InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Closing the Case ❯ Chapter 9 ( Chapter 9 )

A/N: *clears throat* As you may or may not be aware FF.net has been having some issues with deleting fic unfairly. So along with some other authors I am going to be posting my fic and updates 48 hours later on FF.net then on other sites. If you do not wish to wait, you can look up my accounts on MM.org, Diviantart.com, or SphereofSilence.com.

Closing the Case

Chapter 9

Inuyasha walked into his apartment to find Kagome sitting on the couch watching TV. There was a box of Kleenex sitting on the coffee table and her eyes were red and puffy. Inuyasha sighed inwardly; he loved her, but he just did not feel like dealing with anymore tears right now. He just wanted to change out of his blood-stained clothes and get back to work. But he could not just leave her like this.

"How are you doing?"

"Fine." Her voice cracked.

"You're crying again." He stated as he pulled off his coat and gun holster so he could take off his shirt.

"No, it's-it's just the movie… it's so sad." She hiccupped, wiping her eyes and blowing her nose.

"You shouldn't watch movies if they make you cry." She turned in her seat to look at him, probably to give him a piece of her mind, but whatever she had to say died on her lips.

"Oh my God, Inuyasha, you're hurt!" She almost fell off the couch trying to get up, before running over to him. Kagome grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the couch, pushing him down.

"Kagome -"

"What were you thinking? You should have gone to the hospital!" She dashed from the room before he could stop her. "Take that shirt off so I can dress those wounds, then I'm going to drive you to the hospital." Inuyasha sighed and obediently removed the garment. Kagome came back into the room carrying his rather substantial first aid kit. "What do you keep in here? Your own surgical equipment?"

She set the kit down on the coffee table with a thud and opened it. She pulled out a bottle of rubbing alcohol, peroxide, and some clean gauze. Carefully she poured some of the alcohol onto the gaze and began wiping away the blood on his chest and arms. It did not take her long to realize that the blood was not his.

"You're not hurt…" The emotions on her face went from fear to relief to anger. Suddenly she stood up and smacked him up side the head.

"What the fuck! Why'd you hit me?" Inuyasha yelled jumping to his feet and rubbing his head.

"You scared me! I thought you were hurt!"

"If you'd stopped to listen for two seconds you would have know it wasn't my blood!"

"Well, I'm sorry for worrying about you! I forgot you were invincible!"

"I never said I was!" Inuyasha shouted, slamming his fist down on the coffee table, making it shudder. "God damn it Kagome! I'm out there busting my ass for you, but do you give a rat's ass! No! The minute I get home, I have to listen to your whining! I'm sick of it! I haven't gotten a full night's sleep this week, the press is nipping at my heels, and my own girlfriend is too wrapped up in her own fucking pity party to let me get two words in! Just leave me the fuck alone!" He stormed from the room without looking back, down the hall to the bedroom, and slammed the door as hard at he could.

He stomped across the room to his closet and nearly pulled the door off its hinges in his anger. Grabbing a fresh shirt off the hanger he pulled it on. It took three tried to get all the buttons in the right holes. He kicked off his pants and boxers, which were also blood-stained, and pulled on fresh clothes.

Once he was dressed he paused and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly through his nose as Miroku had taught him. He repeated the action several time, each time visualizing the anger leaving his body as a red mist as he breathed out and each in take of air was as a calming blue. When he felt himself calm enough, he picked up his extra coat and stepped out of the room.

He moved through the house to find Kagome. The first aid kit was where he had left it, the bottles still open and the gaze still out, but Kagome was no longer there. He sighed and moved to the kitchen, dinning room, and bathroom, all were empty. Finally, he came to the spare bedroom. He did not have to even put his ear to the door to hear her crying on the other side. Gently, he knocked.

"Kag…"

"Leave me alone…" she whimpered.

"I've got to go back to work; I'll be home when I can." She did not reply, and he sighed.

&&&

Inuyasha walked into the precinct with his hands stuffed into his pockets and his head buzzing. Now more then anything he wanted a cold beer, a warm bed, and about two days straight of peace and quiet. At that moment he made a decision, when this was all over he would put in for a couple of vacation days and take Kagome somewhere, just the two of them. That is if she'll forgive me. If not, guess then I'll have to use the days to get drunk enough not to care.

He had just pushed the door open to the main office area when someone grabbed the front of his shirt, spun his around, and slammed him against the wall. Automatically his hands came up to defend himself from that attacker, only to come face to face with Miroku. His head was bowed and his dark hair was covering his eyes. Inuyasha could see the muscles of his jaw clinching.

"Is it true?" Inuyasha brought his hands up to grasp Miroku's wrists so he could not inadvertently hurt either of them. "Is what they're saying true? Was it really Kanna?"

