned to Tsukiko.

I have to live as a cat here.

If I don't . . .

I'll be killed on August 31.

Seeing Fumika's earnest plea, Tsukiko felt a need to listen. She pulled her finger away from her phone just before hitting the call button.

However, her confusion showed that she couldn't quite grasp what Fumika was saying. That was to be expected.

Anyone would feel the same way. That's why Fumika had been reluctant to speak about it until now.

You became a cat because if you didn’t, you’d die . . . ?

Tsukiko, pondered carefully on what she had heard.

Well if that's the case . . .

Wait, you're convinced by such a bogus-sounding explanation?

Did . . . Did you just call me stupid?

Sheesh . . . you're so annoying.

I'm not stupid, you know!

Tsukiko was an impulsive type. That was why on her report card, her teacher wrote the message.

You need to get in the habit of taking the time to think things through.

Because of that, she hated people calling her stupid. When she didn’t understand something, she tried her best to think things through, and when she just couldn’t grasp it, her face became a picture of puzzlement . . .

Yeah, maybe you're right.

And she wound up buying whatever she was told.

In short, she was easy to fool.

But that trait of hers seemed to be working in my favor this time.

If that’s the case, then it probably makes sense. Yes. That’s what I think after careful contemplation.

Tsukiko nodded. Seeing this, Fumika breathed a sigh of relief.

Just don't call the cops on me, okay?

But at that moment, Tsukiko frowned and regarded me with a skeptical look.

You have Fumika as a pet because of unavoidable circumstances, right?

Yeah, that's right. The important part is Fumika acting like a cat.

Then what's with that costume?

Tsukiko narrowed her eyes, looking at Fumika.

Fumika sported a cat-ear headband and a collar.

Well, she has to be a cat.

I'm talking about her clothes.

She also wore a frilly black dress with a short skirt and knee-high socks.

It could be described as pure Lolita style.

This is really sketchy, you know.

She had a point. A high school student making an elementary school girl wear something like that and having her sit on his lap did sound quite sketchy.

Indeed, this outfit is weird.

Fumika looked down at her own clothes.

I could've worn a black hoodie or something to be a cat, right?

Their collective gaze turned toward me.

Well . . .

That's just my taste.

Tsukiko called the cops on me.

◇

I was being taken to the police station in the back of a large van.

After calling the police, Tsukiko ordered me outside.

As we were waiting on the sidewalk for a police car, a black and white police van passed by, and Tsukiko raised her hand to flag it down.

She explained to the officers that she'd already called and asked them to take me to the police station.

I learned from a TV drama that if you turn yourself in, the punishment will be lighter.

I was the one who called, but only because he decided to turn himself in.

Tsukiko stressed this to the police officers several times.

A high school student out at night with an elementary school girl who wasn't related to him. That alone would have been enough to justify taking me into custody.

Tsukiko, you'll come to visit me, right?

I'm not really sure, what with that Lolita complex thing . . .

You're too honest.

After saying goodbye to Tsukiko like that, Fumika and I got into the back of the van.

I knew she wouldn't believe us.

That you'll die unless you pretend to be my pet cat . . .

Well, Tsukiko almost bought it, you know?

She's a little hard-headed.

The reason she called the police was because of a certain someone's weird taste in clothes, right?!

Ah, damn it! If only Tsukiko had a bit more imagination!

This is so frustrating.

Fumika tried to lighten the mood, but her face quickly turned solemn.

I don't think Tsukiko would've fully believed me at the end of the day.

Fumika spoke quietly. She had a look of desolation on her face.

I was silent for a moment.

The night scenery flowed past the window. I took in the vibration and sound of the engine, the distinct smell of the vehicle.

No one would believe that I have precognitive abilities, and that I foresaw my own death.

Fumika held her smartphone tightly in a tiny hand.

On the screen is the homepage of a popular search engine, displaying news headlines. It all seemed normal until you took a closer look.

Tomorrow's date was on page. “Headline Precognition.” That’s the name I gave to her ability, for the sake of convenience.

We had met just a few days ago.

As usual, I’d woken up early for the supplementary classes, regretting that I han't studied harder for last semester's exams. After I left my apartment dressed in my school uniform, a sharp-looking little girl stopped me at the building’s entrance.

I need to talk to you about something!

The girl was Fumika. She had a red school backpack, short hair, and wore socks with cute characters printed on them. She somewhat resembled Tsukiko from our elementary school days.

Tomorrow will be sunny!

She showed me her phone. Looking back, she probably wanted to prove her ability to predict the future. But the weather only has three options: sunny, cloudy, or rainy. Plus, there was no other way to find out if she was right, except to wait and find out. At that point, I just thought of it as a weather forecast.

