InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Beautiful Miscommunications ❯ The Investigation ( Chapter 2 )

Ch. 2: The Investigation

 

The private boardroom of Sesshomaru Takahashi was dark as he sat at the head of the table. His pristine silver silk suit had been accentuated with a fresh red rose on his lapel. A touch from his daughter, not that he would admit it. The man sat with his lips in a tight frown as the tension increased in the room. The mahogany desk and matching chairs were set up for a conference of twelve, even though there were only four players this bright Saturday morning. While the autumn chill had yet to settle in the streets of Japan, the boardroom remained a cool 75°F.

He eyed his brother warily as the younger male sat half way down the table from him. Inu Yasha had a distinct edge in his eyes that was becoming unstable as each second elapsed. The provocation of the missing reporter and the accusations from the flea sitting across from him had taken their toll on the bartender.

Inu Yasha sat, tapping his nails into the mahogany arms of his chair, not caring that he was chipping away the wood. He was sure his brother would find a way for him to pay for it, but right now, he just wanted answers. More importantly, he wanted his `Hell Raisers' jacket back. He should have fought her for it. He scratched his arm through his long sleeve t-shirt missing the feel of leather on his body. After he was sure that the wench was safe, he would kill her for taking his prized possession. He rolled his eyes as the flea kept talking about something or other. He really didn't care. Myoga rarely was right about any hunches, though the man knew his history.

“Sango, how much longer?” Sesshomaru asked, displeased he had been made to wait ten full minutes.

“A million apologies, Lord Sesshomaru, but this new firewall Naraku installed makes recovering documents a pain.” Both brothers growled at the name of their partner. It was a distasteful part of life. After the war, things had become economically difficult in Japan, and their father had seen it necessary to find a partner. Unfortunately, the only one available made their stomachs turned.

The screen behind the woman lit up as her power point began to play. She was relatively young, in her late twenties, with a fascination with hot pink eye shadow. The one thing all the men in the room appreciated was her uniform. The tight black, spandex-like pants with a matching top left nothing to the imagination, though it revealed no skin. She combined it with combat boots, a high ponytail and the Takahashi family emblem over her heart, adding to the irony of the situation: the daughter of one of the greatest youkai exterminator families in Japan was working to keep two youkai very much alive.

“Kagome Higurashi was born September 25, 1978 to an affluent family of priests.” Sango began as the Power Point presentation played on the screen behind her.

“What does that have to do with the fact she's missing?” Myoga, who would very much rather be looking for leads on the whereabouts of Higurashi Sr. asked in a grumble.

“There is a reason she makes more money than you.” Sesshomaru warned. “Sango?”

“I wanted to start with who she was before explaining what my findings on the shooting were…”

“Higurashi Sr. shot his daughter by accident! What is there to discuss?” Myoga protested as Inu Yasha growled. Fathers weren't supposed to put their children at risk.

“You're wrong. The shooting wasn't accidental.”

“Nani?” The three men demanded. The woman smiled as she skipped ahead to a slide showing a reconstruction of the shooting.

“As you can see,” Sango took a laser pointer to show the trajectory of the bullet, “if Inu Yasha had been the target, given the angle of the shot and the height of Miss Higurashi, Inu Yasha would have been hit in the back. The bullet would clearly miss her.”

“That can't be right!” Myoga protested.

“It didn't make much sense to me until I viewed the surveillance video from a nearby ATM.” She moved to the next slide and began to play a movie. “This was the best angle we could get of the scene.” She explained as the enhanced video revealed Sesshomaru turning towards the reporters. Sango zoomed in on the back image of Inu Yasha's head, and all three men recognized the red dot, but the bullet never came. It wasn't until Inu Yasha had been knocked down that the shots were fired.

“Did you slow down the tape?” Sesshomaru asked.

“No, it took the assassin 75.6 seconds to shoot. I don't know any professional that takes that long to fire a clean shot.”

“Why did he?” Myoga asked slightly confused.