"Yes." He could feel his partner shudder, "But she isn't dead. We took her to the hospital, the doctors are taking care of her." Miroku raised his violet eyes to meet Inuyasha's gold. They looked bloodshot with worry and exhaustion.

"Will she…?"

"They don't know yet, it's too early to say." Miroku dropped his head again and began to mutter under his breath. Inuyasha waited silently, knowing that Miroku had always been very religious. When he again raised his head, Inuyasha was met with eyes ringed in a hard, dangerous edge.

"I want this guy crucified."

"Me too. Let's get to work." Miroku nodded and they released each other. Inuyasha lead the way to their back office, where Shippou was waiting. "Are they here?"

"Mrs. Jackson is in interrogation room 4 but the teacher won't be here until 3:30."

"Good. The file is with Sango, and she's still at the hospital. You boys want to watch a master at work?"

"Fuck you, Yash." The younger detective responded promptly. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and walked out of the room, the other two followed. The precinct's interrogation rooms were small cubes of undecorated concrete. The only window was small, high on the wall, and covered in bars. A large, one way mirror looked into the room. Mrs. Jackson sat uncomfortably in a small wooden chair at a small wooded table. She kept shifting her weight and looking around.

"By the book, Inuyasha. I want evidence we can use," Miroku said pointedly, his voice creaking slightly.

"I know." Inuyasha unlocked the door and walked in and Mrs. Jackson turned frightened eyes to meet him. He showed no reaction as he stripped off his coat, hung it on one of the spare chairs, and took a seat. For a long moment he only watched the woman, and in turn she got more and more nervous.

"You know where I've been?" he asked finally. Mrs. Jackson shook her head numbly.

"I've been at a crime scene. The victim was Kanna Priest." He watched all the color drain from her face as his words sunk in. "The good news is that she isn't dead, yet. Right now she is at the hospital in the ICU, with extensive stab wounds to her chest, and several punctured organs. If she dies, that makes you an accessory to murder." Mrs. Jackson looked like she was going to be sick.

"Oh God…"

"Do you have any kids Mrs. Jackson?" She just shook her head. "Neither do I, but I do have a niece. An hour ago I held my partner's niece, a little girl who I care about very deeply, trying to keep her from bleeding to death. You can't even imagine what that's like. Frankly, I don't blame my partner for not wanting to drop the charges against you. But as of right now, you are the only lead we have on this guy. If you help us, it can get you a lighter sentence. Now, I'm going to ask you some questions, and I want you to answer honestly." Mrs. Jackson nodded.

"What did he look like?"

"H-h-he was just a man."

"That's not very helpful. What color was his hair? What color were his eyes? Was he tall, short, fat, thin?"

"I thought I had the right to a lawyer?"

"You do. Now, what did he look like?"

"Dark hair… black I think." Mrs. Jackson was hiccupping and close to tears. But Inuyasha kept his scowl steady, seemingly unfazed by her distress. "Tall… not too thin… and red-brown eyes… I want my lawyer." Inuyasha leaned back in his chair and looked at her, without blinking. After a minute he got up and left the room, taking his coat with him.

Inuyasha returned to the hallway to find Shippou on his cell phone and Miroku leaning against the wall. The dark-haired man was taking long slow breaths and his eyes were closed. When he did finally look up, Inuyasha saw that the hard, haunted edge had left his eyes. He took another long breath and stuffed his hands into his pockets. If there was one thing that made being his partner so trying, it was his ability to hide almost any emotion he felt behind that damn mask. On the other hand, Inuyasha was grateful for the bit of normalcy again, even if it was a façade.

"Yes, I'll let them know." Shippou flipped his phone closed and turned back to the two detectives. "They found the car. I told them to tow it in, but not to touch a thing lest they wish to have the wrath of all Hell to rain down upon them."

"Where?" Miroku asked.

"On the roadside about a block from the last crime scene, apparently abandoned."

"Looks like Mr. Perfect is starting to make mistakes." Inuyasha smiled and shrugged his coat back on. "Shippou, get this lady her lawyer, but let her stew till we get back."

&&&

Inuyasha and Miroku stepped into the garage. A thin, rough-looking man was unhooking a black and silver Hummer. Inuyasha resisted the urge to bang his head against the wall. Explorer my ass!

"Well, it is an SUV." Miroku placated, "I think it is, at least…"

"Eye witnesses suck."

"But we knew that already. Let's see if this is the right car." Miroku pat his partner on the back. "UV first or comb for fibers?"

"I got a better idea." He flipped out his phone and hit the speed dial number three. He lifted the phone to his ear and waited, "Hey, Sango. Got a forensic job for ya."