68 Oh. That Guy.

Arius stood in the garden, and he thought about that discussion. 'No one is completely whole'? Right, Eirik did say that. Although Arius didn't know if he could agree.

He didn't really like being by himself, but sometimes he needed some space to think. He realized he wasn't alone though, when a small slender hand reached out and tapped him on the shoulder. As if by reflex, he grabbed the hand and held it.

"Need something, Zuna?" Arius smiled at the girl who's expression turned a little complicated.

"Do you think I'm messed up?" Zuna paid no attention to the blatant affection Arius showed by holding her hand.

"Aw, is Zuzu feeling insecure?"

She paused for a moment and then scoffed. "Do I have to say it out loud for you to get it?"

"Wait." Arius was taken aback, thinking that Zuna would never admit to it. "You have insecurities?"

"It's only natural!" Zuna was put off by the question and her eyebrows furrowed.

"Why would you ask me? Why not Eirik?"

"Dad wouldn't care even if I was brain dead! So what he thinks of me doesn't matter!" Zuna truly knew Eirik the best.

"But what I think does?" Arius had on a stupidly joyful expression.

"Yes." Once again, Zuna was not afraid to admit to her true feelings.

"Okay. I think..." Arius looked down at her hand, noticing the details, like her chipped nails and the small scars that took form on her knuckles. "You're reckless, simple minded, irrational, obnoxious, and arrogant." Each word ignited anger in her heart, but she let him continue until she heard him say, "However… I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Oh…" Zuna pulled her hand back and turned to walk away. "Thanks then."

Arius felt compelled to chase after her, and in the end decided not to as he watched her leave so casually. He had to wonder if she was really that dense, or if she just didn't care about his feelings.

   - - - - - - - - - - -

In the middle of the living area, there was a man bound by ropes and duct tape over his mouth. The rope looked new, and had no stray fibers.

"Eirik? Who is this?" Arius pointed at the man.

"He has illegal possession of weapons."As he spoke, Eirik dumped out a bunch of different firearms and knives from a sack.

"Oh. That guy." Arius had forgotten about the case. He had already solved his own, and he just didn't have the time to do anything about it.

"Now what?" Eirik asked as he dropped the sack onto the weapons.

"Put the things back into the bag first, I'll call David." Arius reached for his phone, turning his back toward Eirik.

The conversation didn't last long, and it actually turned out to have been a case that the police couldn't make any progress on. So Arius simply had to notify the police, which went well. Arius even asked if they could promote his future website that he was going to set up for the Bunny Bunch. They said no. It was reasonable though, they were the police, and a name like the 'Bunny Bunch' wasn't really good for publicity.

Arius wanted to have some 'street-cred' before actually making the website, and he planned to get as many viable prospects as possible. Of course, he couldn't use Cloud corporate for promoting. Arius knew business, but unfortunately, business wasn't supposed to know Philip Adam Johnson.

With that in mind, Arius knew that he should start working on the Puppy case, or technically, work on putting his solution into action. Although he didn't have a clear understanding of the situation, he at least knew who the offender was.

He got information about the situation after messaging the owners of the animal adoption center. The puppies came from a breeder that untrusted said puppies to the establishment, working up a partnership. Arius had found it weird for a breeder to want to do that.

In addition to that, in the past, that same breeder was involved in another case that was similar. Puppies were stolen from another center in the past, and among those puppies, were some that the breeder had given them to sell.

To top it off, the breeder even instructed them not to call the police, in an attempt to not make it a huge deal.

Arius already guessed that the breeder was the real perpetrator acting like the victim. Of course, it could also be said that perhaps the breeder has a nemesis, but that was too far fetched.