“We have ascertained that he or she must have been in the tenth floor, in the office that is being renovated. No one would have noticed someone hanging out there, and the new windows haven't been installed yet.” Sango changed the slide to show pictures from the window they believed the shots were fired. The ground had been labeled, showing where everyone was standing. “As you can see, Kagome was standing too close to the building to be considered a clean target, but Inu Yasha was standing in clear view. I believe the shooter used Inu Yasha as a decoy to force Kagome to move. His or her intentions were never to harm him. The assassin just wanted a clear shot at Kagome.”

Inu Yasha banged the table forcing it to crack under pressure. His brother rolled his eyes: another frivolous expense. “That makes no sense! Who would want to kill her? She's just a tabloid reporter!”

“Japan's favorite tabloid reporter…we could be dealing with a stalker.” Sango began.

“No, the shooter was her father! He left part of his weapon there!” Myoga protested.

“After what I dug up on the Higurashis, I doubt very much he forgot anything there! And let's not forget the man is dead!” Sango protested.

“Shut the fuck up!” Inu Yasha growled as he jumped out of his seat, fists buried in Sesshomaru's new table. “This changes nothing! She took the bullets for me! She didn't know they were meant for her! And, we still don't fucking know where she is! It's been over two weeks and there hasn't been any sign of her!”

“Inu Yasha,” Sesshomaru spoke softly. “I'm sure Sango was getting to that.”

“This is why I wanted to start with what I dug up on her. If we know who she is, we will know why she was targeted and where she is hiding.”

“Any luck tracking her credit cards or passport?” Sesshomaru asked as his brother sat back down.

“There has been no activity for the last two weeks.”

“Wait, I thought you said this was a stalker…” Myoga protested.

“The part of the gun found at the scene was supposedly part of a one of a kind piece…not just any stalker can get his hands on it.” Sango explained, noticing how pale Inu Yasha's complexion was getting. Sango started her power point again, showing pictures of a young Kagome with her father. “Taro Higurashi became a gun aficionado after he completed his military service. His record his sealed…tighter than that of the prime minister, and so is his daughter's.” The men looked up in surprise. The picture changed to show a ten year old Kagome holding a gun in one hand and a trophy in another. “While he was the eight time world champion, his daughter ruled the junior tournaments.” Sango explained. The picture changed to show Kagome holding a gun and a new doll. “The NRA hired her to be their poster child after she won her third championship.”

“Hold on a second!” Myoga protested. “I watch her show every morning, and she isn't the kind of woman to have been brought up loving guns! She is an advent gun control supporter, and is continuously supporting laws that would keep guns away from children.”

“I'm getting to that!” Sango protested before continuing. “When she was ten, she was allowed to participate in an adult championship after her father boasted she could contend with the world's best. She came in third…the last target was too high for her. Otherwise she could have finished first.” She changed the slide to reveal a newspaper clipping. “When she was twelve, four armed men broke into the Higurashi Shrine and killed her mother, brother and grandfather before burning the place down. They were shot execution style. Though, it was not confirmed, it is believed Kagome witnessed it. A sight like that would make anyone turn against guns. Considering you were the detective on the case, I would expect you to know that Myoga.” She added while giving the flea an annoyed look. The flea turned away from her, slightly displeased.

“There is not much of her in public records after that. She and her father moved to the States. She went to an all woman college in Massachusetts after her father's death. She graduated with a degree in journalism. She worked the following two years on her Masters at Boston University while working part time with the Boston Globe. When she graduated, she was offered a position with CNN, and was sent to cover the conflict in the Middle East as an assistant to one of the regular correspondents. Though she was given a few chances at reporting live, she didn't become a household name until a routine report on a UN school went wrong.

“As you may remember, Kagome had been interviewing a few children from foreign nations about what it was to go to school in Iraq, when a rebel militia group, whose cause was never determined, took the school hostage. Kagome managed to send out reports daily, giving the military and the public reassurance that the children were alive. The reports were cut short for security reasons. After three days, UN troops barged in, surprised to find the whole building had been rigged to blow. About two days later, the cameraman gave CNN the footage showing Kagome refusing to leave because she knew there was one child being held in the basement.” As Sango spoke, the screen behind her changed to show the video she was speaking off. “Kagome returned into the building, while everyone else was evacuated to have it explode minutes later. After four days of searching, they found her under some debris holding the small boy, shielding his body with her.” The image changed to show the front page of the New York Times with the picture of Kagome's rescue. “They were saved by a beam that didn't collapse properly.

