InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Love's Smirking Revenge ❯ Staring Down the Rubicon ( Chapter 34 )

Love's Smirking Revenge

- Chapter Thirty-Five -

“Staring Down the Rubicon”

He didn't snore.

It was a strange first thought to have, given what had happened between them the night before, but in her haze of sleep it seemed to be the only significant thing her mind could focus on.

Rin opened her eyes and turned her head to look at the man sleeping next to her. In the soft morning light he was more beautiful than she'd ever seen him and for a long while she simply studied the angles of his face. She was tempted to reach out and touch him, to smooth back the hair from his brow, but her hands stayed where they were. She wouldn't risk waking him and ruining this moment.

There was no telling what today would bring. Despite the clarity in his gaze when he'd admitted his true intentions to her the previous night, she couldn't ignore that he'd been drunk. He might regret what had happened between them. He might even want her to leave.

She wasn't prepared for what she would find in those endless amber eyes this morning and so she lay there unmoving, scarcely breathing, and not daring to wake him.

A sudden thought struck her then - how many people had ever seen him like this? The heavy way his arm rested across her stomach told her just how far his guard was down. There was no gun under his pillow, either. Perhaps he'd stashed it elsewhere, but it no longer had a home in his bed. His breaths were deep and even, rhythmic in their execution - he was fast asleep. The man who trusted no one seemed to have no reservations about leaving himself vulnerable in her presence.

Trust.

His word from the previous night echoed back to her and a faint smile lit her lips. Out of all the millions of people in Tokyo, he'd chosen her - plain, simple Rin. She couldn't understand it and didn't even want to attempt to try. For now, it was enough to know that there were probably only two people who had ever seen him this way - his wife and herself.

It was easy to forget sometimes that he was married. A part of her wondered if the woman actually existed. Perhaps it'd been a marriage of convenience. He certainly didn't seem to love her, whoever she was. She wondered if he ever had. His complete indifference when talking about her suggested not.

She wasn't normally the type of girl to sleep with a married man, but she found it hard to feel any guilt for what they'd done. What they'd had last night was real. It'd been something tangible and right in every way that something can be right. His wife was just another bit player in the great cast of people who filled his life when she wasn't around. She felt no jealousy towards the woman, but maybe pitied her a little. She knew how cold Sesshomaru could be and could only imagine how he treated a woman like that.

Her thoughts were still lingering on the mystery of his wife when she heard her phone ring from inside her bag at the front door. Anxious that it would wake him, she slid out from under his arm, slipped her dress up over her naked form and tip toed out into the hall. She rummaged as quietly as possible through her bag for her phone and flipped it open.

3 missed calls.

Frowning, she opened her caller ID to see that they'd all been from the same number. A sneaking suspicion told her it had to do with her brother and so she made her way out to the balcony. Careful to shut the door quietly behind her, she sat down on one of the chairs and re-dialed the number.

It rang twice before someone picked up on the other end.

“You called?”

“Ah, yes. Sorry to disturb you so early in the morning, Ms. Aomori. Is this a good time?”

“I suppose.”

“We have arranged a time and place for you to meet up with your brother. Tonight at Club Quattro, 7 PM. Is this time acceptable to you?”

“Why doesn't he call me himself,” she demanded, suddenly suspicious. “I mean you guys obviously have my number which means he has it. He could have called me at any time to meet up.”

There was a brief moment of silence on the other end of the line before the speaker came back. His tone was full of understanding and apology.

“Yes, I understand how strange this must seem for you. It is safer if your brother does not have direct contact with you for now. The authorities must be led to believe he is dead. If the police talk to you, you can say truthfully that you have had no contact with him.”

“Why does he have to be dead? And why would the police contact me? What's going on?”

“You remember the story, don't you? About what happened to your brother in North Korea?”

Rin nodded, despite the person on the other end not being able to see her. After a moment of silence she cleared her throat and muttered, “Yeah, I remember.”

“That story was a half truth. Your brother was involved in the student riots but he was not killed. He was taken as a political prisoner. He has since managed to escape but remains a fugitive of the North Korean state. You understand how troublesome it could be if he were to be discovered here, especially with relations between Japan and North Korea being what they are. This secrecy is frustrating for you, but it is absolutely necessary. The last thing he wants is to cause unnecessary trouble in your life.”

