InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Closing the Case ❯ Chapter 11 ( Chapter 11 )

Important Author's Note:Thanks to encouragement and guidance from Delkiadin and my betas I am now pursuing publication. 'Closing the Case' in now under renovation to become an original piece. When it is sent off to be published, the Inuyasha versions of this story will be removed from all websites. I will be setting up an account at CaféPress.com where the book may be processed. I will be keeping everyone up to date on the progress of this venture on my FF.net Bio page and my DA journal.

Closing the Case

Chapter 11

Inuyasha arrived at Shippou's apartment to find it was in shambles. The door hung limply from one hinge. The chain lock was ripped off the wall. A teenage girl lay spread eagle on the floor with a vertical indentation of the door on her forehead. A check of her pulse revealed that she was unconscious, not dead as Shippou had assumed. A trail of blood led from the door deeper into the flat.

"Shippou?"

"We're back here!" he called back, his voice cracking. Inuyasha rushed towards the sound, passing several places where the blood on the floor, or some times on the walls, was thicker. He found the young detective in a small back bedroom, near a closet. He was kneeling on the floor, clutching Kirara in his lap, tears running down his face. He was rocking the little girl back and forth, whispering nonsense. Max stood next to them his tail up and wagging, blood dripping from his mouth. Inuyasha released the breath he did not know he was holding. "She was hiding in the closet." Shippou provided.

"Is she hurt?"

"I don't think so." Shippou held Kirara away from his body and gave her the once over, "Are you hurt anywhere sweetie?" She held out her arm to show them a bruise that was forming around her wrist. Inuyasha moved over to kneel with them.

"Kirara, can you tell me what happened?" She nodded.

"I was coloring a picture and there was this big knock at the door. Then there was a lot of yelling and a man came in. He grabbed me and I screamed. Then Max bit him. The man started hitting Max, but Max kept biting him. I hid in the closet so the man wouldn't find me. I could hear Max barking and growling and the man yelling. Then it got really quiet for a really long time. Then daddy came and he was crying."

"That's right, Max is the big hero!" Shippou reached out for his loyal partner.

"Shippou, don't touch him! He's evidence." The young detective snapped his hand back and blushed.

"No, he's Max," Kirara corrected. Inuyasha blinked and laughed.

"Right, but I need to take Max with me for a while. I'll get him all cleaned up and then bring him back." He did not wait for her answer before standing up and pulling out his phone

"Who are you calling?" Shippou asked.

"Miroku, Sango, an ambulance for the babysitter, and put an alert out to the hospitals for a man with dog bite wounds." Inuyasha answered then stepped out of the room and placed the phone to his ear. As he spoke, he moved through the house, following the blood trail back to the door. From the amount, he guessed that the man had only lost maybe a pint of blood but some of it could be Max's. When he reached the front room he found the babysitter trying to get to her feet. He helped her to the couch and told her to relax until the EMTs arrived.

Miroku arrived fifteen minutes later and Sango ten minutes after him. The paramedics practically followed in her footsteps. The EMTs checked the babysitter, giving her a prescription for ice and aspirin, while they gave Kirara a clean bill of health and a lollypop. Miroku questioned the babysitter about what she saw, but she turned out not to be much help. When the girl's mother arrived to take her home, the paramedics had to give the woman oxygen after she fainted.

Sango collected several blood samples from the carpets and walls. She also took a swab from the inside of Shippou's, Kirara's, and Max's mouths to rule out any DNA that was their own. When she left she took Max with her, promising to return the dog after she made a mold of his teeth and collected the blood samples from his fur. She also promised to drop him off at the vet's office for a check up and a bath when she was done.

"Where are you going to sleep tonight, Shippou?" Miroku asked.

"Hotel, I guess. We can't sleep here."

"I've got a better idea." Inuyasha interjected. "Let's get the files and go to my place. Kirara can sleep, while we pull an all-nighter. This time we are going to cross with your name too Shippou. These attacks are not coincidences."

&&&

"How's it going?" Kagome asked as she set three more cups of coffee down for them. Inuyasha was slumped down on the couch, a laptop open on his knees. Miroku was slowly shuffling through loose sheets of paper as he sat sideways in the recliner, his legs draped over the arm. Shippou was sitting on the floor, manually going through archive boxes of case files.

"Slow." Inuyasha answered as he clicked a button on his computer and took a sip of his coffee. "It's a lot to go through, and we're not sure what we're looking for. Good coffee, Kag."

"Do you want any breakfast?"

"Is it that early already?" Shippou asked. Kagome looked at her watch.

"7:45"

"Damn." Miroku breathed and rubbed his eye with the back of his hand.

"Daddy says you shouldn't use words like that," Kirara reprimanded. "It's bad. Miss Kagome can I help you cook breakfas'?"