“After long months of rehabilitation, she returned to Japan a hero. She was offered a job with the `Morning Scoop' and its cousin newspaper, both owned by Sesshomaru-sama.” The two males turned towards him.

“She was a marketable face at the time. It made sense to hire her.”

“Since then, she has become a bit of a celebrity herself. Many American actors like to be interviewed by her because she speaks the language fluently. Since she was once a `legit' reporter, she inspires trust in many politicians…not that it has stopped her from exposing several conspiracies in her time as a tabloid reporter. She has also received several awards in journalism including the Pulitzer for her accounts of the school incident. And, she has been acclaimed to be one of Japan's most fashionable women.” The images changed to show Kagome in different outfits and men. “She's been seen in the company of elite doctors, upcoming stars and a few socialites.”

“Sango…” Sesshomaru began, but she cut him off.

“I know. I haven't been able to identify the man in the ponytail.”

“The one from the hospital?” Myoga asked confused.

“No, the one in the pictures.” Inu Yasha corrected. Sango showed the clippings again of Kagome's graduation up to her dates. There always seemed to be the same man with black hair pulled into a short ponytail at his nape. “So, it is a stalker.”

“Well…” Sango knew that Inu Yasha in particular was not going to like her answer, “not exactly.” All three men growled lightly. “I skipped over her father's death for a reason. Eight years ago, Taro went to pick up his car at a garage, when it exploded due to a gas leak. Given the fact that both the daughter's and father's files are so tightly sealed, I believe that Taro Higurashi was a government agent. I believe his family was killed in retaliation, like Myoga thought, just not by a mobster but by a foreign power. I believe his daughter did witness this and that she was targeted by someone who is trying to bring her father out of hiding.”

“So you agree that her father is still alive!” Myoga jumped in happiness. Someone believed him.

“I'm not sure, but the fastest way to verify this would be by a very public attempt on his daughter's life…” When she was met by blank stares, she continued, “If this guy was a professional, she would be dead. The bullets missed all vital organs and there wasn't much damage. He wanted her to live. When a true professional eliminates a target, nine times out of ten, the target is declared to have died of natural causes. With all the news cameras present, the shooter wanted the world to know.” Sango finished.

“What about the scene in the hospital.” Sango updated the power point to show clips from the hospital's security camera. “The two assassins are known in organized crime circles as the Thunder Brothers…They are cocky and reckless…”

“One claimed to be her dead brother.” Myoga added.

“My guess is they thought Kagome would still be unconscious. The use of the dead brother's name was a tactic to confuse the police or defer suspicion from them.” She showed them the footage of Kagome shooting one of the brothers. “At least, her past gun experience explains how she managed to shoot blindly and still hit her target with a purifying bullet…Though, there is no record of that ever happening before; it is possible the extreme stress of the situation released her miko powers.

Inu Yasha growled as he ran his claws through his hair. His ears flickered in annoyance. “So, we still know nothing about where she's at.”

“Or if she's still alive.” Myoga added. The police captain was pounded into its normal flea size by an angry hanyou.

“She's still alive!” He growled. “I can feel it.”

“I do have a lead.” Sango spoke softly. Sesshomaru quirked an eyebrow, signaling her to continue. “I ran the plate number Sesshomaru-sama gave me from the cab that she stumbled into. The plates belong to a government vehicle. The information is sealed, but a friend of mine who works in City Hall gave me a hand. I have an address, which I'm going to check out after this meeting.”

“I'm going with you.” Inu Yasha declared standing up.

“So am I.” The flea spoke up. Sango looked directly at Sesshomaru and spoke.

“I can handle your brother, but cops always mess things up.” The stoic youkai nodded.

“Let me know what you find. As usual, excellent job.” The lights came one as the far door was swung open. Inu Yasha growled at the scent, but relaxed when he realized it wasn't the patriarch of the family. “Kagura, what do I owe the pleasure?” The sarcasm was dripping from Sesshomaru's voice as his brother and security head disappeared. The flea was no where to be seen.