A frown creased her brow as she considered the story. It was plausible. She didn't like it a single bit, but she had to admit that there was at least some possibility it was true. If anything, it solidified all the more her need to involve Sesshomaru. After what'd happened at the café, she didn't feel safe trusting anyone at their word.

“Where did you say this club was?”

“It's Club Quattro in Shibuya. Please be there by 7 PM. He will meet you inside. If any problems arise, we will call you from this number.”

She nodded again before answering with a distracted, “Okay, I'll be there.”

The person on the other end of the line hung up and she slowly pulled her phone away from her ear. She snapped it closed just as the patio door opened behind her. Sesshomaru was standing in the doorway holding a cup of tea out to her. Forcing a smile, she accepted it from his hands and followed him inside.

His eyes followed her to the couch and she hesitated before curling up atop the leather. With his gaze still on her, she stared down into her mug to gather her thoughts and then asked, “Did you know I had a brother?”

His brow lifted in surprise and he slowly sat down in the chair across from her.

“I did not.”

She took a small sip of tea and felt its warmth spread encouragingly through her limbs.

“When I was nine he went to Korea for University and never came home. The official word was that he was killed by the army during some student riots in North Korea but you know how these things go.”

Sesshomaru sat back with his coffee and rested his bare feet atop the ottoman. He remained patiently silent, giving her a chance to get her story out.

“Yesterday I got a call just after I…left,” she continued with a sheepish look.

“What sort of call?”

“It was from a private investigator, someone I've never talked to before. He said that my brother was alive and wanted to meet up with me.”

She looked up to gauge his reaction and saw a deep frown line form between his brows.

“He called again this morning and asked me to meet tonight. I demanded to speak with my brother but they gave me some long reason as to why it wasn't a good idea, mainly having to do with my safety. The trouble is the story they gave me makes sense. It could be true. And if it is true and my brother is alive then…”

Here she trailed off and ended with a light shrug of her shoulders. Sesshomaru sat in silence for a long while, appearing to be deep in thought. Eventually he sat forward and set his cup down on the floor.

“Give me time to look into this. I'll need a day.”

Her heart began to race and she offered him a timid smile. She hadn't expected him to want to help her so easily. Talking with him about it had been the right thing to do - she could feel it now with every bone in her body.

“Thank you,” she breathed. He nodded once and she felt relief course through her. Maybe things would turn out alright after all. At least now she had hope. It gave a certain lightness to her steps when she eventually slipped off the couch and headed into the kitchen to wash out her tea cup.

When she was finished, she turned round to find him behind her. He set his cup atop the counter and quickly forgot about it. With his gaze focused on her eyes, he brushed a few wayward strands of hair away from her face.

“Promise you will not meet with him until I've had a chance to look into this.”

He understood exactly what he was asking of her and yet demanded obedience anyway. She quickly looked away, knowing that it would be impossible to lie to him. This was her brother! What if it was the last chance she might ever have to see him? What if the story were true? What if-

“Rin.”

His hand tenderly cupped the underside of her jaw and lifted her chin until she met his gaze. She could hear the censure and hint of frustration in his tone and felt a knot of guilt form in the pit of her stomach. Last night had been all about trust. Could she betray his now after they'd both come so far? All he was asking for was a day.

She exhaled a soft sigh of defeat and nodded, “Okay, I promise.”

He pulled her close and pressed a soft kiss into her hair in a remarkably casual gesture that momentarily caught her off guard. Then, without another word, he released her and headed for the shower. She was left staring after him wondering about the strength of her own willpower. If it came down to it, would she sacrifice his trust to assuage her curiosity? Even if it meant that she might lose him forever?

The dull hiss of the shower coming to life in the bathroom reached the kitchen. It wasn't nearly loud enough to fill the void he'd left behind or quiet her conflicting thoughts. Terrified of the silence, she grabbed his empty cup off the counter and spent the next 10 minutes washing it in the sink.

xXx

Detective Takahashi pushed open the door to the forensics lab and tossed his coat atop the first workbench he saw. Jeff, the American lab technician, looked up from his computer briefly and shook his head.

“You look like shit,” he intoned before turning back to his computer.

“Didn't get much sleep,” the Detective muttered, taking a long sip from his coffee.

His interest piqued, Jeff spun around in his chair and lifted a curious brow, “I heard you got back with Kagome. Things are working out then, I guess?”