"Sure, what do you guys want?" The answer was a unanimous shrug. "At least you all agree. Come on Kirara." She took the girl's hand and left the room. The boys barely noticed the departure. Soon the smells of breakfast drifted into the room. Kagome returned shortly with plates of eggs, bacon, and coffee refills. Kirara followed her with napkins and silverware. They accepted the food with thankful grunts.

"Hey, I think I got something," Shippou announced, looking through an open file. The other two detectives looked up.

"It's about four years old though. Victim was a young woman about 22, dark hair, dark eyes. Name: Kikyo Arrow soon to be Kikyo Arachna. Her body was pulled from the East River. Death was from stab wounds to the chest. She was raped and beaten multiple times over a week-long period."

"I remember that case." Miroku said, sitting up.

"Me too. It was the first case we didn't get a conviction on as partners." Inuyasha added.

"Her fiancé was really broken up. Kagura assigned him to counseling."

"Why didn't you get a conviction?" Kagome asked innocently. Inuyasha looked at her for a moment, before sighing.

"We had the guy, but not the evidence to hold him. It came down to charging him and crossing our fingers or let him go. He was a big flight risk, if we let him out he'd run and we'd never see him again. We took our chances and charged him, but Sessh couldn't get the conviction on the evidence. Even if we found undeniable evidence against him, our hands would be tied because of Double Jeopardy."

"But that case doesn't include you, Shippou. You just joined the force recently." Miroku pointed out, getting back to the topic at hand. "What made that catch your eye?"

"Actually, I was there. I was a beat cop at the time and the first responder. Sango was the M.E., you two investigated, and Inuyasha's brother tried the case."

"Inuyasha, you have a niece right?" Kagome asked.

"Yeah, Rin. Sesshoumaru's pride and joy."

"Even if this is all just a weird coincidence, we should pick her up." Miroku said pointed out. "Where is she?"

"I'm not sure, but I know how to find out." He pulled out his phone and hit the speed dial for his brother. After three rings, it picked up.

"This is Sesshoumaru West's office, how may I help you." The vapid voice of Yura, Sesshoumaru's secretary, answered.

"This is Inuyasha West. I'd like to speak to my brother."

"Ok, I'll transfer you." There was a beep then the ringing started again. This time it was picked up in two.

"Sesshoumaru West."

"Sessh, it's Yash. Where's Rin?"

"On her way to school," he answered with cool annoyance. "Why?"

"No reason." He answered, even as he and Miroku headed out the door. "Shippou stay here and keep looking."

"Inuyasha Youkia West, you will tell this Sesshoumaru what is going on."

"It's nothing, really. Look, I got to go." Inuyasha hung up before his brother could get going.

&&&

Rin kicked her feet happily as the bus hummed along. Her orange backpack sat on the floor near her feet as she watched the world go by outside her window. She loved going to school and learning things and spending time with her friends. She already knew what she wanted to be when she grew up; a lawyer, just like her father. Her father had reminded her that she would have to study hard, but that just made it that much better.

The bus jolted to a stop and she grabbed her backpack. The children, some older some younger, shuffled off the bus. Rin stepped off the last step and looked up at her school. It was a clean white building with lots of windows. A playground was off to one side, complete with swings, slides, and jungle gym. A large "game" field took up the rest of the open area.

"Rin?" She turned automatically at the sound of her name to face a man she had never seen before. He was tall, but shorter than her father, with long flowing black hair. His eyes were a nice brown, with just a hint of red to them. His clothes looked expensive, but old, like he had not taken care of them in a while.

"Yes, sir?" She answered properly, as she had been taught.

"I'm from your father's office. He needs you to come there right away." He reached out his hand to her, a charming smile on his lips. Rin paused. This man was a stranger, and Uncle Inuyasha was always telling her never to go with strangers. Then again he said he knew her father, and she would be in trouble if she disobeyed. But she also knew some good tricks, thanks to her uncle.

"If my dad really sent you, what's our code word?" The man's smile only widened.

"Demon Lord Fluffy." Rin's expression brightened. Her father really did want her. She took the man's hand and followed him towards the white van parked on the road side.

Suddenly the sound of sirens wailing cut through the air. Heads all turned as a patrol car pulled up, the tires screaming to a halt. The door flew open and her uncle jumped out, gun drawn.

"Freeze! Rin, get away from him!" She did not have time to react. The next thing she knew, the man had grabbed her and something sharp was pressed against her throat.

"Move and she dies!"

&&&

Inuyasha swore darkly as his niece was swept up into the arms of the man and a knife was put to her throat. Students scattered, many screaming, getting out of the line of fire. Miroku was on the radio calling for back up and road blocks. Inuyasha was ducked down low behind the door of his car door with his gun trained on the dark-haired man. The man was several yards from his vehicle, with only Miroku and himself to stop him.