The young woman walked in, heals tapping against the red carpet. Her long legs were covered by a straight cut black skirt. She wore her Channel red and cream silk shirt completely buttoned as she dropped a stack of papers in front of the Lord. “If you really don't wish to see more than you have to, make sure you sign everything before sending it to my office.”

“You could have sent your secretary.” He challenged.

“So you could practice your scare tactics on her? No, if I come, you signed them immediately, just to get rid of me.” He smirked before returning to the documents. He had read them three times before, but he had a golden rule of never trusting anything sent by Naraku. Besides, the red-eyed beauty next to him looked gorgeous when angry. The only perk of having to work with the dark hanyou was having Kagura around the office. The woman tried to conform to her father's strict rules, but it didn't change the fact that the fastest sports car in the company parking lot belonged to her, or that underneath the stench of her father, she smelled of woods, pine and wind.

She crossed her legs in annoyance and he enjoyed the view before signing the contracts. She seemed to be admiring the tapestries depicting scenes from ancient Japan hanging on the walls. Truth be told, half the time, she seemed to be lost in her own world. She turned towards him, feeling his eyes on her, and he handed the papers to her before leading her out of the boardroom. He placed his hand innocently on the small of her back, enjoying how she stiffened in reply. Her scent had spiked, allowing him to savor the touch of mint she emitted. Had she not been his worst enemy's daughter and the best VP of public relations they had ever had, he would have indulged in an affair or two with the elemental demon. But, office politics were something not to be toyed with. “I'll try not to forget next time.” He promised.

“You say that every time.” He smirked as she rolled her eyes. There was a brief understanding between the two. She accepted the fact that he could care less about her father's stakes in this business, and he accepted the fact that she was a slave to Naraku. Family loyalties were an annoyance at times.

“I said I would try…I made no promises about succeeding.” He whispered lowly knowing her body temperature would rise a few degrees. She coughed, trying to hide the blush of her skin.

“Try harder.” She complained before leaving his presence. If he only knew what a dangerous game he was playing…

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“Look, Yasha, there's something I want to warn you about.” Sango began as she drove them in her blue Toyota Corolla to the address her friend found them. “My friend doesn't work for City Hall…he works for military intelligence.”

“Keh!” Inu Yasha grumbled.

“Inu Yasha, whatever is going on here, it's deep. Don't fall for this girl. She might not exist tomorrow.”

“What are you rambling about?”

“Just trust me…don't fall for her.” She warned as they moved into the warehouse district. Inu Yasha looked at the abandoned-like building they parked in front warily.

“Well, he's here.” Sango declared signaling a yellow cab parked in front of them. The license plate read, `KZNA69.' Inu Yasha sniffed around the cab. There were surprisingly little scents to be picked up: human male, holly, and her blood. This was the cab.

“Shall we see if someone's home?” She asked as she stepped into the building. Past the entrance, they found four buzzers and a locked glass door. Sango, never allowing a thing as frivolous as a lock stop her, forced it open. They called for the old freight elevator as they examined the converted lobby. It was mainly brick and steel with four mailboxes in a corner.

“Safe house?” Inu Yasha inquired.

“No, prime apartments...” She replied as she pulled opened the elevator doors before walking inside. “This used to be part of a factory. Now, you get giant apartments close to the city. It's nice.”

“Keh, my neighborhood has more people than this.”

“Your neighborhood also has gangs and drug dealings.”

“Keh, at least it's alive.” Sango rolled her eyes as they reached the top floor. They walked towards the door labeled “4” before ringing the bell. The door swung open revealing a very handsome but annoyed young man with black hair pulled into a low ponytail, yelling,

“Look, I can't help it if you work nights. If there is no hot water, it's not my fault!” The young man made eye contact with Inu Yasha, and realized his visitor wasn't the leggy blonde from downstairs. He cursed inwardly: he would have to tamper with her plumbing again. “Sorry, I thought you were my neighbor.” He rectified, refusing to fully open the door. The two stared at him in surprise, recognizing the man.