Inuyasha shrugged. He didn't make a habit of talking about his personal life at work. Enough of it was out in the open as it was. Some of the guys liked to brag about their conquests, but it'd never been his style. Instead he deflected the question with one of his own.

“You get any results on my shank from yesterday?” he asked, gesturing to the computer.

Jeff gave him a flat look, “You know it doesn't work that fast. I've got a pile of evidence ahead of it that I need to get to first. It's gonna be at least a week.”

Inuyasha exhaled heavily through his nose. He'd figured that would be the case. At best he'd been hoping for a miracle. Undaunted, he glanced around the lab and saw that it was empty but for the two of them. Leaning in closer, he lowered his voice and handed the lab tech a piece of paper.

“What's this?” he asked, staring down at the two phone numbers written on it.

“You remember when I told you to keep the print we got off that bullet under wraps? Well, I've got some new evidence now and I'm about ready to shake him down. This is his cell number. I need you to do a records dump and show me every call that's been made or received to that phone.”

The technician nodded uncertainly and glanced warily around the lab. Seeing that it was empty, he exhaled a soft sigh of relief.

“Okay, fine. What about this other number?”

“It's the phone of a witness, a girl named Rin Aomori. I think someone she knows might be connected to my arson case. That connection's gonna get her in a lot of trouble. I need a dump of her phone too.”

Jeff pulled back and lifted a brow sceptically, “You got a warrant?”

Inuyasha pointedly glanced away and took a long sip of his coffee.

“No way. Absolutely not!,” Jeff hissed. “I don't mind helping you with the first one but don't even get me started on how many rules this is breaking. I'm not jeopardizing my career for this. You gotta be crazy! At the very least I'll need a warrant!”

Inuyasha tried every trick he knew to calm his temper. It wasn't easy but he managed to get his voice under control before he tried to barter with him again.

“We can worry about the warrant later. This girl might be in trouble…”

“Yeah, and she'll sue if she finds out we went digging through her phone records without any probable cause!” Jeff interjected, raising his voice.

Inuyasha scowled and motioned with his hand for him to keep it down. They both sent a cautious glance around the room, but they were still its only occupants.

“She can't sue the department if she's dead,” the Detective reasoned with every measure of calm. “I wouldn't ask if it weren't life or death.”

Jeff sighed heavily and frowned. He hated being put in this kind of position. The Detective was already asking a lot of him, what with hiding evidence and doing phone dumps, and now this? He shook his head, unable to believe that he was about to agree to such a scheme. It was utterly reckless and it would definitely result in disciplinary action but if he didn't do it and some innocent girl died, he'd never be able to live with himself.

“Alright, fine,“ he groused, looking none too pleased. “It'll be ready by 5 or 6, depending on how busy we get down here today.”

Offering him a grim smile, Inuyasha clapped him on the shoulder.

“Thanks. You're a good man, Jeff.”

The technician rolled his eyes and shrugged his hand off, “Yeah, whatever. I'll remember that when they fire me for breaking every rule in the book.”

The Detective smirked and decided then that he rather liked the kid. He'd do whatever he could to minimize the damage to his career, even if it meant lying and saying he'd commandeered the lab equipment and run the tests himself. No sense dragging anyone else down with him. If this was going to turn out as bad as he thought it would, he'd need to minimize the fallout any way possible.

Taking another long sip of his coffee, he glanced down at his watch and noted the time. It was 20 minutes before his scheduled meeting with the inmate from the previous day. He was curious and anxious all at the same time. He just wanted to get the damn thing over with and finally get some answers.

Bidding the tech goodbye with a slap on the back, he snatched his coat up off the table and headed out the door.

xXx

The hallway leading to Interrogation Room 6 was empty but for a lone guard standing watch outside the door. Detective Takahashi sauntered up to the one-way mirror and inspected the man sitting inside.

Masato Yamada, career criminal. His corrections file rested heavily in his hand, its contents proving that he hadn't been posturing during their meeting the previous day. Yamada was in it for the long haul - assault, burglary, grand theft auto and weapons offences, along with about a dozen other charges which would keep him behind bars for the majority of his natural life. He had zero chance of early parole, which made the Detective all the more curious as to why he was willing to put his ass on the line for no gain. What was Yamada playing at?

“How's he been?” he casually asked the guard.