Oh, really?

Noticing my lackluster reaction, Fumika grumbled.

Grrr . . .

How about this then?

She showed me a sports headline that mentioned the final scores for a soccer match. The match was to be played by a national team at the weekend, three days from now. Naturally, the news article’s date was also in the future.

Elementary school kids these days are really impressive.

I thought that she had created a fake website with a future date on it.

No!

Fumika stamped her feet and raised her voice.

I can predict the future. That's what I'm trying to tell you!

Wait, does that mean you just spoiled the soccer game for me? That's not cool!

Really? That is so trivial.

The clever girl had another strategy prepared.

She scrolled through the screen with a tiny finger, going back through the news articles.

Her hand seemed too small for the phone.

What about this?

The headline she pointed to was in the breaking news section.

Vehicle hits students on way to school.

The smaller text under the headline stated that a drowsy driver hit two high school students on their way to school a little after eight in the morning, on what was today.

Right now, the time was seven fifty-five. If the article was accurate, the accident would happen soon.

The screen displayed the name of the street.

That street was within the district my high school was in.

If this article is correct, then students from my high school will be injured.

Fumika was trying to prove her ability to predict the future with this article.

I tapped her phone to read the article in detail, but the screen wouldn't budge.

I'm sorry, I can only foresee the headlines.

You mean you can't foresee the details?

She could only see the home page of the site. That meant that she could see titles and only the first few lines of text that followed, but nothing more.

I wanted to check the details of the article in order to find out the exact location of the accident, but Fumika's phone wouldn't let me do that.

However, I did have an idea of a place where such accidents could occur.

I know a street in that area that the locals say is dangerous. It has quite a narrow sidewalk.

People often joked that if a candidate promised to install guardrails there, they'd easily win the mayoral election.

That's where it will happen! Let's go.

I didn't fully buy her explanation, but we went there regardless.

We arrived in the area just after eight. From afar, we could see a red car swerving unsteadily, as it headed towards us. Two girls absorbed in their conversation were walking along the sidewalk. They were from the class next door, and members of the badminton club. They were likely on their way to practice, judging from the racket cases they carried.

The car approached at an alarming speed.

Hey, you two!

As I called out, the girls turned around.

Huh, who are you?

Isn't that Yukiji, from the class next door?

Ah, the guy who gets off on Tsukiko ripping into him . . .

What do you think I am?!

The threat was imminent. I grabbed the girls by their shoulders and pulled them behind a utility pole.

What's got into you?

Is Tsukiko okay with you being this intimate with us? She might be furious.

The two girls joked around.

But seconds later, the car mounted the sidewalk, plowing right into where the girls had been walking.

No way . . .

After a moment of stunned silence, the girls turned to me and spoke.

Thanks, Yukiji . . .

They thanked me and left. Their cheeks slightly flushed.

Let's hang out together some time.

One of the girls added, looking at the ground and fidgeting.

Her attitude was completely clear. She liked me.

Do you get it now? The reason I came to you?

Yeah.

I looked at the retreating backs of the two girls, nodding.

You've come from the future to help me get a girlfriend, right?

That is so wrong.

Fumika showed me the screen of her phone once again.

The date displayed was in the future, August 31.

According to my phone, it was August 17, meaning that date in question was exactly two weeks from now.

The incident that would occur on that day was . . .

Missing girl, Fumika Yukimi (11), found dead.

◇

On the morning of the 17th, after preventing the traffic accident, I went with Fumika to a local park instead of going to school. We had things to discuss.

To sum up her explanation . . .

Headline prediction allowed her to foresee the future via the news headlines displayed on her smartphone.

Also, it was possible to intervene, just like how I had helped those two girls earlier.

So far, no matter what I try, I can’t alter the prediction of my own death.

Fumika had this ability for quite a while now, and it seemed she'd already completed extensive tests.

Let’s take another headline from the same date, August 31. For example, this one about how the ‘History of Cannons’ exhibition at a museum suffered damage.

I think we should go somewhere else. Sitting on the swings during the middle of a weekday with a grade schooler . . . It doesn’t look good.

Say, if I contacted the museum in advance and asked them to beef up security, this headline would disappear.

Are you listening to me?

I'm going to let this one slide. It's only a few artifacts that'll be damaged. It's not like anyone's getting injured or anything.

The point is, we can change the future.

Fumika continued.

So I've been trying to get rid of the prediction of my own death.

She’d asked her parents to put a lock on her bedroom door, and to buy a bunch of emergency buzzers and anti-molester sprays.