“Do you own the cab parked downstairs?” Sango questioned. The young man turned towards her, seeing her for the first time. His innocent smile was tainted with a touch of darkness as his eyes savored her beauty.

“Why yes? Am I blocking you?” He asked, hoping to be able to strike a more personal conversation with her after getting rid of the hanyou.

“No, but you can tell us where Kagome Higurashi is?” She placed a hand on Inu Yasha's arm to keep him from killing the cab driver.

“Why would I know where she is?” He asked innocently. “And who are you? The police or something?”

“Sango Kizu, Full Moon Enterprises Head of Security. This is Inu Yasha Takahashi. We are doing a follow up investigation to the events from two weeks ago.” She replied showing him her identification card.

“Well, I whish I could help you.” He said regretfully moving back into his apartment, “but, I know noting of what happened.”

“Don't lie!” Inu Yasha growled throwing himself at the young man. Miroku was able to deflect him with the door, though Inu Yasha kept him from closing it.

“Sir, if we could have a moment of your time, I'm sure we can clear this up.” Sango insisted. The young man looked at her and tried to smile as best he could while trying to hold an angry hanyou at bay.

“You can have as much time as you wish, but…”

“Good,” Sango interrupted as she pushed past the two arguing males. Inu Yasha and Miroku both looked at her in surprised from where they landed on the floor. Both lost little time in regaining their footing. Inu Yasha quickly went to work using his nose trying to find the missing reporter. Her scent lingered in the air, but it was old and stale. She hadn't been there in weeks.

“Now, Mr.…”

“Please call my Miroku.” The young man interrupted while giving her a suggestive smile.

“Miroku, did you pick up a fare in front of Tokyo Central Hospital about two weeks ago?”

“I really can't remember…I get so many fares in that area.”

“Keh, your car hasn't been used in weeks.”

Miroku gave a deadly glare at the hanyou. “You know, I think better with a full stomach.” He turned back to Sango. “How about we talk about this over dinner? I know this little French restaurant…”

“Sorry, but I don't like eating with assholes!” Inu Yasha interrupted as he moved into the living room. The apartment was spacious, with very few dividers. The entrance led to a very modern living room with a huge flat screen television against the back wall. It was decorated in dark purples and blues with a giant Persian rug on the center and dark purple leather couches around the television. There was a glass and steel coffee table in front of the main couch. Behind the couches, there was a fully stocked bar with two twin Champaign flutes and a bottle of Crystal on ice. Miroku must be known for his entertaining. The walls were decorated with a combination of Buddhist art and bookshelves. Inu Yasha walked towards one of the shelves with pictures.

“The invitation wasn't for you!” Miroku replied as calmly as he could. “It was for the very beautiful lady.” Sango blushed slightly before remembering the purpose of her visit.

“I'm not here for a dinner date. I want to know if you picked up Kagome Higurashi from Tokyo Central, two weeks ago.”

“If I can't interest you dinner, are you sure I can't talk you into breakfast?” Miroku pressed as his hand slipped to caress the young woman's derrière. She shrieked before slapping him across the face.

“Hey, Sango!” Inu Yasha called, smiling at the red hand mark on the other male's cheek. He held up a silver frame of an enlarged close up of Kagome. “I think we found our stalker. There is a bunch more over there.”

Sango took a good look at the picture before speaking, “This is a copy of the picture she sent CNN. Care to explain?” She looked at the violet eyed young man in annoyance.

“I don't have to explain anything to you, but if you are truly curious, my dinner date still stands.”

“Fat chance bozo!” Inu Yasha complained.

“In that case, I must respectfully ask you to leave. I am expecting company, and she won't like seeing you here.”

“Afraid that your wife will find out you have been flirting with other women?” Sango asked rolling her eyes.

“No, I'm not married, but if you're interested…” He tried to grab her hand, but she pulled away. “I'm also looking for someone to bare my child if that's more to your liking.” He added hopefully, only to be met with Inu Yasha's fist. He sighed in resignation as he motion them towards the door, rubbing his sore face, “In that case, I must respectfully ask you to leave.”