The uniform glanced over his shoulder and shrugged, “No problems. Pretty quiet, I guess.”

“Look, I know protocol says you've gotta watch my back, but I want a few minutes alone with this guy. Think you could trouble yourself to head to the little boys room for about five minutes?”

The guard lifted an eyebrow and looked hesitant.

“I dunno…”

“He's not gonna talk to me if he thinks we've got eyes and ears on this room. I'm askin' for a favour.”

The guard pursed his lips and eventually let out a long, drawn out sigh.

“Alright, five minutes. You better not do anything that's gonna get my ass fired. I've got a baby on the way.”

“Yeah, yeah, don't worry. I've got you covered.”

He gave the man a grim smile and watched him retreat down the hall. He waited until he'd rounded the corner before opening the door to the interrogation room and stepping inside.

“So, how's solitary been treating you?” he asked, pushing the door shut behind him with the heel of his shoe.

Yamada shrugged and gave him an even look, “Not so bad. Means I won't be dyin' anytime soon. They've got cameras in those rooms now.”

Takahashi grunted and took a seat at the table with his back to the door. He glanced up at the man across from him and studied the fat white scar that cut a jagged line from his brow to his chin. He wondered what had caused it and then decided on a broken bottle. Even without the scar, the poor bastard had a face that only a mother could love.

Offering Yamada a sober look he said, “The guard's gone so it's just you and me in here. I wanna hear what you've gotta say.”

Yamada scoffed and sat back in his chair, “You'd be the first.”

“I know you've got no reason to trust me,” Takahashi pressed, “but hell, I figure we can help each other so why not? I wanna find the asshole who did this. A dirty cop makes us all look bad and I'm fuckin' sick of it.”

The inmate leaned forward and folded his hands atop the table. The metal links of his shackles clanked noisily against the wood and he gestured to the Detective's clipboard.

“You got a pen and paper? I ain't sayin' none of this aloud.”

Wordlessly, Inuyasha handed him a pen and paper and waited. The man began sketching chaotic lines across the page. After about a minute it slowly came together into a portrait - the face of Akita's killer. With an abruptly scribbled flourish, Yamada set down the pencil and turned the page around.

Inuyasha stared down that the profile gazing up at him from the paper and felt his stomach sink. He wasn't surprised, but a part of him had hoped he was wrong. If this guy's ID was credible, that meant the bastard was behind more than just one murder - he was behind all of them.

Careful to keep his expression controlled, he folded up the paper and tucked it into his shirt.

“You're sure?”

Yamada gave him a single nod and the expression in his eyes told the rest.

“Alright, what do you want? I'm gonna keep up my end of the bargain.”

“What I want, is for you to do exactly what you said you were gonna do - find the prick and while you're at it make sure he spends some time in the general population. I know more than a few of us want to have a personal chat with him, if you catch my drift.”

“Yeah, I hear you loud and clear. You sure you don't want anything else?”

“Keep the wolves off my back and I'm good as gold, Detective.”

Inuyasha smirked and got up from the table, “You don't gotta worry about that.”

He left Yamada with a meaningful nod and opened the door. The glorified hall monitor was just returning to his post and looked relieved to see him exiting the room in one piece.

“You get what you needed?” he asked, tilting his head towards the one-way mirror.

“Yeah, thanks. I owe you one.”

The guard nodded and opened the door.

“Alright, let's go,” he called out over his shoulder. The scrape of a chair and the sound of metal chains clinking against one another followed.

Inuyasha didn't linger around long enough to watch Yamada be hauled back to solitary. He'd gotten what he needed and it'd landed him right in the middle of a giant, steaming shit heap. Things were gonna get ugly and he didn't have a goddamn clue how to go about sorting it all out. He knew what protocol dictated but this wasn't one for the rulebook.

“You dumb sonofabitch,” he muttered under his breath as he headed outside for a much needed smoke, “Just what the hell were you thinking?”

Author's Note: This chapter was difficult to write. There is no one particular reason for it, just that it was. Sorry for the wait. I hope you enjoyed it all the same!

I want to take a second to extend a very special thank you to landofthekwt for nominating LSR in the IYFG Awards in the Best Inu/Kag Romance category. I truly appreciate the love this fic gets. You guys have no idea :)

On that note, I'm really looking forward to the next few chapters. Some serious shit goes down so please stay tuned!

Cheers,

Langus