But no matter what I do, this headline won't go away. It's probably because I'm not taking the 'correct action'.

And yet . . . Look at this.

She handed me her phone. The lettering of that August 31 headline wavered.

When I get close to you, Yukiji, that happens. Which means you are the key to erasing this headline.

Wait, are you implying I'm the murderer?

That was the first possibility that came to my mind.

Fumika had wandered around town looking for clues to erase the headline, and discovered that the letters blurred when I was close by. She first suspected that I would be her murderer. At that time, the second victim of the Chocolate Murder Case had already gone missing.

Where were you last night?

Let's see . . . I was at the arcade playing games.

When you were playing that claw machine and spacing out, I was standing behind you with pepper spray at the ready.

Apparently, she was about to spray me directly in the eyes, and then use her phone to call the cops.

I had no idea I was in such danger . . .

The everyday life you take for granted, Yukiji, is a fragile thing that can be destroyed in seconds.

Scary.

Fumika had been ready to take me down, but didn't . . .

As she held up the spray cannister, not only did the headline not disappear, but the letters stopped wavering, becoming firmer and clearer instead.

In other words, if I incapacitate you, Yukiji, it appears that my death becomes certain.

Wait, you were trying to incapacitate me?!

Well, that's a trivial matter. The important thing is, when I'm near you, the prediction of my death starts to blur.

A key to survival, or an amulet.

That is what she thought I was.

So, please cooperate with me.

Fumika's death was a part of the Midsummer Elementary School Chocolate Murder cases. I didn't know why, but if she was with me, there was a chance she could be saved.

So, we tried a variety of things to erase the headline.

If one of those turned out to be the 'correct action', the prediction of her death might disappear.

First, we tried the police. We told them that she might be the target of a serial killer. Naturally, they dismissed us.

There are tons of elementary schoolers in this city, we can't protect just one.

Even inside the police station, the headline did not waver a bit. After all, Fumika had previously tried reaching out to the police and her teachers, and both were already doing what they could to protect students.

The correct course of action had to be some other factor.

Given that the headlines seemed to react specifically to me, I assumed something unique to me was the key.

How about I hide at your place?

It seemed worth a shot.

In my apartment, the headline blurred even more. We then tried everything we could think of methodically, until it completely faded away.

We held our breath, covered ourselves with a blanket, we hid in the bathtub with the lid on – we tried a lot of things, but the only action that made the headline completely disappear was for Fumika to act and behave like a cat.

The cause and effect were unclear.

At any rate, the outcome was all that mattered.

Fumika, how about hiding out here as a cat?

I'll catch the murderer.

Why do you have to catch them? Couldn't we just leave it to the police?

Well, you know, it's a bit complicated.

With that settled, I bought a cat-ear headband, collar, and even a gothic Lolita costume I liked the look of, creating the cutest cat to keep as a pet.

However . . .

Our plan failed.

Tsukiko, unaware of all of this, called the police and we were now trapped inside a police van.

The night scenery continued to flow past the window.

The headline . . . it's back.

On her phone, the August 31 headline had reappeared.

To get rid of it, she needed to quickly return to my apartment and pretend to be a cat again. However, given our current situation, that was easier said than done.

Even with her consent, kidnapping a minor is still a crime. In other words, having spent several days together at my place, I was undoubtedly going to be in police custody for a while.

Fumika and I met on August 17, and we had spent four days as cat and owner. Which meant today was August 21. Only ten days remained until the 31st.

If the police hold us in custody, you won't be able to stay with me, right?

Yup.

They’ll return me to my parents and I won’t be able to pretend to be a cat anymore.

That's right.

Wasn't letting Tsukiko in a mistake? I somehow had a feeling it would come to this. There's no way she would have believed us . . .

Believing in something like precognition was difficult. Fumika, having experienced multiple instances of her predictions coming true, had a sense of urgency. Since I'd only experienced that traffic accident, the idea of a murder case still seemed doubtful to me.

Actually, I thought Tsukiko would be on your side.

What made you think that?

If I'm the key to erasing the headline, maybe my role is to introduce you to Tsukiko.

What do you mean?

Fumika tilted her head in confusion. I tried to explain, but . . .

Actually, before we get into that, we might be in a bit of trouble.

Huh?

Because, um, we're not in a police van.

Four men dressed in police uniforms sat in the vehicle. One in the driver's seat, another in the passenger seat, and the other two in the middle row. Several of them laughed at what I said.

If that's so, then who do you think we're with?

The man in the passenger seat, who hadn't laughed, asked.

I answer with conviction.

Bank robbers on the lam.