“Not until you tell us where Kagome is!” Inu Yasha demanded. His patience had worn out.

“Honey, I'm home!” A cheerful voice sang out as the front door opened.

“Live-in girlfriend…wife…same difference.” Sango complained as she prepared to move past him. Inu Yasha sniffed, disbelieving his ears.

“Kami, have I ever told you how much I hate planes…” The dark haired girl asked as she kicked off her shoes and dropped her duffle bag by the entrance. “And they lost my luggage!” She turned to see Sango walking towards her and smiled cheerfully. “You must be Miroku's new girlfriend. I'm Kagome.” She smiled stretching her hand out for the other woman to shake. Sango was more than startled as she accepted her hand. Kagome looked at the Miroku's abused cheek and smiled more brightly. “And it looks like you might be able to keep him in check.”

“On whose side are you on?” Miroku complained before walking to her and enveloping her in a huge hug. He was about whisper a warning in her ear when an annoyed growled got their attention. Kagome lost her smile to an expression of shock when she saw the silver-haired hanyou standing a few feet from her.

“Inu Yasha? She turned to Miroku before demanding, “What's he doing here?”

“He found my cab…”

“What am I doing here? Wench, you disappeared for two weeks!” Inu Yasha growled indignantly as he examined her for wounds and bruises. She wore a bandana cut corduroy kaki green skirt with a sixties-style brown top and a suede jacket. Her brown knee-high leather boots laid discarder by her feet. Her hair was loose and wavy, and though she looked exhausted, there weren't signs of pain in her eyes. She seemed fine.

“Disappeared?” She asked confused. “I've been on TV for the past two weeks.” She complained.

“What are you talking about?” Sango demanded. She had been very thorough in her investigation. Kagome walked to the living room and turned on the television to a channel directly from Spain. A news channel recapping the week's events came on showing Kagome and Princess Leticia talking at the airport.

“The interview won't air until next week, but it was a big deal that I was allowed to stay at the palace with them, and that they saw me off.” Kagome answered.

“The Spanish monarchy has been very friendly with Kagome since the incident three years ago.” Miroku tried to explain.

“The boy you saved was a Spanish national.” Sango finished.

“I'm sorry to have worried you, but the job…”

“You're sorry!” Inu Yasha growled in disbelief.

“Are you still mad that I took your clothes? I was going to return them…and I will. As soon as the airport finds my bags, I'll get your pants and jacket to you.”

Inu Yasha raised an eyebrow in annoyance. “You lost my jacket.”

“No, the bags fell of the truck in Amsterdam, but they should be on their way here soon.”

“What's my jacket doing in Amsterdam?”

“There aren't direct flights to Japan from Madrid!” Kagome complained as she rolled her eyes. “Look, your jacket is fine. I had it dry-cleaned and everything. You can barely tell it was ever stained with blood.”

“You stained my jacket!” Inu Yasha growled as his eyes began to bleed red.

“After taking not one but three bullets for you…you…you ungrateful bastard!” Kagome was beginning to lose her patience. She had been traveling for a day and a half, and all she wanted to do was go to sleep.

“Miss Higurashi…”

“Please call me Kagome. There is no need to be so formal, you being Miroku's girlfriend and all.”

“I'm not.” Sango corrected.

“Just a friend with benefits? It's a shame. You had potential!” Kagome replied.

“I just met him a few minutes ago.” Sango replied angrily. “I'm here because as Full Moon's head of security, I have reason to believe your life is in danger.” Kagome stared at her in surprise, slightly disappointed she wasn't with Miroku.

“We also believe you are being stalked.” Inu Yasha added.

“By whom?” Both Miroku and Kagome asked in unison.

“By him!” Inu Yasha pointed an accusing finger towards Miroku. Kagome looked in disbelief before she exploded in a fit of laughter. Miroku soon joined her.

“He's a pervert, but he's harmless.” Kagome smiled after she calmed down.

“How can you take it so lightly, wench?” Inu Yasha demanded.

“Simple, he's my brother.”

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Another chapter corrected. I hope you guys appreciate this.