InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Closing the Case ❯ Chapter 17 ( Chapter 17 )

Closing the Case

Chapter 17

 

Inuyasha leaned against the wall and watched as Kagome talked to the sketch artist. It had never occurred to them that Naraku might be working with a partner. Miroku had called the hospital to double the security on Kanna's room, Sesshoumaru had gone straight to Rin's school and picked her up, Shippou had rushed to his mother's house to check on her and Kirara, and Inuyasha had attached himself to Kagome's side. Now all they could do was wait as Kagome described the man she had seen.

 

After what seemed like an eternity, the artist, Lisa, showed Kagome the picture and she nodded. Lisa motioned him over and handed him the picture. It was of a dumpy older man with a long mustache and a receding hairline, all the way to the back of his skull. He had large eyes with tiny spectacles perched on his nose.

 

“Aw, fuck me…” Inuyasha groaned, “Kag, this is the guy you saw?”

 

“Yeah, did I do something wrong.” She looked up at him with disappointed eyes, “I just wanted to help.”

 

“No, Kag, you didn't do anything wrong?” He reached down and touched her cheek, “You may have just given us a great witness.”

 

“I don't understand.” He held up the drawing for her to see.

 

“Kagome, this is Myouga. He's an ex-cop that now owns his own private eye business. If Naraku hired him to follow us, then he's had actual conversations with that bastard.” He kissed her forehead and she blinked in surprise, unaccustomed to the public display of affection. “Just stay here. I'll go have everyone cool their jets, then you are going to help me bring in our witness.”

 

“Me? What! Wait, Inuyasha!” But he was already out the door. Kagome turned to look at Lisa, who giggled. “You'd think I'd be used to that by now.” The other girl only laughed harder.

 

Inuyasha found Miroku at his desk looking anxious. When the dark-haired detective saw his partner, he nearly fell out of his chair because he tried to get up too fast. Inuyasha laughed and sat down on the edge of the desk and handed the sketch to his partner.

 

“Chill, Miroku, it was a false alarm.”

 

“It's just Myouga.” Miroku looked at the picture and sighed.

 

“I'll call Sesshoumaru so he will let Rin out of the house again. Then, I'm taking Kagome to lunch so we can pick up our star witness.”

 

&&&

 

Inuyasha pulled out Kagome's chair for her as they took their seats in a small café not far from the precinct. It was a quiet, out-of-the-way little restaurant that served mainly sandwiches, tea, and coffee. They had come here often and enjoyed lunches together. A young waitress, her name tag said her name was Amy, brought them some menus and took their drink orders. Inuyasha ordered coffee with cream and Kagome got mint tea.

 

“So, now what?” Kagome asked nervously, her eyes shifting from side to side.

 

“Nothing. Miroku will grab Myouga. All you have to do is sit here and enjoy lunch with me. What do you want?” Kagome returned her eyes to the menu, but kept looking up. “Kag, relax. I'm not going to let anything happen to you.”

 

“I know. But it's so weird now that I know someone is watching us. I can't help it.” Inuyasha smirked slightly. He stretched out in his chair so his leg brushed against the inside of her calf. Kagome squeaked and blushed. “Inuyasha!” She smacked him on the arm as he laughed at her.

 

“The turkey looks good. I guess you'll be having the chicken salad?”

 

“I like chicken salad.” She turned her nose up haughtily. He reached across the table and took her chin between his fingers and turned her face back to his.

 

“Careful, Kagome, you're getting predictable. I like a girl who can keep me on my toes.” She smiled slightly at him, before slipping off her pump and running her stocking covered foot up the bottom of his pants. Inuyasha hissed in approval and leaned back in his chair. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Miroku approach Myouga, who had `hidden' himself behind a newspaper on a nearby bus stop bench. He leaned back in his chair and smiled.

 

&&&

 

Miroku flopped casually down on the bench next to the private eye. The elderly man was holding a newspaper in front of his face, peeking over the top in a non-too-convincing casual manner. A large camera with telephoto a lens sat in his lap, ready to be used at a moment's notice.

 

“Hey, Myouga. Having fun?” the dark-haired detective asked casually. The old man jumped in surprise. He looked around wildly, as if he had been disturbed from deep thought, before `spotting' Miroku.

 

“You should have more respect and not sneak up on an old man while he's reading!” the private eye scolded.

 

“If you weren't so focused on spying on my partner and his date, you would have seen me coming,” Miroku scoffed, “Now come on, old man, we need to have a word back at the precinct.” He took Myouga by the elbow and stood up. The older man protested a little, but gave in.

 

“I've got a job to do. My client will be very upset!”

 

“I know all about your client. That's what we want to talk to you about.”

 

&&&

 

Inuyasha returned to the precinct after dropping Kagome off at work. He found Myouga and Miroku in a small back office. The elderly private eye was munching on a sandwich and Miroku was sipping at a cup of coffee, his feet propped up on the table. The dark-haired detective was only half watching the other man - there not being any real reason for them to hold him, yet.

