[Adastra, Luxomoris. Parking Lot]
Full of indignation and frustration, the man headed toward the bus stop, snorting and nervously looking around. How many people had seen him screw up with his son? And Mark…? How dare he put his reputation on the line — and in a public place, no less.
Although he was the one who should have felt guilty — the interview had nearly fallen through because of him. But somehow, Rei was the one being blamed and 'publicly punished'.
"A failure of a father..." Evans whispered through clenched teeth and, snorting, added, deliberately twisting the word: "Emperor..."
He lit a cigarette by his car, keeping his fingers near his face a little longer than usual, as if hiding a tremor.
The car looked just as menacing as he did. A new model from 'The Luxuria' — a glossy black SUV with massive tires capable of getting through any swamp.
He'd bought it less than a year ago, but he'd already caught himself thinking that this expensive toy no longer gave him even the slightest sense of control. Why he had needed this particular model for city traffic jams in the first place — was unclear. Probably just to look more impressive whilst stuck in them.
While others quietly stew in their little cars, you seem to rise above them. A pity it's only an image, and not the person himself. It's a pity that's under conditional.
Rei pursed his lips and looked at the SUV once more. Undoubtedly — it was his pride. But not a driving force. Not even a reason.
He was proud, like a boy who'd been given a new toy car. But, alas, it felt as though this was already the hundredth in his collection. Yet the feeling was as though he didn't have a single one.
As though he were still in the past, saving up for his first motorbike.
Didn't money used to solve everything? But now money is more significant... so why does it feel like they would have solved everything back then?
Rei squeezed his eyes shut, inhaled the smoke — and on the exhale noticed... a toy on the exhaust pipe.
It was a blue rubber cat with X-shaped eyes and a strange, slightly crooked smile with two fangs.
He removed it from the pipe and turned it around in his hands, examining it from every side. The cat seemed painfully familiar, but his memory offered no clues.
He hadn't been to a toy shop in ages. None of the subcultures he was familiar with used symbols like that. Then where had it come from?
And why had it ended up on his car?
And wasn't it scary at all to hang a cute cat on a black beast?
"What the childish games are these?!" Rei snorted irritably, but his irritation quickly gave way to puzzlement.
"You're far too familiar..."
He took a long drag and blew the smoke towards the toy.
"Whoever you are… you'll find yourself another owner."
He threw the cat straight into a puddle.
Dirty water immediately soaked into it, weighing down the fabric, while the wind indifferently rocked it back-forth. But it didn't move — it simply rolled over with its face toward the sky, catching the heavy raindrops.
Rei automatically reached for his keys — and froze.
They weren't there.
Panic struck him instantly. He yanked the SUV's door handle, then yanked it again. His eyes widened, his face went pale — he tugged harder, as if that might make any difference.
The rain intensified. The cigarette was no longer smouldering. His expensive suit looked like a cheap rag. His carefully styled hair had fallen apart into wet strands stuck to his forehead.
Only the watch face remained unchanged — time continued to move forward.
Rei pulled himself together, took out his phone and dialled his son's number. He was sure the lad had nicked the keys.
Mark always expressed his protest in twisted ways, pushing things right to the edge.
"Why the hell do you have my car keys?" His voice cracked almost immediately.
"What are you on about, old? I don't have your keys," Mark replied calmly, as if he had expected exactly this.
"Took and trust you!" Rei snapped.
"Well and thanks! THERE!" Mark immediately ended the call.
"Hey!" Rei called back straight away. He kicked the asphalt and pressed his palm against the wet door. "Have you completely lost your mind?Give me my keys back!"
"Telling you, I don't have them."
"Don't take me for an idiot! I'm not one of those idiots who loses their things." Rei punched the door in frustration and immediately swore from the pain.
"Welcome to reality," Mark said lazily.
"You'll regret that! Get up, come out and hand me the keys! I'm not going to get soaked arguing with your thick skull!" Rei's voice was already cracking. For the first time, Mark had gotten under his skin this quickly.
"Then go inside somewhere. Or are you already planning to buy a new one in your head? Lyutsy just bought a new one... you're not going to let him outdo you, are you, heh?" Mark was clearly enjoying it.
"When he…" Rei suddenly fell silent.
The thought cut off.
He thought he'd seen Lyutsy coming out of the police station.
Too flamboyant a guy to be random.
But what does Lyutsy have to do with the police… apart from agreements…
"Hello! Hello, hello, hello! Are you seriously thinking about a new car?"
"Which... car. Give me back my keys, you idiot. You have five minutes."
Rei hung up.
And froze.
His gaze remained fixed on the street, but inside, his state was already shifting.
Surprise turned into calculation.
It was a calculated, cold precision: how dangerous the situation was for him, what Lyutsy had planned, and what the consequences might be.
Rei knew this man inside out.
He knew he never did anything without reason, and that he was a good negotiator.
That's why he kept him close.
Never trusting, but always convincing himself it was safer that way.
Dangerous people must be kept under observation and made to work with you — this position Rei learned back in the days of the 'Impéro'.
And Lyutsy was close by.
As close as someone you are supposed to control can be.
[Rei, do you still think influence is in your hands? Regrettable]
The man grimaced and looked at the phone screen. He hadn't even noticed that he had automatically ended the call.
If Lyutsy was really here, that was a separate problem.
But there was another problem now.
Mark.
Rei dialled his son again.
"Puer ineptus! Don't write me off as a fool! I'm saying this for the last time: return the keys."
"Daddy, what keys?"
"The ones you nicked from me!"
Rei was on the verge of shouting. His neck, just below his shirt collar, was covered in a sheen of sweat.
"Do you see an enemy in your own child?" Mark's voice carried a note of almost amused curiosity.
"The keys!"
"Look, father."
The creak of a window opening was heard at the other end.
"I'm up. Ahem."
"What..?"
Rei looked up.
On one of the upper floors, Mark was standing with the window wide open. Catching his father's gaze, he waved the keyring.
Mark leaned out and spun the keys around his finger.
"Shall I drop them down there?"
He nodded toward the building behind the fence.
"I'll throw you right now! Came down and handed me the keys!"
For a moment, Rei really wasn't sure whether Mark was joking or not. He knew his son was the sort of person who'd do anything, and that always terrified him.
"Well, that's no interestiiiing… Although…"
Mark looked at the building behind the fence.
"If I throw them over there, you'll just go and fetch them anyway, mmm…"
"Are you messing with me?! Give me the keys!"
"No."
"No?" Rei gave a short laugh. "Don't joke with me."
"I'm not joking, Daddy. I'll put them on the windowsill. It's lunchtime right now," — Mark closed the window.
The call cut out.
Rei immediately called him again.
One ring.
Then the automated operator voice: "The subscriber is temporarily unavailable."
The phone was switched off.
He swore through his teeth and looked up. The keys were still on the windowsill.
The first employees were already coming out of the building.
Rei looked at the window again. Even from here, he could see movement starting on the floor. People were walking past the window, slowing their pace, chatting amongst themselves and glancing at the windowsill every now and then.
Not surprising, really. Who on earth leaves the keys to the 'Luxuria' on a windowsill in plain sight?
Rei ground his teeth.
Dozens of silhouettes flashed before his eyes, and out of the corner of his ear he caught the incessant noise of the street, the voices of passers-by and the honking of cars.
For a moment, it seemed to him that there was too much going on all at once.
Too much movement.
Too much noise.
And nothing he could take control of.
He hated that the most.
Situations where he had to rely on others and trust them. Especially when Mark deliberately tested his trust in the world.
Rei threw his soggy cigarette butt into a puddle and quickly walked toward the building entrance.