 

“Ahh, there's Yash. How was lunch?”

 

“After she quit looking around, it was fine. Now, old man, why have you been following us?” Inuyasha turned an annoyed glare on the private eye.

 

“I was hired to do so.”

 

“Why?” Miroku pressed.

 

“It is none of your business. My work is between myself and my client.” Myouga defended, turning his nose up in the air. The look was ruined by the crumbs and mustard on his mouth. Miroku pulled a snapshot of Naraku from his pocket and tossed it onto the table in front of Myouga.

 

“Is this man your client?” Myouga picked up the photo and held it so the light did not reflect off the glossy surface.

 

“Yes…” He replied slowly.

 

“His name is Naraku Arachna,” Inuyasha informed him, “and right now he is being held on a number of charges ranging from breaking and entering to murder. His trial date is next Monday.”

 

“We know you, Myouga,” Miroku piped up, “And we know you aren't the kind to be an accomplice to murder. So, just tell us what Naraku hired you for, any details you two discussed during any of your meetings, and testify to all this in court; and we won't need to press any charges.” Myouga still held the picture, his hand trembling slightly.

 

“Murder…” He wet his lips slowly, “I don't understand.” Inuyasha sighed and ran his fingers through his long hair.

 

“Miroku, you want to get us some sodas.”

 

“Sure.” The detective stood up and left the room, though he did not seem to be in any hurry. Once the door was firmly shut, Inuyasha turned back to the other man.

 

“Yes, murder,” Inuyasha huffed, “And not just any murder. He killed my girlfriend's little brother, Sango's little brother, attacked Miroku's niece and Shippou's daughter, and he held Sesshoumaru's daughter hostage. He had a room full of photographs taken over the past four years of all the victims and their closest relations.” The older man sat limply in his chair, his eyes unfocused as he stared at the table. “You took those photos didn't you?” Myouga opened his mouth, and then closed it again. Inuyasha picked up a folder Miroku had left lying on the far end of the table and slid it in front of Myouga. “Open it.”

 

The private eye carefully flipped the folder open. It was a standard police report, with written notes and several pictures. There were a couple of pictures from Naraku's apartment, including some of the plastic Kikyou and `The Picture Room.' There were also pictures of Souta, Tony, and Kohaku dead at the crime scenes, and pictures of the wounds Kanna and Kirara had gotten.

 

“He-he,” Myouga choked. “He said he was putting together a case against some corrupt cops. I n-never… thought… He said that the cops had taken money to release his wife's killer. Whe-when I saw who it was, I didn't want to believe…” His throat closed and his sentence dissolved into a gurgle. Inuyasha took a pen from his pocket and grabbed a legal pad from a nearby table. He placed them both next to the folder just as Miroku returned.

 

“Write it down. Everything; don't leave anything out. You will testify to all this, correct?”

 

“Yeah,” Myouga answered softly as he began to write. The two detectives watched in silence as he wrote. Inuyasha lifted an eyebrow when Myouga flipped the top page over and began to write on the second page. Both detectives exchanged looks when he got to the fifth page. Finally, after covering six pages with tiny neat print, Myouga signed his name and put the pad and pen back on the table. “I-I think that's everything.” Miroku shook his head.

 

“You always were meticulous, Myouga.” Miroku commented as Inuyasha picked up the legal pad. Myouga did not say anything, just folded his hands on the table and lowered his head to rest on them, his large eyes closed. Miroku's mouth quirked into a sad smile as they rose from the table. He gave the older man a reassuring pat on the shoulder as they passed out of the room.

 

“What did he write?” Miroku asked as Inuyasha skimmed the papers. The white-haired detective did not answer right away, his eyes shifting back and forth as he read. After a long moment, he lifted his golden eyes to meet Miroku's violet ones.

 

“Myouga's a smart old man, but his major shortcoming as a detective is that he never had a very good feel for people.” Inuyasha looked back down at the paper. “He always took everything at face value until it could be proven otherwise. He never put much stock in the fact that people will lie to cover their asses or give half-truths when it suited their needs. Naraku told him that we were corrupt cops that could be bribed and, later, that we were using the people in our lives, girlfriends and such, as leverage to get our way. Naraku felt we were a danger to the city at large, but needed the evidence to put us away. Towards the end he wanted proof that we were abusing the children under our care.” Inuyasha's mouth twisted into a frown.

 

“So, what do you think?” Miroku pressed, Inuyasha could hear the will to make suffer all responsible for Kanna's pain coming through his voice.

 

“I've known Myouga for a long time, Miroku. Before I was a beat cop, before I was out of school, hell, before my parents died. He's the one who made me want to be a cop rather then following my father and brother to law school. He's a good man and I don't think there is any punishment we could dish out that could hope to rival what he's going to do to himself over this.” Miroku studied his partner with a critical eye, before sighing in a deep resigned manner. Far be it for him to make an old man suffer just to soothe his own injuries.

 

“As long as he testifies.” Miroku said finally.

 

“He will.” Inuyasha assured. “He will.”